Proton Arena
Encyclopedia
The Proton Arena is a small front wheel drive coupé utility
manufactured by Malaysian automaker Proton
. Introduced in 2002, the Arena is the only form of pickup
by Proton, and is the only Proton model to enjoy significantly more popularity in its export market than domestically.
, sharing similar frontal designs of the then current Wira and mechanics, but having a reduced seating capacity
of two confined to a Wira-based cabin
and featuring a rear cargo bed measuring 1636 mm (64.4 in) x 1349 mm (53.1 in) x 415 mm (16.3 in) with a maximum payload of 570 kg (1,257 lb) and a maximum load area of 1.64 m (64.6 in) x 1.18 m (46.5 in).
In Malaysia, the Arena is offered in three variants, which features a variety of cargo bed accessories and trim
s but do not vary mechanically:
In Australia, the Jumbuck is available in two variants, GLi and GLSi.
construction, but in order to sustain additional loads from the cargo bed, the Arena includes a load-bearing ladder frame
connected to a "torque box" for improved body durability and strength.
The suspension
configuration of the Arena consists of a combination of independent MacPherson strut
suspensions from a saloon car at the front, and torsion beam
, leaf sprung suspension
s at the rear. Other modifications include the use of a rigid rear axle
, an uprated front stabiliser bar
, and 14" front ventilated disc
s and 9" rear drum brake
s with load sensing proportioning valves (LSPV), optimised weight distribution
and the use of reinforced high profile tyres. Lotus Engineering
provided additional ride and handling enhancements.
Similar to the car it is based on, the Arena is powered by a 1.5 litre, 12-valve Electronically Fuel Injected
(EFI) Mitsubishi 4G15 engine fitted with Proton's proprietary EMS 400 engine management system
. The Arena was proclaimed to have met Europe
's Euro 2 emission standards
, and was also claimed to provide a good power-and-fuel efficiency balance by producing an output of 60.6 hp per litre and a power-to-weight ratio
of 85.2 hp per tonne. While the engine offers a respectable fuel consumption rating (5.8 litre per 100 km on the highway and 8.5 litre per 100 km in the city), it struggles a lot when heavy loads are carried at the back.
Although the Arena is offered in Malaysia, the Arena is not a staple of the local Malaysian market and is mostly an export model (to the UK, Australia and South Africa
, where coupé utilities are more marketable). Australia, where the Arena's nearest competitor sells for approximately $
8,000 more, is its biggest buyer. It took over a niche left vacant since the demise of the Subaru Brumby.
(ANCAP). The Jumbuck fared poorly, receiving a one-star rating out of five. The Jumbuck lacks many of the safety features offered in other modern automobiles, such as airbag
s and anti-lock brakes. The absence of such safety features in an attempt to lower retail pricing is suspected to be one factor for the one-star crash test result. Proton Cars Australia has criticised the choice of the Jumbuck for the test, arguing the vehicle is the last of an old platform and is due for a replacement in the middle of 2010.
Coupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
manufactured by Malaysian automaker Proton
Proton (company)
Proton is a Malaysian automobile manufacturer headquartered in Subang Jaya and Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, with a manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Founded in 1983, it was Malaysia's only carmaker until the establishment of its competitor and arch-rival, Perodua, in 1993...
. Introduced in 2002, the Arena is the only form of pickup
Pickup
Pickup, Pick up or Pick-up may refer to:-Technology:*Magnetic cartridge, also known as pickup, a transducer used for the playback of gramophone records on a turntable or phonograph...
by Proton, and is the only Proton model to enjoy significantly more popularity in its export market than domestically.
Body design
The Arena is based largely on Proton's Wira/Persona saloonProton Wira
The Proton Wira was a car manufactured by Malaysian carmaker Proton, released as a four-door saloon and four-door hatchback beginning 1993. The Wira was intended as a newer alternative to the Proton Saga Iswara, a facelifted version of Proton's first model, the Proton Saga, as a flagship compact...
, sharing similar frontal designs of the then current Wira and mechanics, but having a reduced seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of two confined to a Wira-based cabin
Cabin (truck)
The cab of a truck is an enclosed space in a truck where the driver is seated. The word originated as a short form of cabriolet, not cabin. Some may refer to the tractor unit of a semi-trailer truck as a cab, but this is not the subject of this article...
and featuring a rear cargo bed measuring 1636 mm (64.4 in) x 1349 mm (53.1 in) x 415 mm (16.3 in) with a maximum payload of 570 kg (1,257 lb) and a maximum load area of 1.64 m (64.6 in) x 1.18 m (46.5 in).
In Malaysia, the Arena is offered in three variants, which features a variety of cargo bed accessories and trim
Trim package
A trim package is an automotive package composed by a set of cosmetic embellishments to a vehicle. In some cases the trim package may include a specific model or ending name...
s but do not vary mechanically:
- The "Freestyle", the base Arena model with an open bed, exposed metal sports bars, steel rims and hubcaps.
