At a glance, there’s almost zero difference between the Inspira and Lancer save for Proton’s unique front end design, which is of a V-shape as opposed to Mitsubishi’s trademark trapezoidal “jet fighter” grille. Besides the obvious fact that the change is needed to differentiate the cars, Proton deliberately wanted to move away from the Lancer “too aggressive” look, according to the engineers. At the rear, you’ll find 2.0 P or 1.8 E to mark the variants, the latter available in both manual and CVT versions. As mentioned in our preview drive, P stands for Premium and E stands for Executive in Proton’s new naming scheme, P being the higher spec. There’s a chrome strip at the bottom edge of the boot, like on the Lancer EX. The Proton’s bumper is unique as it has a black painted “diffuser style” design, as opposed to the straightforward item on the Lancer. The reflectors sit within the black area. Like the Lancer EX, the Inspira wears 16-inch wheels with 205/60 rubber. With the Proton, yo...
