The 2022 Proton Iriz facelift has just been launched. It’s a pretty major update with new lights and bumpers, as well as a rather opinion-dividing crossover-styled Active variant, a surprisingly fresh interior revamp and the controversial choice of sticking to the Punch CVT gearbox. There are two very distinct versions of the Iriz now – the Standard and Executive variants get a new set of front grille and bumper, and it’s definitely nicer than before, especially the grille. But, once we get to the back, the 2022 Iriz falls a little flat. It’s pretty much exactly the same as the 2019 model, save for the red line at the bottom. Proton knows full well that this isn’t exciting enough, to the point where it didn’t even release any official photos of the Standard or Executive rear end.
Another thing exclusive to the
Iriz Active is the Goodyear Triplemax 2 tyres. The Executive, even though it
also runs upsized 16-inch wheels with the same tyre profile, gets fitted with
Atlas tyres, just like the Saga. As for colour options, Proton has gone crazy
this time with no less than seven options, including the Citric Orange and
Passion Red taken from the X50. It’s nice to see a good selection of bright and
vibrant colour options instead of the usual white and silver. For me, I’m
loving my orange X50 and I think it looks just unique here on the Iriz.
Now, finally, we get to the
interior, where the changes are even more important. Right off the bat, you’ll
notice the near unrecognisable dashboard, making this feel like so much more
than a mere facelift. The upper central pod has been completely redesigned, now
featuring a modern looking freestanding screen. To accommodate the larger
screen, the air-con vents have been moved down, arranged in a more conventional
horizontal layout. A byproduct of this change is that the vents will hopefully
be allowed to direct air towards your face, rather than directly at your
fingers on the steering wheel like the previous design.
Further down, the air-con
controls are all new too. Also, while the controls are digital, the
air-conditioning is still a manual system, so no automatic climate control
here. There’s still no rear vents either, but that’s also the case with all
cars this size. Just get a set of good window tint, and your rear passengers
will be fine. Just below the air-con controls is a set of three USB ports to
charge your mobile devices. The Iriz now has a total of six USB ports – two
more for the rear passengers and one cleverly tucked behind the rear-view
mirror. The Iriz Active is the only one
to get the fully upgraded GKUI head unit, now featuring a new interface. The
“Hi Proton” voice commands are also no longer limited to the onboard navigation
and music apps – it can now operate the air-con and window too, just like the
Geely-based models.
Mechanically, the engines are
exactly the same as before. The 1.3 litre VVT mill still makes 95 PS and 120
Nm, while the 1.6 litre VVT offers 109 PS and 150 Nm. These have not changed at
all since the very first Iriz seven years ago, so that’s a little
disappointing. But then again, the 1.6 still has a healthy advantage over the
Myvi 1.5 in terms of output numbers, so there’s that. Transmission-wise,
there’s only one option, the Punch CVT. Yes, for the very first time, the Iriz
is no longer available with a manual option. It’s sad, but unfortunately, that
move is probably a wise business decision by Proton.
Now, the only thing left to
talk about is pricing. The 2022 Iriz now starts from just over RM 40,000, going
up to RM 54k for the top-spec Active. The starting price has gone up a fair bit,
as the previous Iriz came in from just RM 36k, but again remember that that was
for the manual version. For the CVT, both the new Standard and Executive
variants are about RM 1,000 more expensive than before, which is fair as you do
get extra equipment. The Active is now over RM 4,000 more than the previous
Premium, which can be a bit hard to swallow. But then again, the additional
bits and bobs do cost more money, so that’s that.
