If you are looking for a family bus with seating for seven, space for luggage, and car-like dynamics and refinement, then your list of choices will never be more varied then it is now with these four contenders.
The Mazda 5, Peugeot 5008, Proton Exora Bold, and Volkswagen Cross Touran are among the latest MPVs to step into what is arguably the most dominant and vibrant segment for MPVs in Malaysia.
The four MPVs are big on space for the family, flexible seating for cargo, and small engines as to not squeeze the average family travel budget.
But beyond those traits, these MPVs are as different as chalk and cheese.
Interior
All of the four vehicles come with seven foldable seats, including middle row seats that collapse to maximise cargo space.
The Exora may be the largest in terms of overall size, measuring in at 4,592mm in length and 1,809mm in width, but surprisingly, it didn’t feel like it was the most spacious.
By comparison, the Mazda 5 and the Peugeot 5008 felt more roomy, and even the Cross Touran – which is the smallest of the four with a length of 4,406mm and a width of 1,799 – felt like it offered about the same amount of space as what the Exora offered.
The 5008 and the 5 also had a better access to the third row seats, with handy mechanisms in place to make the manoeuvre a less painstaking task.
We also have to mention that the Mazda 5 is the only one that comes with automated sliding doors, which is a welcomed convenience for those who often find themselves with their hands full and need to herd children in and out of the vehicle.
Hands down, the most comfortable interior award goes to the 5008.
It must be said that when it comes to interior design, few can top the French.
With leather on the seats, a glass panel incorporated into the roof (which sadly can’t be opened), a heads up display, and its cosy interior ambience makes it our firm favourite in this respect.
A close second, though, was the Mazda even with its simple elegance, while the Cross Touran’s interior lived up to its German roots by offering a sensible cabin, and firm and supportive seats.
A point goes to the Proton Exora, however, as it is the only one that offers an air-conditioning vent for the third row – despite being the cheapest vehicle of the four.
On board entertainment
We agree that this not the most important of factors to consider, but a good entertainment system certainly helps on those long drives as it keeps the younger occupants occupied.
Because of the shape and size of MPVs, audiophiles have a penchant for converting them entertainment centres on wheels, if done correctly you could make it almost as good as a home theatre system.
Some manufacturers give you the basic set, whereas others try to hard with too many speakers and gadgets, while a few get it just right.
All four MPVs offer great media packages, with USB ports, CD and DVD players, and everything in between. Some come with extra screens; the 5008 and the Exora, for example, have a screen in the middle for DVDs to keep the kids busy.
No matter how many speakers you have, at the end of the day the quality of the music played back to your ears in the most important. Unfortunately, the Exora is at the bottom of the hierarchy where this is concerned. Its sound system barely manages to tick the box for what can be installed in car, though not properly integrated to optimise its quality.
The 5 had a clearer system, but the lack of speakers on the dashboard made it sounded like music was emitting from beneath your legs (not a pleasurable sensation for everybody).
In the end, our winner in this category a tossup between the 5008 and the Cross Touran.
The 5008 provides a thumping good sound system, while Cross Touran’s would appeal to those preferring a mellow-toned approach to enjoying music.
Driving
To set the record straight, we weren’t on the lookout for an MPV that could take corners like a McLaren F1, but good handling is a definite plus in a vehicle that is tasked to lug big families from point A to B because this can go a long way in boosting the driver’s confidence and the occupants’ safety.
Additionally, the ride has to be comfortable enough for the whole family. It’s a hard balance to hit, but if you quickly jump from one driver seat to another you'll notice the sportiest of the four is the CroassTouran which drives more like a car thanks to the short wheelbase.
The Exora felt like a bus compared to the other three and the 5 felt okay, but the best balance between comfort and ease of driving is easily the 5008’s to claim.
Powerplant
Last but not least, we took a close look at the engines of the MPVs. The manufacturers have to supply enough “oomph” to make moving a full house easy, but also be frugal in the long run.
