Komen Bangkok Post berkaitan Exora

Di bawah ini adalah komen akhbar Bangkok Post. Ia membuat perbandingan dgn mpv lain spt Avanza, Honda Freed, Wish & Innova. Terdapat komen yg ikhlas spt kelemahan enjin tapi teman bersetuju dgn komen berkaitan 'handling' yg teman warnakan dgn warna biru.

When it comes to sheer multi-purpose activity,the Exora hits the right button by having a truly realistic price

It should come as no surprise if Proton's all-new Exora goes on to become the brand's best-selling model in Thailand this year.Readouts are clearly legible amid a bland backdrop; finish better than in all other Protons.

Despite its marginally cheaper prices, the Toyota Avanza is now dated and comes with an archaic chassis and interior packaging. The same goes for the stodgy-driving, van-like APV from Suzuki.

The remaining competitor is the Honda Freed, a fine compact people-mover with fresh looks, modern interior and decent underpinnings marred, if vaguely, by high prices.

To give you a clearer picture of how expensive the Freed is, the cheapest version retails at nearly B100,000 more than the top-of-the-line Proton, priced at B819,000 as tested here in High Line trim.

And the funny thing is that these four players are on a level battlefield. All are subject to no import duty because they are sourced from Asean factories under the Afta trade scheme. While the Exora comes from Malaysia, the other three are shipped from Indonesia.

As Motoring first discovered during its first-hand experience with the Exora at Proton's Malaysian proving grounds late last year, the car proved of great value which remains the case today.The Exora's competitive prices are also complemented by a decent equipment list. Although safety features are more or less on par with the rest, convenience items in the Proton are aplenty including audio system with DVD player and screen, Bluetooth connectivity and all-round air-con ventilation.

It's not only the price/equipment balance that beckons; the Exora comes with a commodious package that nearly matches the B1m-plus Wish and Innova MPVs from Toyota.

Although the seats aren't that comfortable to sit in, there's no shortage of space for any of the interior occupants in the Exora. Even the last row of chairs can seat two adults. Just.

And when it comes to interior versatility, the Exora knocks its opponents onto the canvas with seats that can fold flat for outright cargo space when people-carrying ability is not needed.

The only things the Exora lacks are the practical sliding doors of the Freed. Like in the Avanza and APV, the Exora has normal rear doors hinged to the B-pillars.

The same could be said for the interior which is boring to look at. But it's straight-forward to use and the instrumentation is clear and legible.This clearly shows that Proton has put more emphasis on basic functionality rather than styling, meaning that the Exora looks best as a conventional MPV with bland exterior lines.

The Freed, in contrast, has a far more contemporary feel that doesn't compromise on livability.

Despite a sea of low-rent plastics, overall fit and finish is still good and probably the best of all Protons currently on sale in Thailand.

The next cool aspect about the Exora after value and interior practicality is the chassis - something that has also been outstanding in other Protons, thanks to additional tuning from in-house brand Lotus.

Even so, body roll is still contained reasonably well in corners where you will also find a steering that plays the right chord with the chassis. You really need to go hard into a curve to get the understeer effect. And because of this, the Exora seems to have the best handling balance of all mini-MPVs available in Thailand.While a sporty feel usually characterises Proton's family cars, the Exora seems to have a slightly softer variation to suit its MPV concept. You can feel more vertical movements when driving over bumps and undulating roads.

What could have been more resolved is the secondary ride, though. The suspension setting seems to suit Thai roads, but there is still some underbody vibration and harshness over surface imperfections.

Since the Exora uses the brand's basic 1.6-litre petrol/E20 engine, it remains the weakest link of the Exora - just like in the Persona, Neo and Gen2.

Performance still remains weak; the amount of torque is insufficient in the mid-ranges and the motor must be dragged to high revs to coax a real kick out of it. And that's when it gets noisy, unlike during cruising where the engine is generally well muted.To ensure the Exora gets as much power as possible to cope with its weight, Proton has given it the CPS version of the 1.6 - already available in the Neo - a higher 125hp output.

The Exora has better low-rev urge than the Neo despite its bulk. Proton says the gearing of the four-speed automatic is slightly different to accommodate the Exora's ability to pick up power at city speeds.

Fortunately, performance was never a thing to boast about in any of the Exora's rivals. The same goes for fuel economy, where Motoring recorded a mediocre 10kpl on a round trip to Saraburi.

Because of this, the Exora is arguably the mini-MPV in Thailand to beat at the moment.

But for how long can its reign continue remains to be seen, because there is still much room in this segment for improvement.