Proton Satria hatchback 2004 review

The Malaysian hatchback, a five-door compact body, has perky styling, a piquant 1.6-litre engine and a well-performing chassis.

Prices start at $17,990, top of the tree is the H-Line version with auto and $22,990 tag.

The Proton Gen 2 has good and ordinary parts. The style is neat and clean; the front has a steep, straight landing and a slight rise in profile to a high croup. Inside, it's fresh and simple, with a clean approach to styling and dashboard layout. The stereo (with tiny controls) is built into the dash, the A/C controls are below.

There's a lot of plastic here. Some are acceptable, some parts like the interior door handles are sticky and feel a bit fragile.

As for the doors, this version of the M-Line Gen 2 Proton had doors sticking out on all sides. All closed with a decent sound, but all reluctantly opened clean.

The design inside and out is good, but something loses in execution. Tall drivers will find the cute sports steering wheel too low and the seat too high; some materials, as well as fit and finish, require additional polishing.

The Gen 2 Proton comes in three trim levels, all with ample hardware.

Starting at $17,990, the entry-level L-Line features air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, driver and passenger side SRS airbags, remote keyless entry, a CD player, and a trip computer.

The $19,500 M-Line Proton adds ABS brakes, alloy wheels and cruise control to the car. The $20,990 H-Line adds SRS side airbags, climate-controlled air conditioning, an electronic reverse sensor, front and rear fog lights, a rear spoiler, and a cell phone holder.

On the street, 1.6 liters and its 82 kW is enough. The power is enough for most drivers, although it can struggle at low revs and others in this class are more refined.

There is little dispute with the five-speed manual transmission, ride or handling of the front-wheel drive generation 2.

Perhaps the steering could have been sharper, but the Proton is quite ready to move forward without too much front-wheel drag or understeer. It follows flexibility and decent grip.

This generation 2 promises to be a beautiful and comfortable hatchback.

Road behavior is good, style is cute. There is room for improvement in build quality (compare it to a Honda Jazz or Mitsubishi Colt) and some aspects of cabin ergonomics, in particular the ratio of the driver's seat to the steering wheel.

But if Gen 2 is indicative of future Proton products, the brand is steadily moving forward.