The Mazda 5 had the largest capacity with its 2-litre engine, but it wasn’t the most powerful. With the only naturally aspirated engine among the four, it manages 142hp.
Nobody two decades ago would have believed that the solution for adding a bit of excitement and improving fuel efficiency of the family bus was by means of turbocharging.
The Exora finally gets the engine it deserves with the turbocharged 1.6-litre CFE engine, which churns out 138hp and 205Nm of torque.
Volkswagen’s Cross Touran might pack a tiny 1.4-litre engine, but thanks to the complicated method of twincharging (putting together a turbocharger and supercharger), this tough looking MPV makes do with 138hp and 220Nm of torque.
Topping the power charts here is the Peugeot 5008 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine that delivers 156hp and 240Nm of torque.
Not only is it powerful, but it is refined and is arguably one of the greatest engines for its displacement of the modern age.
Verdict
After a long discussion between our panel of testers, coming in at last place – but in many ways, not the least – is the Proton Exora.
A good try it may be by the local manufacturer, but still some room for improvement, especially in the drivetrain and interior feel department.
Its attractive pricing and air conditioning system make this the ideal budget buy here.
Our third pick would be the Mazda 5; the Nagare flow design on the sides was a bit too much for us, and the engine felt dated in this company to modern turbocharged downsized engines.
In second place is the Volkswagen Cross Touran. It drives very well and has a firm feel to it, but that is also its downfall. It drives too much like a car, all sharp and sporty, and this doesn’t make it feel like a true blue MPV.
That leaves one MPV at the top spot, and that’s the Peugeot 5008. It gets our vote because it is an MPV that comes with the complete balance of performance, comfort, styling and space.
Specifications of the Proton Exora Bold Premium
Engine: 1,561cc 4-cylinder turbocharged CFE
Max power: 138hp (103kW) @ 5,000rpm
Max torque: 205Nm @ 2,000 – 4,000rpm
Transmission: CVT, front-wheel drive
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 13.3 seconds
Fuel consumption (at 90km/h): 7.8L/100km
Safety features: Dual airbags, ABS with EBD
Price: RM84,491 OTR without insurance
Specifications of the Peugeot 5008
Engine: 1,598cc 4-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged
Max power: 156hp (115kW) @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm – 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 10.8 seconds
Fuel consumption (EU combined drive cycle): 7.9L/100km
CO2 emissions (EU combined drive cycle): 169g/km
Safety features: Six airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), ABS and EBD with EBA, anti-skid regulation (ASR), dynamic stability control (DSC), ISOFIX child seat mounting point
Price: RM159,888 OTR with insurance
Specifications of the Volkswagen Cross Touran
Engine: 1,390cc 4-cylinder direct-injection twincharged
Max power: 138hp (103kW) @ 5,600rpm
Max torque: 220Nm @ 1,250 – 4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch, front-wheel drive
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 9.8 seconds
Fuel consumption (EU combined drive cycle): 7.1L/100km
CO2 emissions (EU combined drive cycle): 164g/km
Safety features: Six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stabilisation program (ESP), anti-slip regulation (ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL), engine drag torque control (EDTC), LED daytime running lights
Price: RM167,608 OTR without insurance
Specifications of the Mazda 5
Engine: 1,999cc 4-cylinder MZR
Max power: 142hp (106kW) @ 6,500rpm
Max torque: 180Nm @ 4,500rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Safety features: Six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control and stability control
Price: RM153,020 OTR without insurance
37 Responses to “An MPV battle royale – Proton Exora Bold, Mazda 5, Peugeot 5008, VW Cross Touran” Leave a reply ›
I think the Ford S-Max will give all of the MPVs mentioned a very good run of their money
There you go...Tongkat vs Non-Tongkat price competition...
Under open fair market which one you choose???
