[4][5] Although heavily masked, the prototype revealed that the majority of exterior panels and features with the exception of the area to the rear of the C-pillar have been carried over from the Prevé.

[7][8][9][10] On the 4th of July, more spyshots went viral online and clearly showcased new features not offered in its sedan counterpart such as front parking sensors, additional interior speakers and a new dark blue paint colour option.

In addition to the fully redesigned rear and aforementioned features, the photos clearly displayed a revised honeycomb front grille and foglight housings, brighter LED DRLs and a reverse camera.

[13] On 14 August 2013, a spyshot of a P3-22A test drive unit confirmed the final product name, Proton Suprima S along with its tagline, Fully-loaded with built-in value.

[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] The VIP launch was covered in an exclusive live stream on YouTube by the popular Malaysian automotive news portal, paultan.org.

[24][25][26] The Suprima S shares a large majority of its body panels and parts with the Prevé saloon, its sister car which launched approximately 16 months prior, on 16 April 2012.

[21] Also standard is the Proton Infotainment System, an advanced Android OS-powered 7" LCD touchscreen GPS head unit with DVD, Bluetooth, USB, iPod & 4G WiFi compatibility.

[17] The Premium trim is equipped with exclusive kit such as Anthracite-shade leather seats, two tweeter speakers, front parking sensors, a reverse camera and brighter LED daytime running lamps (DRLs) in addition to features previously offered in the Prevé's Premium trim, namely the steering-mounted paddle shifters, automatic headlights and wipers, climate control, cruise control and push-start engine ignition.

[35][36] The Suprima S is covered by Proton Cars Australia's '5-Star Service', and will officially go on sale beginning 1 January 2014, with the 6-speed manual variants slated for a later 2014 launch.

[45][46][47] The Suprima S Standard loses some equipment and trim, including several safety features, and offers several new, albeit downgraded components to achieve its lower pricing.

The omissions include several interior components like the Android OS-powered Proton Infotainment System in favour of the more basic head-unit from the Proton Prevé Executive variant, as well as the lack of steering audio switches, YES 4G internet connectivity, and the rear lid on the floor console between the two front seats.

[48] The most significant omissions in the Suprima S Standard are its safety features; it is only equipped with dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, and is not equipped with side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), traction control (TCS) and brake assist (BA), which are all offered in the Suprima S Executive.

Apart from the fully redesigned rear, the Suprima is almost identical to the Prevé in terms of its exterior design, bar the new diamond-cut seven-spoke alloy rims (17" and 16" on the Premium and Executive trims respectively), revised Proton Wings front grille, front air intake and foglight inserts.

Proton had previously collaborated with Italy-based Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. for the styling and likeness of the Prevé, which ultimately trickled down into the Suprima as well.

[1] The Prevé and to an extent, the Suprima was developed by an international consortium consisting of experts from Malaysia, Italy, France, Germany and South Korea.

[26] The side view mirrors which sport built-in LED turn signal lights have remained physically unchanged over the Prevé's.

[18] However, the user can only browse the internet, access YouTube, watch DVDs and play Android-based games when the handbrake is engaged, as a safety precaution.

[19] Furthermore, the built-in GPS system does not require an internet connection to function, as it operates independently over Telekom Malaysia's Lokatoo service.

The Premium variant of the Suprima comes with exclusive interior kit not offered in the Executive trim, in particular the Anthracite-shade leather seats, front parking sensors and a built-in reverse camera.

[74] However, the MDM Prevé has since been updated for the 2014 model year and currently offers all of its engineered safety features as standard across all trim variants, without a hike in pricing.

[75] Additionally, 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.

[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.

[73] The usage of HPF in the manufacturing process also helps in weight-saving, which translates into improved fuel efficiency, handling and performance.

[45] 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 Sweden as well as intense heat in Spain.

[73] The CamPro Turbo in the Suprima is mated to the Belgian-made Punch Powertrain VT3+ CVT, also known as ProTronic, Proton's version of a manumatic transmission.

[56] On 28 August 2013, the Proton Suprima S received its first comprehensive review from Hafriz Shah of the popular Malaysian automotive news portal, paultan.org.

Nonetheless, several aspects of the car were less well-received, including the slightly flawed head unit, disproportionate driving position, build quality and top-end refinement.

It's just up to you to believe that it can.”[81] Daniel Wong from Live Life Drive echoed similar sentiments, but placed extra emphasis on the improved ride & handling and questionable quality control.