Introduced initially in May of 1993, the Proton Wira 4-door sedan rolled out into its markets ahead of the Proton Wira Aeroback, the 5-door hatch version sold in November of the same year. The Proton Wira was mainly a Mitsubishi Lancer with cosmetic changes to differentiate it from the other.
The exterior was modified to take the headlights of the Mitsubishi Colt, taillights from the 1987 Galant and bumpers from the Mirage. It also featured a Proton-produced dashboard.
Many countries, mostly Asian, imported the Malaysian-made Wira. Australia marketed it under the Wira name from 1995-1996, renaming it as the Persona after a minor facelift in 1996. The facelift version featured a new grille and slimmer taillights and continued to sell until 2004.
The Wira only became available in the UK from 2000-2004. The year 2004 saw the release of a Wira Special Edition (WISE). It came with a sports package which included a full body kit and a new bumper design with an aluminium spoiler as an option. Wira's production continued even with the release of its successor Proton Gen-2 in 2004. Production eventually ended in 2009, but sales of stock units continued until 2011.
Australian Wira and Persona
Sold from 1995-1996, the Proton Wira was available in either sedan or hatchback. The sedan had trim levels of GL, GLi and Xli while the hatchback was available as a GLi and Xli. The GL (carburetted) and GLi (MPI) was powered by the Mitsubishi 1.5L petrol 4G15 Orion engine (66 kW / 126 N⋅m), while the Xli versions received the 1.6L petrol Mitsubishi 4G92P (83 kW / 137 N⋅m). From 1997, the Xli was only available as a hatchback.
In 1996, the name Wira was replaced and now badged as the Persona, not to be confused with later offerings from Proton having this same name internationally. In 1999, Proton released the sedan GLi LE, only to drop them from the lineup starting in 2001. That left the hatchback the only body option available. The 2001 hatchback was available as GLi, powered by the 1.3L 4G13 (55 kW / 108 N⋅m). On the other hand, the 1.5L continued to fuel the hatchback XLi and XLiS, albeit short-lived. The company dropped the XLiS in 2002 and the Xli the following year.
Wira Worldwide
The Wira sold worldwide had used various Mitsubishi powerplants depending on the region and trim packages.
Petrol engines
- 1.3L 4G13 SOHC (56-63 kW)
- 1.5L 4G15 SOHC (75 kW)
- 1.5L 4G91 DOHC (85 kW)
- 1.6L 4G92 SOHC (83 kW)
- 1.8L 4G93 SOHC (86 kW)
- 1.8L 4G93 DOHC (103 kW)
- 2.0L 4G63 DOHC (107 kW)
Diesel engines
- 2.0L 4D68 (50 kW)
- 2.0L 4D68 Turbo (69 kW)
Other Features
MacPherson struts, coil springs and anti-roll bar handle the front suspension, with the rear having a multi-link suspension with anti-roll bar. It has vented disc brakes at the front and drums on the rear. This affordable compact car makes do with basic and limited safety features, such as 3-point seatbelts and laminated windshields initially. An update followed to include a driver's side airbag, door intrusion bars, and ABS on higher trim models.
Proton Wira in the Used Car Market
The Wira was known to be very reliable and easy to maintain. With the right parts, repairing them used to be easy. However, that’s about to change. In 2018, Proton announced that they would no longer produce Wira parts to give way to the production of newer models. Parts will eventually be harder to find.
We at Carpart.com.au will help you find auto parts, cars accessories, and entire cars, whether it's for Wira or other car make or model. Since brand-new parts may not be available for the Wira in the future, we have a website where cars and car parts can list their products. So if you’re a buyer, check out our latest listings now!
- Jarad