Interior Photos of Proton Perdana Limousine

 

The Prime Minister of Malaysia launched the new Proton Perdana last week for the consumption of the government officials and of course, himself and his deputy included. The car comes in both 2.0L and 2.4L version as it is in its previous life as Honda Accord. The exterior styling change is very mild, concentrating on the new front bumper and grille assembly while the trunk lid trimmings has been suitably updated. The detail change of the exterior can be seen in MMN previous post, HERE.

As for the interior, Proton has put its own emblem on the steering wheel while the rest is carried over wholesomely from the Alor Gajah's made Honda Accord. The instrument panel, centre console, gear panel and pretty much everything is familiar. Where Proton works their art is for the limousine version for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Similar in trend with Proton's previous limousine, the rear passenger compartment is isolated from the chauffeur. Proton has inserted the "dashboard panel" to the rear compartment housing the the airconditioning vent and perhaps the sound system too. It looks like the lower part of the dashboard as in the front of the car. There's no fancy gadget and extreme opulence here so perhaps this is just the initial mock-up as it is quite bare.The extended window panel is actually opaque, and it housed the speaker. The legroom is humongous.

The rear seat is strictly for two, and the arm rest panel houses all the controls, presumably for the audio and other comfort item. The seat and door trim are upholstered in two-tone theme. We are still trying to get the details of the extended Proton Perdana such as the detail dimensions and more photos but it does not seem to be possible. 

New Proton Perdana Revealed, Limo Included

Proton today has handed over the first batch of the new Proton Perdana to the Prime Minister in a special event, and set to replace the ageing outgoing model which has been in service since last decade. As the whole world know, the "new" Proton Perdana is a redevelopment of the previous 8th generation Honda Accord from the year 2008. The Honda Accord has been reinterpreted with Proton design touch which include new front grille, new front bumper with heavily chromed front bumper insert ( a bit like the facelifted large Saab) while the rear end retains the old bumper, but the inner reflector on the trunk lid has been removed (ala pre-facelifted US Accord) with the chrome bar intact and the license plate area has been heavily garnished with chrome too. 

For the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Deputy Prime Minister, Proton has stretched the 8th-gen Honda Accord by significant amount to be a proper limo. However, it is obviously an unseamless stretched job as the the different in height of the front door trailing edge and rear door leading edge can clearly be seen and it is matched with the splintered panel. We don't know how long the wheelbase is extended, but it looks as if it is more than 300mm. The chrome finish on the window surround is removed too.

Also unleashed on the same day is the standard wheelbase version for the new Proton Perdana for other government official use. The standard version is more akin to your cooking Honda Accord although it too receives the similar front and rear end updates. More details after the jump.

Spyshots: Proton Rebadged Honda Accord

Proton Perdana replacement has had a very turbulence gestation period. The replacement model has been in the planning since the days of Proton MSX when the replacement was intended to look like a sedan version of the aluminium crossover. Of course it never happen. Then we started seeing a Mitsubishi 380 with Proton badge, and even the latest Mitsubishi Galant in 2006. Then came the Nissan Fuga thing and finally the freshest of them all is the rebadged Honda Accord. 

So, based on this sighting at Paultan, the government officials are set to drive the recycled Honda Accord. Proton has added their badge the normal place - front grille, steering wheel boss, and the rear fascia. We don't know yet if there's any restyling, but it should be very minor. What do you think? Is it worth it to design the car only to serve government officials? Two more photos after the jump.

9th Generation Honda Accord Launched in Malaysia

The ninth iteration of Honda Accord has been launched in Malaysia. Locally assembled in Honda Melaka plant, the new Honda Accord is priced very competitively starting from only RM139,800 for the base 2.0 VTi model, which makes it cheaper even than the Korean entry. Two other models are available, a higher specification 2.0L VTi-L at RM149,800 and 2.4L VTi-L at RM172,800. Fellow Japanese rival  Toyota Camry starts at RM149,915 for 2.0E and topped by 2.5L variant at RM180,917. The sleek Mazda6 is also pricier at RM159,455 for the 2.0L model and RM189,728 although it is CBU. So Honda has nailed it this time around as far as pricing is concern.

If pricing alone won't entice you, you'll be glad to know that the new Honda Accord is more comprehensively equipped than the outgoing car. Luxury amenities is thrown in more generously, and this is being topped by the new clothes that is more prestigious with its crisp body surfacing, intricate light detailing and classier interior design.