- The "Sportdeck", an open bed variant similar to the Freestyle with covered sports bars, body trims, and alloy rims.
- The "Fastback", an upmarket variant with a hard, streamlined tonneauTonneauright|thumb|260px|1903 [[Ford Model A |Ford Model A]] rear-door TonneauTonneau cover , describes a hard or soft cover used to protect unoccupied passenger seats in a convertible, roadster, or for a pickup truck bed. Hard tonneau covers open by a hinging or folding mechanism while soft covers open...
cover-cum-camper shellCamper shellA camper shell is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. It usually covers the entire bed of the pickup truck, and is large enough to be used for camping purposes...
(resembling a fastbackFastbackA fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
body style), body trims, and alloy rims.
In Australia, the Jumbuck is available in two variants, GLi and GLSi.
Chassis
Like the Wira, the Arena is of unibodyMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction, but in order to sustain additional loads from the cargo bed, the Arena includes a load-bearing ladder frame
Body-on-frame
Body-on-frame is an automobile construction method. Mounting a separate body to a rigid frame that supports the drivetrain was the original method of building automobiles, and its use continues to this day. The original frames were made of wood , but steel ladder frames became common in the 1930s...
connected to a "torque box" for improved body durability and strength.
The suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
configuration of the Arena consists of a combination of independent MacPherson strut
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
suspensions from a saloon car at the front, and torsion beam
Torsion beam suspension
thumb|250px|A front [[VW Beetle]] suspension cross-sectionA torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension or torsion beam suspension, is a general term for any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight bearing spring...
, leaf sprung suspension
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s at the rear. Other modifications include the use of a rigid rear axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
, an uprated front stabiliser bar
Sway bar
A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring...
, and 14" front ventilated disc
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s and 9" rear drum brake
Drum brake
A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
s with load sensing proportioning valves (LSPV), optimised weight distribution
Weight distribution
Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains.In a vehicle which relies on gravity in some way, weight distribution directly affects a variety of vehicle characteristics, including handling, acceleration, traction, and component life...
and the use of reinforced high profile tyres. Lotus Engineering
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
provided additional ride and handling enhancements.
Similar to the car it is based on, the Arena is powered by a 1.5 litre, 12-valve Electronically Fuel Injected
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
(EFI) Mitsubishi 4G15 engine fitted with Proton's proprietary EMS 400 engine management system
Engine control unit
An engine control unit is a type of electronic control unit that determines the amount of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters an internal combustion engine needs to keep running...
. The Arena was proclaimed to have met Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's Euro 2 emission standards
European emission standards
European emission standards define the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold in EU member states. The emission standards are defined in a series of European Union directives staging the progressive introduction of increasingly stringent standards.Currently, emissions of...
, and was also claimed to provide a good power-and-fuel efficiency balance by producing an output of 60.6 hp per litre and a power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
of 85.2 hp per tonne. While the engine offers a respectable fuel consumption rating (5.8 litre per 100 km on the highway and 8.5 litre per 100 km in the city), it struggles a lot when heavy loads are carried at the back.
Marketing
In Malaysia, the Arena is often marketed for both commercial and recreational use. The stripped down Freestyle variant is specified to be targeted exclusively for a variety of commercial interests, while the Sportdeck variant is offered for both private owners and businesses. The Fastback variant, the top-of-the-line Arena, is targeted at private owners. While the three Arena variants are advertised as models for specialised tasks, all three models may be used in any way.Although the Arena is offered in Malaysia, the Arena is not a staple of the local Malaysian market and is mostly an export model (to the UK, Australia and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where coupé utilities are more marketable). Australia, where the Arena's nearest competitor sells for approximately $
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
8,000 more, is its biggest buyer. It took over a niche left vacant since the demise of the Subaru Brumby.
Safety
While freely sold in Malaysia, no stringent third-party safety tests on the Arena were conducted or published publicly in the country. In September 2009, the Jumbuck was crash tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment ProgramAustralasian New Car Assessment Program
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program is an automobile organisation operated by the governments and motoring organisations of Australia and New Zealand to give consumers coherent results on the protection given by vehicles in front and side impact collisions...
(ANCAP). The Jumbuck fared poorly, receiving a one-star rating out of five. The Jumbuck lacks many of the safety features offered in other modern automobiles, such as airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
s and anti-lock brakes. The absence of such safety features in an attempt to lower retail pricing is suspected to be one factor for the one-star crash test result. Proton Cars Australia has criticised the choice of the Jumbuck for the test, arguing the vehicle is the last of an old platform and is due for a replacement in the middle of 2010.