Proton Impian : BUDGET BLUES?

You buy a Proton Impian if youre looking for no-nonsense family virtues. June Neary checks it out

As four-door family saloons go, the Proton Impian isnt the most exciting of its kind though in the metal, it actually looks a good deal more appealing than I was expecting. My colleagues told me to expect a surprise in the driving experience on offer behind the wheel courtesy apparently to some excellent work by the people at Proton-owned Lotus. I duly was surprised and if I was looking for an unobtrusive compact saloon that offered low profile value, I think Id be quite happy with an Impian. I tried the leather-trimmed 1.

6 GSX - which at £11,395, offers a good deal in every sense. It also comes in entry-level form for £800 less. Impian, meaning dream come true may be an optimistic and slightly clumsy name for the car, but its better than the name they use in Malaysia, where the car is known as a Waja.

The Impian offers decent interior space for its size and you get a cavernous boot as well. The car, therefore, caters for family needs very well. The thoughtfully designed driving position is also surprisingly good. I was impressed with the fresh air inflow, a welcome cooling blast rather than the uncertain flow you have to put up with in some cars.

On the safety front, the Impian offers flush-fitted glazing, side impact protection beams in all the doors and, of course, those de rigeur driver and passenger front airbags.

The real surprise was out on the road. Rest to sixty takes about 12 seconds on the way to a top speed of over 110mph, but that's surely irrelevant to most potential owners. Like me, they'll be impressed with the fuel consumption - an average of over 40mpg, which is good news for the family budget. The Impian is a mild-mannered car. The steering feels light, perhaps, but the four-door passed the turning test - at the end of my road there's just room enough to turn a car round in one, if the lock permits. This Malaysian contender came through with flying colours. As Ive already suggested, the Impian is impishly good fun to drive. The first thing you notice is how well the suspension suppresses the usual bump and thump of the average British road surface.

Up the speed a little more and the story remains the same. The Proton still feels supple at speeds which the engine is quite unhappy with, the body control admirable, utterly bereft of the soggy front under damping or high speed float that would affect a comparable VW driven at similar velocities. Impressive stuff. Likewise, the handling is well up to scratch.

Grip is good, the front-wheel drive chassis holding on doggedly before lapsing into mild understeer, the lightweight engine helping keep your cornering line tight and true. Compared to an equivalently priced Hyundai, Kia or Chevrolet, the Impian is leagues ahead in terms of driver appeal. The steering is pleasantly weighty and the whole effect is not hugely dissimilar to a basic Mondeo, which for any who have been lucky enough to pilot the Ford will attest is high praise indeed.

The four-door Impian range starts at £10,595 in recently facelifted form. Whats different? The front grille has been redesigned and the rear light clusters are neater while there is yet another alloy wheel design and, yes, extra colours - this time Carbon Black, Aurum and Sterling Silver. The cabin has come in for the once over again, Proton clearly feeling that the 2005 tinkering didnt go far enough. This time the entire fascia has been redesigned although the wood trim on the GSX still seems about as appropriate as a rendition of "Burning Love" in a crematorium. The chrome ringed dials are a neat touch though. Air conditioning with pollen filter is fitted as standard as well as anti lock brakes, traction control and reverse parking sensors.

In all honesty, I think I could. To be able to buy a brand new car which in size is somewhere between a Ford Focus and a Ford Mondeo for less than £11,000 on the road is a tempting proposition.

Wednesday December 20