He He He... very obvious choice eh???
under fair market will be S-Max, Stream or Wish....hahahahah
people who just look at the price and automatically assume that it is cheaper purely because of the taxes are those who don't do any research nor have much knowledge of cars. they automatically and simplistically believe that in an open fair market all cars that look the same and are the same size will be the same price. the 5008 in the spec that we get here costs over 20,000 pounds in the UK, which is still significantly more than the exora costs here. if these people want to totally disregards facts such as sale price and compare whatever they want to, then I suggest a test comparing the rm180k toyota camry with a rm350k bmw 5 series. I'm sure you will find that the camry is very poor in comparison. these people don't understand that different cars are designed to cater to different market segments, and the materials and technologies are chosen accordingly.
how about honda stream
How about Grand Livina 1.8 CVTC?
What about Nissan Serena and Toyota Innova?
This is a reverse psychology journalism
CBT trying to show just how stone-age this Exora compare to the rest of global MPVs
Stone-Age MPV versus Space-Age MPV...
Bravo good job CBT in exposing strip naked this Exora jagoh kampong...
A fair evaluation.
Planning to get a new MPV next year in the less than RM100K price range but must be bigger than my current avanza as my kids have simply out grown it.
Without a comprehensive comparison, the best choice for me now is exora bold.
I think the best choice for you is the Exora. The Alza is not bad, but way too small if the Avanza is already too small. And to get something the size of an Exora you'd be looking at the VW Sharan, which is like 240k, or an Alphard/Vellfire/Elgrand.
What about Innova, eastar and Citra?? All are good MPVs.. please compare with them as well...
Exora is almost half the price of the others. So this reviews is pretty useless for the majority of Malaysian who are forced to compare one MPV against another based on price. To be useful, this reviews should have compared Exora with Lavina, Innova and Alza and may be Eastar. Shame on CBT.
I too wonder why there are no Japs (apart from the Mazda, which is not exactly popular here, and more of a conti) in this comparison. Add the Avanza, Grand Livina, ... I also miss the C4 Picasso.
About the Touran: I like the interior, it feels solid, looks good. What I do not like is the ride. It is brutal, to say the least. A while ago I also drove a Euro spec Touran, and that one was quite a bit more comfortable. I believe the reason are the rims. That one had the smallest rims VW offers for the Touran, and the ride was decent. Not as soft as both my Citroen and my Renault, but very acceptable. The sporty looking ones on the Cross Touran over here though... really bad. Also doesn't the Cross Touran here have run flat tyres? With regular ones it again should be better. So basically sell of the expensive rims and change to cheaper normal tyres and you'll be fine.
I miss a comment on the 3rd row comfort of these cars... the Touran's 3rd row is easy to fold up, however it is way too low. You have enough head room, leg room is also sort of acceptable, but you are basically sitting on the floor, with the knees high in the air (unless you are used to sitting in a wheel chair). Other than that though it's not bad at the back, with a proper 3 point seatbelt. The tailgate is very hard to close though. It is rather high for someone small, and it just doesn't want to move down. Small lady drivers beware.
As a budget alternative I may suggest a second hand Renault Kangoo. In terms of comfort it easily beats most cars I have been in. The ride is quite comfortable. You can drive 150+ (if it is downhill) and it won't feel very floaty... at least with 5 adults on board there are no problems. It can get a bit noisy inside, especially at high speeds, and the gearbox is a 4 speed, so it is awful. Performance is ok, FC depends on the driving style. I often floor it and get around 10-11l/100 km.
The center seat is a proper one, fully formed, 3 point seatbelt. Much better than most Japs. 3rd row can be taken out, if you are a mechanic or have welded a few bolts to the bottom of the car, otherwise you can only fold it away. Boot size is still very good though, but without 3rd row it is huge (and high...). The 3rd row only has 2 point seatbelts and doesn't seem to be the most solid, but the headrest is fine, and the seating position much better than with the Touran. There is still space under the seat for luggage. You can easily get in from the large tailgate as there is some space between seat and wall on the left. That place can be used for one or two (if stacked more) suitcases. The car also has 2 sliding doors, which are extremely useful, and since you can almost stand upright in the car it makes it very easy to assist the elderly/wheel chair users in getting into the car.
