A short review: Proton Wira Special Edition 1.5 AT

If you’ve wondering how familiar the name of this car is, you would probably remember that this is one of the cars that were riced before they left the factory. Now that I’ve taken this particular car out for a spin, I ought that I should write a review on this not-so-Special Edition Proton Wira Aeroback.

Before I begin,

Dear Alex, the correct pronunciation for Wira is Wee-ruh (“U” as in “Umbrella), not Why-ruh.

Okay, first of all: the specs. This car is powered by a fuel-injected 4G15 SOHC 12-valve engine producing 90hp. This is the post-2001 model, meaning that the engine uses a Siemens VDO ECU instead of the MMC, which, although contributes to better fuel economy, apparently causes a slight power reduction, and the Siemens VDO ECU isn’t known to be tuner-friendly. The engine is mated to a 3-speed automatic (a 5-speed manual is also available), and yes, it’s a FWD.

Starting from 2001, every Proton Wira produced in this year receives suspension tuning from Lotus, and it is a lovely set-up. The ride is a bit on the stiff side, but it’s not what you would call uncomfortable. The benefit is that you would feel more confident to push it round the corners. Not to say that it handles like a Lotus Exige, but for a saloon, the handling is impressive.

As for the performance, it isn’t going to win you any traffic light drag races, but it is absolutely wonderful for daily use. The 1.5-litre unit offers plenty of low-end grunt, meaning that unlike my Saga FL, it doesn’t struggle under heavy load. It also sounds a bit sporty, to be honest. However, the automatic gearbox isn’t exactly the quickest thing in the world, and it pulls back some of the performance of this Wira when you push it. But, that’s to be expected in an automatic gearbox that dates back to the 80s. The 5-speed manual would’ve been heaps better. Still, if you decided to take it easy, it would work effortlessly.

Other aspects of this Wira? Well, the interior is cheap as there are plastics everywhere, although the seats are comfortable. It is not the most refined car in the world, the air-conditioning is freezing cold, which is good, and annoyingly, the only way you can ever access the tailgate is you have to open it either from the inside or with a key. Still, at least it doesn’t have the optional massive aluminium spoiler, so it’s not a ricer at all.

Verdict? Well, this Wira Special Edition is nothing more than your average daily car, unless you’ve fitted it with that optional aluminium rear spoiler, which turns it into a fire-breathing monster. No, seriously, it is an impressive all-rounder, and there’s a potential for a performance build, since it’s basically a Lancer, which also spawned the Evo I, II and III. Other than that, it is a dependable workhorse, which is no wonder why it can be seen all over Malaysian roads today.