The base 2.0L VTi comes with beige interior upholstered in fabric. There are two screen in dashboard, the smaller and lower one for audio system while the larger upper mounted screen is for i-MID. There's also dual zone aircond, rear aircond duct and parking sensor. The exterior is garnished by 17' alloy wheel, LED day time running light and LED rear combi. Auto headlamp function is included too.

Opting for the higher specs VTi-L version gains you a dark cabin upholstered in leather trim, electrically adjustable driver seat, key less entry, starter button, hands-free Bluetooth functionality, cruise control, intelligent automatic airconditioning, rear door sunshade, sat-nav, HDD audio and DVD player. Both 2.0L variant soldiers on the carried over SOHC 2.0L linked to 5 speed automatic transmission. The engine has been massaged for greater refinement and economy, pushing out 155PS and 190Nm.

The 2.4L version is loaded with all bell and whistles that Honda currently knows how to make. The headlight is pulled out from the brand's luxury arm Acura, and LED item with auto-levelling and the car shod on 18' alloy wheel. The interior is decked out with paddle shifter, rear view mirror with auto dimming, wood trim, powered passenger seat, powered rear glass sunshade and premium sub woofer. Safety is upped too with 4 airbags in addition to the driving aids called LaneWatch and Active Cornering Light. The engine is new, replacing the K24 mill. It is of the Earth Dream Technology umbrella although it lacks the direct injection system. The new engine makes 175PS@6,200rpm and 225Nm@4,000rpm. Ultimate horsepower is slightly less than the outgoing engine although it is 7% more economy and 6% lighter.

In tune with the new Honda Civic, the 9th-gen Honda Accord is smaller than its predecessor. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Honda Accord is 80mm shorter at 4,870mm, 25mm shorter wheelbase at 2,775mm, 5mm wider at 1,850mm and 10mm lower at 1,465mm. Space however has not been compromised at rear legroom increased by 35mm while the boot is 23L more than before. All has been achieved thanks to the more efficient packaging including thinner seat structure.Honda also has replaced the double wishbone suspension at the front with McPherson strut while the rear end end is still multi-link.

Price comparison with the fellow Japanese rival is as mentioned above. In terms of dimension, Toyota Camry measures 4,825mm long, 1,825mm wide and 1,470mm tall. Its wheelbase is similar to the new Honda Accord at 2,775mm and boot stands in at 515L, a lot smaller than Accord. Mazda6 is a tad shorter at 4,850mm, 1,840mm wide, lower at 1,450mm, longer wheelbase at 2,830mm but cosier in terms cabin space and the boot volume is a good deal smaller too.

Small gallery can be found after the jump.

2013 Honda Accord - full gallery and specification

Honda has finally lift the embargo on the details of the US version of Honda Accord. Thus for the first the interior design is no longer a secret, the engine option detailed out and the shrunken dimensions can be quantified. MMN is not going to dwell too long on the details, as our version could be different. There are plenty of trim level for the US market, but we are going to ignore this for the same reason. However, read on for some fundamental details and enjoy the gallery.

Firstly, about the dimensions. The new Honda Accord measures 4,861mm in length which is 89mm less than the current bulging car. Wheelbase has been shortened too by a meagre 25.4mm down to 2,775mm. Overall height gas dropped a little to 1,465mm. Despite this, rear legroom has been improved by 33mm, while the boot volume has increased by a 28L. Not all dimensions are better though, some has suffered such as less front hip room, smaller fuel tank and slightly narrower cabin. But those milimetres won't be a deal breaker. 

In chassis department, Honda's new Accord rides on an all-new platform. The front suspension is finally mainstream, as Honda has ditched its traditional double wishbones suspension, consistent with the rest of its product range. In comes McPhersons strut then. Rears are still taken care by the multi-link setup though. Main reason for the switch was said to be due to the packaging reason. 

On the engine front, there are two gasoline engine on offered. Firstly is the Earth Dream 2.4L with direct injection. It delivers 185bhp and 245Nm. It is paired to either 6 speed manual or , for the first time, a CVT. Another engine is the 3.5L that comes with direct injection and VCM. It punches out 278bhp and 340Nm. Transmission is 6 speed automatic. On that side of the world, Honda will be offering a plug-in hybrid too. In essence  it is a 2.0L gasoline paired to 124kW of electric motor. The Asian region will be very likely to come also with the 2.0L petrol that is found in the latest CR-V and Civic. The transmission option however will need to wait, MMN see a slim chance of CVT unless Honda is really rolling out its new drivetrain globally.

