There have been times where I find myself behind the wheel of someone else's vehicle for varying reasons. Normally, I would take gentle care so as to not risk breaking anything - especially if said vehicle is older than the owner itself.
However, there have been exceptions to that rule, and as the title of this article suggest, this is definitely one of them.
For a brief period in March 2019, I came in possession of a 2013 Proton Inspira 2.0 Premium. It wasn't mine, though. The history of the car is long, complicated and a little personal so I would not dive into that. What matters, though, was that I got the chance to drive this car on my own on several occasions - most notably, going to and back from college - therefore able to evaluate for myself what the Inspira is like to drive and oh boy, it was quite a treat.
Going through the back roads of USJ Heights from my college back home, the Inspira presents itself with eagerness to be pushed around the bends. The way it just pulls along is just intoxicating, and it flows through the corners with the poise and grace of the Turkish Whirling Dervishes. The aluminum paddle-shifters presents you with lovely tactility and solid feel and the gearbox is very responsive despite being a CVT. In fact, I think it's one of the better CVT gearbox out there (Toyota's CVT is still the best, though).
However, as implied in the title of this post, I probably thrashed the Inspira a little too much that I almost fried the gearbox. Honestly, with a chassis this amazing, it's really easy for me to get carried away. The tell-tale signs, from what I remember, was the gear icon warning followed by a loud whining sound that otherwise would be absent in regular situations - you know, when I'm NOT thrashing the car. I had to slow down and let the gearbox cool for a bit as I was heavily utilising those lovely paddle-shifters and really wringing the 2.0-litre engine out.
Just to give you an idea, at the time I was still alternating between an Alza manual and my trusty ol' Wira that was - back then - running a straight pipe exhaust and on MINES Adjustable Coilovers, so you can imagine just how much of a difference it is jumping from those two into the Inspira - a vastly more capable car.
Anyway, getting down to the technical bits. I believe those reading this would know that the Inspira is essentially a "re-engineered" Mitsubishi Lancer. Now I say "re-engineered" because there are key differences that separate the two. Aside from the different bumpers and other exterior details, Proton also did some tweaks to the suspension to improve the ride and handling as well as improving build quality. While I'm yet to try a genuine Lancer out, I could say that Proton absolutely bombed it with the driving dynamics as mentioned above.
Mechanically, both Lancer and Inspira remain largely identical under the hood, with the exception that the Inspira is also available with a 1.8-litre 4B10 engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. In the case of this Inspira, though, it utilises a 2.0-litre 4B11 engine paired with an INVECS-III CVT with 6 virtual speeds when you feel like it. The Inspira was assembled in Shah Alam and, fun fact, the 4B11 that powered the Inspira 2.0 serves as a donor for the Proton Iriz R5 rally car prepared by Mellors Elliot Motorsports (MEM). No, really! Go read it here.
Given the chance, would I ever go for an Inspira? Well, not something I'd do in a heart beat. For one, I find it a little unsettling how the sounds in the cabin - say, when you pull the handbrake - just bounces around. I'm not sure if adding soundproofing would help, but I find it a bit unsettling.
Another thing that would throw me off from getting an Inspira is that a great majority of them has been "converted to Evo" and when you consider that some of these cars could be ex-government or patrol fleet cars, that is enough of a red flag for me. Finding one as clean as this isn't going to be easy, and the Inspira still command quite a premium at RM30,000 to RM40,000 for the later 2013 model year. Early ones are just shy below that.
However, within the RM30,000 to RM40,000 region, there are plenty of other options available within the same price range that are not only better equipped in terms of safety, performance. comfort and convenience, but more capable as well. You can either buy something with a hint of prestige like a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, or go for something relatively brand new such as the latest Proton Saga VVT or even an older but still new Japanese D-Segment saloons like the Honda Accord (the generation that formed the basis of the new Perdana) or Toyota Camry. Hell, even the King of The Malaysian Roads are well within that price range. In other words, within the 2013 Inspira's typical price range, there are plenty of more capable cars that I'd run off to first
Yes, I know. These cars I mentioned above and the Inspira are completely different classes altogether and maintenance cost would very much differ. But this is the second hand market, and at this point, the classes of these cars don't matter much as opposed to the market value on which these cars are now subjected to. Therefore, in terms of pricing on the second-hand market, there are plenty of other options that provide - at least on surface level - better value for money. Of course, a certain Inspira owner would come in and say "yeah, better lawn ornaments."
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