Monday, 30 September 2013

Safety of Proton Suprima S

Safety

Safety features[17][33]
Trim VariantExecutivePremium
MarketMalaysiaMalaysia
ABS with EBD
BATCS and ESC
Airbags6
  • Australia / New Zealand - ANCAP - 5/5 stars
  • United Kingdom - MIRA - 5/5 stars
  • Malaysia - MyVAP - 5/5 stars
The Suprima S became the second Proton car after the Prevé to claim the full 5-star safety rating of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program(ANCAP) of Australia and New Zealand.[39][40] The Suprima has not been officially crash tested by the ANCAP, but it has been thoroughly crash tested and assessed by the MIRA of the United Kingdom, an independent organisation which is recognised by the ANCAP.[18][21] The Malaysian Vehicle Assessment Programme (MyVAP) of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (MIROS) had previously rated the Malaysian Domestic Market (MDM) Prevé five stars, but has yet to officially assess the Suprima.[41] However, the Suprima offers curtain airbags on top of all the safety equipment previously offered in the MDM Prevé, effectively making the Suprima safer than its sister car and thus deserving of the five star rating as well.
Like the Prevé, the Suprima S has also been developed to house a maximum of 6 SRS airbags, an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)Brake Assist (BA)Traction Control (TCS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).[17][42] However, unlike the Prevé, all Suprima units come standard with all of its engineered safety features in the Malaysian Domestic Market (MDM), whereas the MDM Prevé Premium trim is only offered with a maximum of 4 airbags with all electronic safety equipment, and the MDM Prevé Executive trim models are only fitted with 2 airbags without BA, TCS & ESC.[43] Furthermore, the Suprima Premium variant offers front parking sensors, a reverse camera, Hill-Hold Assist, an Electronic Gear Shift Lock and brighter LED daytime running lights (DRL) which help contribute to an overall increase in safety standards.[33]
Prior to the launch of the Suprima S and Prevé duo, Proton cars suffered from a poor safety reputation. The Proton Jumbuck infamously scored one star out of a potential five in its ANCAP test in 2009.[44] Proton responded by raising safety standards significantly during the development of the Prevé and Suprima S. The REinforced Safety Structure (RESS) frame was developed specifically for the duo.[26] Proton employs the use of Hot Press Forming (HPF), a process which was pioneered in Germany, during the Prevé's and Suprima's manufacturing stage.[42] Twelve HPF components help in the reinforcement of the passenger compartment for improved occupant safety.[26] The end result is an increased tensile strength and torsional body rigidity of 19,000 Nm/degree.[42] The usage of HPF in the manufacturing process also helps in weight-saving, which translates into improved fuel efficiency, handling and performance. Proton is the only Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in South East Asia to use Hot Press Forming in their manufacturing processes.[26]
The Suprima S borrows most of its ride & handling attributes from the Prevé, which was tested in various weather and road conditions during its development phase such as ice & snow in Swedenas well as intense heat in Spain.[45] The suspension system consists of MacPherson struts for the front and a multi-link with stabiliser bar for the rear.[33] The suspension setup, which was a result of a retune on the Preve was wholly done in-house by the local Ride & Handling team, and was subsequently approved by Proton's British sister company, Lotus during a short joint-test with the vehicle testing team. Unlike the Prevé, the Suprima S displays a Lotus Ride & Handling badge on the bootlid, whereas in the former, no such badging is offered, but Proton Ride & Handling is nonetheless used in the Prevé's promotional media.[17][46]

No comments:

Post a Comment