We also now can see the dashboard uncamouflaged for the first time. It reveals nothing new and it looks as if the material quality is there. In contrast to the new Civic, the new Accord looks expensive in photo. But we can't judged by photo, as Proton Gen2 also demonstrates similar perception when the photo was released some times back in 2004.

Two different interior color scheme, dark and beige and the design of both automatic and manual can be observed

Rear legroom looks promising. Note the version above has no rear aircond

Close-up of the centre console

The version with touch screen audio control

Door trim design is all-new, looks more CR-V and Civic

 Continue after the jump for more exterior illustration.

2013 Honda Accord dashboard - first photo of the interior

Honda is still keeping mum about the cabin of the new Honda Accord, apart from saying it is more spacious than before. We have seen the peek of the dashboard from the some of SPYSHOTS, but here is the first real photo of the cabin, probably for magazine, newspaper advertisement or dealer sales manual. According to the source, it says all models are to get 8 inch LCD screen at the top of the dashboard housing the i-MID screen plus navigation (if so equipped). Lets hope Malaysian version will keep this feature (albeit not an overtly large black screen with monochrome display). The audio control has switched from switches to the touch screen, although this is not meant for all version. Some version will get a normal audio button panel as seen HERE. The silvered panel is the climate control system. It is a big relieve to see that the panel is not simplified too much like the new Honda Civic. Finally on the lowest tier of the dashboard is the navigation controller, which exist only for car equipped with navigation, others will probably be a storage shelf as can be seen HERE.

The steering wheel is different from the other mainstream Honda namely the likes of CR-V and Civic. However, the meter binnacle main dials (the speedo) looks pretty much like the CR-V item together with the circular display. But the other dials flanking it is visibly all-new.

2013 Honda Accord - photo of entry level 4 cylinder model

We have seen some additional photo of the USDM 2013 Honda Accord, albeit in the top line V6 model. Hondacuras has come photos of the 4 cylinder version of Honda Accord on show, disappointing with the baloon filling up the cabin, so we won't get to see the interior just yet. There are some new element unseen before, smaller alloy wheel, side mirror with no side repeater and the lack of front fog lamp.

The rear shot can be found after the jump.

2013 Honda Accord real life photo - including cabin

The new US version Honda Accord sedan and coupe was introduced last week with a couple of studio shots for each version. Here are three more shots on of the sedan version caught in the wild by TOVA and VWVortex.

The new Accord is visibly much meaner, with lots of fat shed off compared to the current Accord. The front end has lost is bulbous appearance. The new front end of this silver-colored car looks even tight and athletic, something we can't say about the current car. The LED strip of the headlamp handsomely blends into the character line on the heavily-chromed grille outlines. Overall, don't you think the front end harks a little memory from the sixth generation CG Accord? 

The rear end is similarly leaner, but not necessarily fat-free. While the flanks has been tidied up with less curve, the rear fascia has been filled up with larger rear combi than usual. The current generation of Honda Accord made do with tiny rear light, while this one is fitted with the larger item, covering the side panel and well into the trunk lid. MMN thinks this give less opportunity for the Asian restyling. Maybe it will be limited to new light graphic only. However, in essence, it is still smart looking. 

 As depicted in the spyshots, the interior carries the same design concept as the current Accord, but with an enlarged meter binnacle, screen hood and rearranged centre console with less cluttered button layout. There's a clear distinction between the climate control and audio control section. There is silver section running around the aircond duct+screen, totally covered the climate control panel and then runs along the floor console. The steering wheel is different from the item used on CR-V and Civic.One more photo of the front end after the jump.

Next Honda Accord sets for 8th August unveiling

Still on Honda news, Honda will revealed the first photo of the next generation Accord model on 8th August 2012, with full details coming a month later on September 5th, according to Vtec forum. Since traditionally we've been getting the larger US model (instead of the smaller and sportier JDM and Euro model), this is going to be the first indication of the Malaysian too. Add in a lens or two, we could be having a Malaysian version in the making.

