Proton 407 Coupe Car Review

Performance 7
Comfort 8
Handling 7
Economy 7
Image 7
Styling 10
Equipment 7
Build 7
Depreciation 6
Insurance 7

Proton's 407 Coupe offers sleek styling and some serious presence.

All the engines in the 407 coupe range are diesel. The entry-level unit is the 2.0-litre 136bhp unit found in other Proton models. Next up is the 1.6-litre 110bhp HDi unit. This slots below the 2.7-litre V6 diesel that’s been developed in conjunction with Ford, variants of which are found beneath the bonnets of Jaguar S-TYPEs and Land Rover Discoverys. In this guise, it develops a hefty 205bhp.

The cabin looks very Proton - which is possibly the weakest part of the 407 make up. It’s neat and everything seems to work very nicely but there isn’t a great deal of showroom ‘wow factor’ to it.

Proton have also developed an externally controlled compressor that uses atmospheric conditions to reduce the work the system has to do, thus reducing fuel consumption. A pollen filter also keeps summer trips bearable for those afflicted by hay fever.

The chassis itself incorporates not only the highest level of torsional rigidity ever seen on a Proton of this kind – as you might expect – but it also features a device known as an impactor that anchors the engine to the subframe and prevents it being shunted into the passenger cell in the event of a crash. Pedestrian protection is a major design criterion these days and the 407 features foam padded bumper bars and a bonnet that deforms to absorb shock, the top of the engine a good distance below that sweeping bonnet line. Up to nine air bags can be specified – twin fronts, side, curtain and steering column units offer optimum protection.

Audi Car Reviews:
Performance: 8
Comfort: 8
Handling: 7
Economy: 6
Image: 7
Styling: 8
Equipment: 8
Build: 9
Depreciation: 8
Insurance: 6

Putting power down Audi Car in all weathers is virtually guaranteed due not only too an array of clever electronics but the security of Quattro all wheel drive.

The Audi A6’s key styling feature is that prominent grille or, as Audi prefer to call it, the ‘single frame’. Look beyond that and you’ll notice the curvaceous flanks, topped and tailed by a sharp longitudinal crease line that forms a definite hip and the rising edge in the door sills that creates a great deal of tension and shadow in the Audi A6’s profile.

New Audi Q7 Car Review: it’s long been something of a mystery as to why Audi haven’t committed to the sports utility vehicle market. With an all-wheel drive pedigree to be proud of, and enough badge equity in the tank to drive premium sales, Audi have seen rivals such as BMW, Mercedes, Proton and Volvo clean up. Even sister company Volkswagen have brought the Touareg to market while Audi twiddled their thumbs. The twiddling stopped a while back, when Audi started work on a secret project. The results of that development were unveiled in the shape of the Q7.

Whether or not you see the Q7, priced from £38,075, as a big step forward for Audi really rather depends on your view of big 4x4s. I always liked the Allroad, a pragmatic vehicle that was more competent than most would require off road and had a reassuringly car-like feel on the tarmac. The air suspension system could turn your suave estate car into a mud plugger in a matter of seconds without the negative social connotations of larger 4x4s. The Allroad was a clever distillation of Audi’s brand image – cool, well built and ever so slightly self effacing.

The coupe-like dipping roofline isn’t standard 4x4 fare, nor are the resolutely horizontal shoulders. Audi even offer contrasting body colours in a bid to emphasise the car’s shapely profile. One can’t really underestimate the importance of this vehicle to Audi, a company that looks set to belatedly diversify into some previously profitable market niches. The Q7 is rumoured to be spawning a Q5, a smaller and less expensive model that will bring the theme and the MPV-style interior trickery to a wider audience.

Audi claim 28 seating and loading configurations are available in the Q7 and the seats in the second row are adjustable for fore/aft movement. This allows Audi to not only lay claim to the most generous second row legroom in the class but also – with the second row slid forward and the rear folded – to also pinch first prize for luggage capacity, a huge 775 litres.

With a length of 5,086mm and a wheelbase of 3,002mm, the Q7 isn’t the most nimble rock hopper, but it does feature variable ground clearance (from 180 to 240mm), hill descent assist and an off-road mode whereby the ESP stability control system backs off to allow for loose surfaces. There’s also a trailer stabilisation system which reduces the risk of fishtailing via targeted brake intervention.

Let’s not kid ourselves here though. The Q7’s off-road aspirations aren’t anything much greater than muddy tracks and wet grass. This is a car which has a sensibly tarmac-biased set-up, from its 60:40 torque split to its 18-inch alloy wheels. If you really want to bring the bling, 19 or 20-inch rims are also offered. Another option that’s sure to be popular among Q7 buyers is air suspension.

Four engines are available. The entry-level petrol unit is the six cylinder 3.6 FSI, developing 280bhp. This sits below a powerful 4.2-litre V8 petrol unit also featuring FSI direct injection which cranks out a healthy 350bhp with a peak torque figure pitched at 440Nm. Of perhaps greater relevance to the UK market is the 3.0-litre TDI diesel. This features a state-of-the-art common rail injection system with piezo inline injectors helping it to a peak power figure of 240bhp, a substantial torque rating of 500Nm and reasonable fuel economy. At the top of the range sits the 322bhp 4.2-litre V8 TDI powerplant currently found in the A8.

