Malaysia’s Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is proving to be quite the leaker of Proton models, and this time it’s purportedly the facelifted Iriz hatchback.
In this video posted by KiniTV, the Prime Minister and former Proton chairman is seen driving himself in a Proton Iriz to attend an official function at Putrajaya. The near two-minute long video also shows both the front and back of the Iriz, and we do see quite a fair bit of work done on the external styling.
For starters the front end looks to be entirely new; the bonnet is now a clamshell design (a la Persona) and the headlamp slimmer and reconstituted with stronger visual cues. Of course, no one can miss the prominent chrome trim that runs from the outer edges of the headlamps and meets just under the Proton emblem that sits on a larger, redesigned front grille. The front bumper is new too, looks cleaner and sports a pair of new day-time running lights.
Not much is changed on the sides and doors though it’s obvious the multi-spoke alloy wheels are new, but like the front, the rear styling of the Iriz also receives a significant makeover; the most obvious being the large trim valance under the rear windscreen which has the ‘PROTON’ alphabets laid out on it, similar to modern Volvos. The rear spoiler appears unchanged, as are the LED taillamps but the bumper is all new with an angular cut-out, along with a lower trim featuring a chrome accent.
We expect to see the forthcoming facelifted Iriz to also incorporate a raft of interior updates, including a version of the GKUI that’s proven to be such a hit in the X70. Like what you see?
(Images in this story are screen grabs from the video posted by KiniTV)
