The Proton Waja is the first model designed in-house by Proton. The development of the Waja began at the end of the 1990s together with the Campro engine, however the development of the Campro engine was still in progress at the time of its launch and therefore Proton had to source the 4G18 engine for the Waja from Mitsubishi, before switching to Campro engines in 2006. It was launched in August 2000 together with the introduction of Proton's new corporate logo. Early batches of the Waja had some serious quality problems due to some component vendors and suppliers skipping quality checks to rush for the huge early demand. However, the quality of the components were strictly improved years later in 2005.
The Waja was face lifted twice since its debut in August 2000. The first minor facelift was in mid-2006 which only involved rear lights. The 2007 Proton Waja with a more substantial facelift was launched on January 19, 2007 together with the face lifted Proton Savvy. For the 2007 Waja, it was given a new grille which was nearly identical to the Savvy. The 2007 Waja also includes both ABS and air bag as standard for the Malaysian market, which were previously optional equipment. At the end of 2005, Proton additionally introduced another variant of the Waja, known as Proton Waja Chancellor, to be used by representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the meeting of ASEAN leaders in the KLCC, shortly before its launch in 2006. The Waja Chancellor has a longer wheelbase and a 2.0 L V6 engine similar to that used in Proton Perdana V6, also sourced from Mitsubishi. By 2008, an updated Waja was launched with an improved Campro engine and a new center console with a new 2-DIN Clarion audio set.
Waja sales in the UK, where it is rebadged as the Impian, did not begin until April 2001, and it has continued virtually unchanged ever since. The Impian is only available with right hand drive while left hand drive models are available elsewhere in Europe as the Waja. Sales have not been strong, as it was behind the best of the competition at its launch and virtually all of its competitors have been replaced since. Its decent ride and handling, generous equipment levels, competitive asking price and comprehensive aftersales package are perhaps the only things that keep it going with British buyers.
Performance
- In its initial years in the market, the Waja was originally powered by a Mitsubishi 4G18 SOHC 1.6 L engine. Also made standard since the introduction of the Waja are multi-point fuel injection and brake configuration (front ventilated disc brakes and rear disc brake). All Wajas (excluding the Waja Chancellor) are also available in both manual (5 speed) or automatic transmissions (4 speed).
- In 2002, the 1.8 L variant was introduced, powered by the same engine used in Renault Laguna II. The 1.8 L model incorporated drive-by-wire technology and variable valve timing (VVT) technology. However, the 1.8 L model suffered from poor sales because Malaysian customers were more familiar with Japanese engines and were less confident with European engines. As a result, the 1.8 L variant was phased out in the following year.
- By January 2006, the Campro engine was finally used to power the Waja. Although the engine is similar to the engine used in the Proton Gen-2, the DOHC Campro engine used in the Waja has higher power and torque, probably due to the remapping of the ECU and also a different air intake system. The 2008 Proton Waja is now powered with a Campro CPS engine with variable valve timing, which was not available in the previous Waja Campro models.
Manufacturer Proton
Also called Proton Impian
Production 2000–present
Predecessor Proton Wira
Class Compact
Body style 4-door saloon
Layout FF layout
Engine 1.6 L Mitsubishi 4G18 I4
1.6 L Proton Campro S4PHI4
1.8 L Renault F4P I4
2.0 L Mitsubishi 6A12 V6Campro S4PP(T) CPS with Turbo IntercoolerI4
Wheelbase 2,600 mm (102.4 in)
Length 4,465 mm (175.8 in)
Width 1,740 mm (68.5 in)
Height 1,420 mm (55.9 in)
Curb weight 1185-1205kg
Related Proton Gen-2
Mitsubishi Carisma
Volvo S40