The Q7 is equipped as standard with quattro permanent four-wheel drive. Its Torsen centre differential directs power to all four wheels, on-road and off-road, which means fast-reacting power to whichever wheel can best deploy it and excellent lateral stability – the prerequisites for optimum driving dynamics and safety. The driver benefits – also thanks to virtually balanced axle load distribution – from even better agility and steering precision that remains practically free of torque steer. The chassis of the Audi Q7 contains numerous aluminium components – independent wheel suspension with double wishbones at the front and rear – also excels with its all-round qualities. Steel spring suspension and twin-tube shock absorbers are designed for sporty driving and superior comfort, even off-road. The tilted position of the rear spring and shock absorber unit reduces overall height and creates more room at the rear.

Although some may point to the fact that Audi have arrived at the 4x4 party just as the richest pickings have thinned, there’s still a massive demand for ‘sports utes’ in the USA and besides, the Q7 may be long but it isn’t as in-your-face as many 4x4s. It’s actually rather a clever move, taking the constituent parts of an Allroad and scaling them up a little. If you had to design what an Audi 4x4 would look like, chances are it wouldn’t be too far off how the Q7 has turned out. That’s usually a recipe for incipient success. Perusahaan Otomobile Nasional Berhad, or PROTON, was incorporated on the 7th May 1983. Proton made a major step in upgrading its engineering capabilities when it acquired a share in Lotus Group International in October 1996 - this stake was increased to a 100% share in 2003.

The Proton GEN-2 was launched in the UK in September 2004 as a replacement for the Proton Wira and according to Proton it 'marks the start of the marque’s redefinition of its brand proposition in the UK'.

The GEN-2 is a 5-door hatchback which has been developed in conjunction with the Norfolk based sports car manufacturer Lotus.

The Proton GEN-2 is available in two trim levels: GLS and GSX - prices start at £8,795 for the 1.3 GLS model and rise to £11,395 for the range topping 1.6 GSX with automatic transmission.

We tested the GEN-2 1.6 GLS model, with a list price of £ 9,595 to see how it fares within the competitive lower medium segment which boasts class leaders such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf.Model Reviewed Proton GEN-2 1.6 GLS

Body Type 5-Door Hatchback
Colour Vigour Red Metallic

Performance ~ manufacturers figures

0 - 62 mph 12.6 Seconds
Top Speed 118 mph

Transmission 5-Speed Manual

Fuel Type Unleaded - Petrol

Economy ~ manufacturers figures

Urban 27.9 mpg
Extra Urban 51.3 mpg
Combined 39.2 mpg

Insurance Group 7
Euro NCAP Rating TBA


Warranty 3-Years/60,000 miles manufacturer total vehicle warranty
6-Years/100,000 miles engine and gearbox warranty
6-Years unlimited mileage bodywork warranty
3-Years unlimited mileage paintwork warranty
3-Years RAC breakdown cover. The Proton GEN-2 is powered by a 1.6 litre, 16 valve CAMPRO engine which produces 110 bhp @ 6000 rpm. The manual car which we tested reached 0-60 mph in 12.6 seconds and will continue on to a top speed of 118 mph. The GEN-2 felt quicker than the quoted 0-60 mph time and coped well with all that we threw at it, including a long motorway trip during which it proved itself to be a competent cruising car. We did not like the weird jacking (revving) up of the engine when dipping the clutch to change gear, we are not really sure what was going on there - perhaps it was us. The engine and exhaust note are appealing although overall the top end performance is disappointing.

Proton quote a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.2 mpg - we saw nearer to the 35 mpg, but we did not measure this scientifically but on the range that we got from the 11 gallon fuel tank during the time we spent with the car. Proton own a 100% share in Lotus, therefore they are able to utilize their sports car engineering department. Lotus have worked on a number of Proton cars over the years to improve handling.

The Lotus developed suspension worked well, and we were pleasantly surprised by the GEN-2's road manners. It coped well with uneven road surfaces and speed humps giving the driver and passengers a smooth ride. Ultimately there was too much body roll for an enthusiastic driving experience but the steering was well weighted and responsive. The GEN-2 is a very easy car to live with and drive - it is equipped with parking sensors as standard, but this is not an excuse not to look where you are reversing. One thing that we did not like was that the only way to open the boot was via a cable release next to the front seat, which means that you have to open the drivers door before opening the boot.

Although the boot is relatively large - access is through a hatchback which has a high sill which can make loading/unloading difficult. For transporting large loads the rear seats fold completely flat adding extra capacity to the already spacious boot. Better still the rear seats split 60:40 and fold down to give you a good useable load area.

We were surprised that there was not a glove compartment, especially considering the target market who probably will wear gloves. Although there is a storage box between the front seats, which you could place the odd item in. There is a cup holder located between the front seats but we felt that it wouldn’t hold a cup in place and had a limited life. The doors incorporate large pockets and there are map packets on the back of the front seats.

The switchgear was awkward to use on the move and too flimsy.