Proton has released the first photos of the new
Persona facelift, which is set to make its launch debut this year together with
the updated Iriz, the latter already revealed at the start of February.
The exterior refresh is rather significant one, and
it follows a design theme that is shared with its hatchback and SUV siblings.
Up front, you’ll find a new grille garnish that is styled according to the
‘ethereal bow’. Similarly, the company’s
infinite weave pattern is used on the grille, although it is more pronounced on
the B-segment sedan than the Iriz.
Just below the base of the ‘ethereal bow’ is a small
inlet, which forms part of the new bumper for the Persona. The previous black bar
in the lower apron holding the number plate is also gone, with the space now
being occupied by a smaller trapezoidal-shaped intake. This is flanked by slim
LED DRLs that are placed within faux intakes that carry a honeycomb mesh.
At the rear, the Persona sports the Proton script on
a boot lid trim piece instead of a traditional crest, which is something we’ve
already seen with the X70 and Iriz. The lower section of the rear bumper is
also new, and features faux outlets with a honeycomb mesh to mimic the front.
Other changes on the exterior include a fresh design for the 15-inch wheels and
a shark fin antenna.
The interior mirrors the updates on the Iriz,
including revamped analogue gauges and a full-colour multi-info display within
the instrument binnacle. There’s also a touchscreen infotainment system,
developed by Proton and Chinese company eCarX – the same one that built the
Geely Smart Ecosystem (GKUI) unit on the X70.
The system offers a selection of connectivity
options as well as voice command functions. There’s also a gear knob
reminiscent of the one in the X70, as well as a bold and funky pattern for the
seats.
