Proton head honcho Tengku Mahaleel Ariff won't be happy if he reads this review of Proton's pride and joy - the Proton Gen 2 - in the Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald dated Jan 10, 2005.

To summarise:

For: Attractive price, refreshingly styled, good ride and handling, big boot.

Against: Awful quality, gutless and noisy engine, average refinement, unsupportive seats, dubious space and comfort for taller drivers, limited cabin storage.

Score: 1 star (out of 5)

Competitors: Hyundai Elantra (3 stars), Kia Cerato (3 stars), Nissan Pulsar ST (3 stars), Toyota Corolla Ascent (3 stars)

Quotes from the review:

'... in Australia ... the Malaysian manufacturer is still struggling to make its presence felt on the sales charts. And to be honest, things have gone backwards ... the company's first in-house effort, the Waja, upset the apple cart. Misguidedly pitched (and priced) as a premium small car - Malaysia's answer to BMW was the pitch - it was too ordinary to justify such fanfare. Buyers gave it a wide berth, forcing Proton to reassess its strategy.

'The company's latest in-house job, the Gen 2, runs much closer to the time-honoured formula championed by other developing brands. Size-wise it's a small car but is priced towards the light-car end of the market ....

'... our test Gen 2 car's list of sore points would test anyone who has shelled out 20 grand. The front passenger's exterior door handle was stiff and required a good yank to operate, cabin trim was misaligned in places - particularly where the centre console meets the dash down near the floor - and scrappily finished with the material on the driver's seat sagged and pitted. An annoying intermittent squeak from the clutch pedal and various buzzes and rattles rammed home the unpleasant feel.

'Even if you ignore the Gen 2 cabin's flimsy feel and fittings and average storage ... it has some significant practical shortcomings. The front seats are flat, unsupportive and uncomfortable, the driving position is awkward and space is limited for tall drivers, particularly with regard to leg room and steering-wheel adjustment.

'... the 82kW 1.6-litre 'Campro' engine, which despite preferring premium unleaded lacks power at low revs and needs to be extended for urgent performance but the annoying noise and harshness above 3,500 rpm discourages such use. The standard five-speed manual shift isn't slick or quick but its stout feel is pleasing enough.

'The Proton's performance so far is all the more disappointing in light of the impressive Lotus-tuned road manners ... the Gen 2 is not without its merits, but in the cold, hard light of day it is too poorly executed to use any of its strengths. And in a market full of thoroughly professional and capable alternatives, there's no way we can recommend it with a clear conscience'.

Yep, Tengku Mahaleel won't be one happy camper - assuming he gets to read such reviews (most probably they would be carefully filtered by his minders) - nor would be those in the government who champion Proton as a national cause.

One can, of course, blame it on those 'bloody-minded Western journalists' who retain vestiges of their colonial mentality and refuse to see that good things can come from their former colonies. But I digress.

The key question is how long will it take Proton to get its act together and make the grade in the developed countries (where Korean cars are now making significant inroads)?

Or will it continue to be a domestic champion only with its competitors hobbled by all kinds of creative fiscal disincentives ?