Details of Cars

Proton Arena: the Wira-based coupé utility

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2006 Proton Arena 1.5 Sportdeck
2006 Proton Arena 1.5 Sportdeck. Photo by Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Proton Arena is a small front-wheel-drive coupé utility introduced by the Malaysian maker in 2002. In some markets it was sold as the Proton Jumbuck, and it is the only pickup Proton has made. Unusually for the company, it sold better abroad than at home.

Proton Arena at a glance

Proton Arena key facts
Maker Proton, Malaysia
Class coupé utility (pickup)
Production from 2002; Jumbuck ended in 2009
Based on Proton Wira / Persona saloon
Engine 1.5-litre 12-valve Mitsubishi 4G15, electronic fuel injection
Power per litre 60.6 hp (45 kW)
Front suspension MacPherson struts
Rear suspension torsion beam with leaf springs
Cargo bed 1,636 x 1,349 x 415 mm
Payload 570 kg
ANCAP rating one star (Jumbuck, 2009)

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Proton Arena.

History of the Proton Arena

The Arena was built around the front half of the Proton Wira/Persona saloon, so it shared that car’s frontal styling and mechanics. The cabin was shortened to two seats, and behind it sat a cargo bed measuring 1,636 by 1,349 by 415 mm (64.4 by 53.1 by 16.3 in) with a maximum payload of 570 kg. Unlike the Wira, the Arena uses a load-bearing ladder frame bonded to a torque box under the cabin and the centre of the bed. Loads pass straight into the rear suspension instead of the cabin shell, which Proton says increases torsional stiffness. Lotus Engineering provided additional ride and handling work.

Engines and chassis

Power came from a 1.5-litre, 12-valve Mitsubishi 4G15 engine with electronic fuel injection and Proton’s own EMS 400 management. Proton quoted 60.6 hp per litre and a power-to-weight ratio of 85.2 hp per tonne, and claimed the Arena met Europe’s Euro 2 emission standards, with 5.8 l/100 km on the highway and 8.5 l/100 km in the city. The suspension mixes MacPherson struts at the front with a torsion beam and leaf springs at the rear. Although the layout was not intended for heavy duty work, owners have converted Arenas to all-wheel drive with a rigid rear axle, a larger front anti-roll bar and Mitsubishi Lancer 4G93 or 4G63T engines.

Versions and export

In Malaysia the Arena came in three forms: the basic Freestyle with an open bed, steel rims and exposed metal sports bars; the Sportdeck, which added body trims, covered sports bars and alloy rims; and the Fastback, with a hard, streamlined tonneau cover and camper shell. Australia took the Jumbuck in GLi and GLSi trim, the latter with gold accents around the lower body and bumpers, power windows and mirrors, and cloth seats. The model was more popular in export markets than in Malaysia, an unusual result for Proton, and was marketed at home for both commercial and recreational use.

Safety

No third-party crash test was published in Malaysia, but in September 2009 ANCAP tested the Jumbuck in Australia and gave it one star out of five. The pickup had no airbags and no anti-lock brakes, a saving Proton made to keep the price low. Proton Cars Australia argued that the design was the last of an old platform and was due for replacement, although Jumbuck production ended in 2009. The Jumbuck rode on 175/70R14 or 185/60R15 tyres, had a gross vehicle mass of 1,500 kg and carried a full-size spare in a drop-down cradle under the load area.

Design and features

  • Two-seat cabin: the Wira front end with a shortened passenger compartment.
  • 1,636 mm bed: a 570 kg payload in a compact footprint.
  • Torque box chassis: a branded ladder frame that takes loads into the rear suspension.
  • Lotus input: ride and handling work by Lotus Engineering.
  • Light-duty engineering: a 1.5-litre engine and a leaf-sprung rear axle.

Proton Arena versions

  • Arena Freestyle: base model with an open bed, steel rims and hubcaps, exposed metal sports bars.
  • Arena Sportdeck: open bed with covered sports bars, body trims and alloy rims.
  • Arena Fastback: hard tonneau cover and camper shell, body trims and alloys.
  • Jumbuck GLi (Australia): no power options, uniform body colour.
  • Jumbuck GLSi (Australia): gold accents, power windows and mirrors, cloth interior.
  • Converted cars: owner-built all-wheel-drive versions with Lancer engines and reinforced tyres.

The Arena borrowed its front end from the Proton Wira, and the related Proton Satria shared the same Wira styling. More models are in the Proton collection.

Video: Top Gear Australia: Proton Jumbuck (Arena) vs Nissan Navara vs Falcon XR6 vs Caterpillar 793

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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