We've heard that the new Accord will debut the Earth Dream engine technology. The engine will be enhanced with the direct injection system, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), high tumble port design, Idle Stop technology and various measures of friction reduction technology. The 2.0L and 2.4L engine will be paired with the CVT gearbox (or 6 speed manual) while the 3.5L V6 will be paired with the new 6 speed automatic transmission. The 2.4L Earth Dream engine was revealed to the motoring journalist sometimes some months back and it is tipped to produce 181bhp and 240Nm. The Hybrid version will be available too, this time paired to the 2.0L petrol engine. Honda has also announced that i-MID, SMS Texting capability and Pandora Internet radio interface will be featured too.

According to the Honda news, the new Accord adopts a single piece soft touch dashboard instead of 16 pieces as they are now. It is going to a seamless one piece panel with integrated airbag lid. The current Accord dashboard is assembled from four module from the aforementioned 16 pieces. However, if you want to know, the two-tone door trim of Honda Brio also is a single piece item. While naturally it appears as a two-piece item with contrasting color, it turns out to be a single piece and coated upper pieces with a fine masking tape applied at the mating color line. It is what Honda has invented for its latest crop of model and naturally it will appears elsewhere too.

The glimpse of Honda Accord new dashboard can be seen from MMN previous article HERE and the exterior article HERE.

2013 Honda Accord interior fully revealed

After two spyshots of the glimpse of interior for the new 2013 Honda Accord, the interior has been fully revealed in all its glory, credited to the source. For other photos of the new Honda Accord, refer to MMN previous posting.

Similar in trend with the current Honda Accord, the 9th generation has retained the wide centre console theme, but with enlarged secondary screen housing, a la the previous generation of BMW cars. While the photo could be deceptive, but it looks as if Honda has taken the customer grievance from the current Honda Civic and Honda CR-V, and reacts by incorporating various measures of ambience uplifting touch such as the silver lining surrounding the aircond and audio system, fully silvered climate control panel, chromed trim gear console and fenced the centre console with silver panel.

Scoop - 9th generation Honda Accord with interior shot

Honda is set to introduce the ninth generation of its Accord model as the current model approaching its fifth production year soon. The new Honda Accord will be empowered by Honda's new vision, dubbed Earth Dream technology which aims to increase the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) efficiency to the next level.  The new Honda Accord spied on the other side of the world revealed a much leaner looking body styles, where the excessive flab of the current model has been shed. Consistent with the trend set by the new Civic, don't rule out a slight reduction in the exterior dimension, although the interior volume will be at least on par with the current car.

The front end is visibly adopting a slimmer set of headlamp, unlike the bulging out item in the current model. The new headlamps design is expected to be very close to the Honda Accord Coupe Concept introduced earlier this year. The side profile, despite being less flabby the now, is still adorned by a very pronounced waist line. The rear end however still retain the long rear combi setup, clearly seen in the camouflaged car here.

Also seen for the first time is the glimpse of the redesigned cabin. It retains the current wide centre console setup like the current car, bit it is now silver trimmed. The silver bits run around the top part with housed the aircond duct and central screen (likely to be ditched in Malaysian-spec car), while the second layer part is fully silver finished. This section housed the climate control buttons.

*24/06/12 update
There's also another permutation of the interior settings, as opposed to the big screen as the model above, there's also another version of audio system. It looks as if Honda has taken a leaf out of Audi MMI system with its single large knob at the centre, flanks by four smaller button around it. Honda also has made some  effort to inject the elegance by including many chrome inserts around the audio system. From this angle too we can see how the whole centre cluster in silver-surrounded.

If Mazda has Skyactiv engine series, Honda is poised to set the fire with its new Earth Dream Technology engine. This concept will be adopted across all Honda engine from right down from the K-car class. While the lower capacity variant (less than 2.0L) will adopt the Atkinson cycle, the engine relevant to the Accord class will be enhanced with the direct injection system, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), high tumble port design, Idle Stop technology and various measures of friction reduction technology. The 2.0L and 2.4L engine will be paired with the CVT gearbox (or 6 speed manual) while the 3.5L V6 will be paired with the new 6 speed automatic transmission. The 2.4L Earth Dream engine was revealed to the motoring journalist sometimes some months back and it is tipped to produce 181bhp and 240Nm. The Hybrid version will be available too, this time paired to the 2.0L petrol engine.

Back to the aesthetic, MMN reckoned the Accord coupe concept previewed accurately the front end design of the new Accord, saved for the flashy bumper detailing. So head after the jump to the American coupe version of the Honda Accord.