[PHOTOS] Is That A Honda Accord? No, Look Again, It's The New Proton Perdana

We have here a set of pics featuring the new Proton Perdana on a trailer, courtesy of reader Oon HL. Travelling on the SKVE near Serdang Hospital heading north, the trailer was ferrying two units of the ‘Accordana’ and a Suprima S on the top deck.

Wheels aside, the Perdana features minor design differences at the front and rear ends compared to the donor car. Inside, the only visible change is a Proton badge on the steering wheel.

Here, we see two variants of the Perdana – a 2.0L model and a 2.4L version – identifiable by the wheels the cars are wearing. The unit at the back of the truck is the 2.0L, with smaller rims that are also less sporty in design. These wheels haven’t been seen before on both Proton and Honda models.

Proton today delivered its new Perdana model, specially built for government use, to the Prime Minister at his office in Putrajaya. The delivery was made by the Executive Chairman of Proton, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Jamil, and is the first of 3,000 units that the carmaker will build.

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Changes on the front include a new Proton grille and a completely new bumper design. The car also gets a new alloy wheel design. On the rear, we see that the tail lamp elements on the boot lid have been removed, but the chrome that used to run along it at the bottom remains there. This chrome is extended around the sides and bottom of the number plate area.

The new Proton Perdana is based on the previous generation Honda Accord. And like the Accord, the new Proton Perdana is available with either a 2.0 litre and 2.4 litre engine, both sourced from Honda.

The new Perdana is adapted from the Honda Accord (in the same way that the Proton Inspira was adapted from the Mitsubishi Lancer). That Proton chose this approach to provide a new Perdana for the government fleet is said to be due to the short time that was available to come up with a replacement model.

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“The Proton Perdana delivered today is part of a development program undertaken by Proton with its collaborative partner, Honda Japan Ltd. This is the first phase of the program between Proton and renowned Honda of Japan, pursuant to the Collaborative Agreement entered between the two parties late last year,” he said.

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At the event, Najib received his official car bearing registration number W 11 N. Several Cabinet ministers and Proton executive chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil were present at the event.

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The big boss man himself gets a stretched version, with the government’s crest in the extended section between the front and rear windows.

“This is a short-term solution to replace the aging Perdana currently being used by the Government officials, and Proton was given just 8 months to do this. But even with such short request time, we were up for the challenge – and through sheer dedication and hard work, we are here today to present the completed Perdana,” said Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil.

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Previous reports have indicated that this will be the first phase of the Perdana replacement model project, which will consist of 3,000 units for government use. The initial delivery is 200 units, with the remaining to be delivered on a staggered basis

According to Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil, the day’s event signifies a very important milestone for Proton after being given the mandate by the Government to produce a new Perdana for the Malaysian Government.

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“We are truly grateful to the Prime Minister and the Malaysian Government for keeping their faith in Proton, and for giving us the opportunity to once again be the provider of the official Government vehicle. I represent all Warga PROTON when I say that this moment serves as inspiration and motivation for us to work even harder than ever, to continue leading the national automotive industry,” he added.

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Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton), a subsidiary of DRB-HICOM, is expected to produce a hybrid car by the end of next year.

Proton Executive Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil said the national car maker is now looking at innovative ways to produce and market the car.

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In another development, Mohd Khamil said Proton is expected to launch its electric vehicle (EV) by end-2015.

“The EV prototype is ready, and we are now at the testing stage to ensure it meets local specifications,” he said.

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