The factory supplied stereo is a Blaupunkt, but rather plain, and you can only install 4 10cm speakers, so whatever you do, without modifying the car it won't sound good. The car feels very solid, the doors are rather thick, with the doors closing in a rather conti-like way, with a nice and solid sounding thump (mind you it's not a Merc, but at least far above many Japanese cars, including the rear door of the Lexus LS200h). Servicing and maintenance is reasonable, with the small service costing around 250 and the medium one around 400. Resale value is awful, which is good. Expect to pay about 1/2 as much as you would for a same age Avanza (which only has 0 airbags, rather than 2), despite being a vastly superior car (there is a reason why Toyota will only sell it in ASEAN countries/3rd world countries, while the Kangoo was an international offering that is very popular in Europe). Also expect to get good comments from anyone you ferry around with it, including Touran drivers who are fed up with the very stiff ride.
great review - i just wished we had the citroen grand picasso in the mix - it will be a french 1 and 2 on the podium.
what would you expect, when the price of a 5008 is equivalent to 2 exora bold
agree... not a fair comparison here
unfair comparison if we look at the price of these mpvs
Agreed with observer
agreed with observer
Lol unfair comparison, rm160k+- mpv compare with a rm80k exora, double the price. This review comparison is useless and bias for exora bold. U should compare exora bold with avanza, livina, eastar which is around the price range.
And of coz exora will be at the last place, we can know it just by see at the price compare to the other 3.
I would have love to seen comparison of vehicles in the same price range. Maybe 1 segment comparing lower priced Exora, Alza, Grand Livina and Avanza. Another in the mid-range and another in the higher range. Than depending on our budgets we can see which is the preferred one.
This review has an agenda of its own. Purposely written to belittle the exora. Please don't just compare the car itself, the price of the car is just as important for most of the car buyers. This review in my opinion has no substance, period.
Hmm..it seems like the author is rather inexperience to do car comparison.
Comparing his reviews to Jeremy Clarkson's car reviews in Top Gear show, he is way at last place. Not fair to compare to Jeremy??..hey..he did that to Exora too..
not the most suitable comparison here..why not pit exora with other sub 100k mpv instead?
Exora is the only decently priced vehicle here.
Wonder why the others are so expensive?:)
Part of the problem is that CBT will only test those cars which they can get. Sadly, not all franchise holders are willing to provide cars for test drives/reviews.
Volkswagen Cross Touran looks like 'kereta mayat' from behind.. indeed a very expensive kereta mayat ... at least from my view
Mazda 5 dahsboard wow! cun!
Peugeot front view looks like spongebob with mata sepet and very smiley face.. haha..kinda funny plus the sliding door makes it looks like school bus/van.. not very appealing to me
exora looks simple.. suits its price
This article lack in terms of perspective. You are comparing MPV, which is a people mover may it be a family or any group of people. I see none of them is properly discussed.
It is like having a man trying to comment on my flower decoration.
Haha , Exora owners feeling the heat based on the comments above . Just accept the fact price notwithstanding , Exora is not good enough the beat the competitors i.e it's suboptimally produced . I've sat in Exora before and let me tell you the stupid Proton management cannot even get the seats right . How on earth do you make the seats so hard and lack lateral support . Come on Proton , it's an MPV , seats must be comfortable get it ! i rather look for 2nd hard MPV if i'm constrained for budget . Price wise , everyone knows the Exora price is 1/2 the others and to compare against 5008 , Mazda 5 and Touran is good in the sense that those MPV are probably about Exora price minus the crazy protective taxes and show how much Malaysians are missing . Exora cannot be jaguh kampung forever .
I'm all for a local company to give good products to Malaysians but when it cannot produce good products for so long then we must call a spade a spade .Now i challenge you Proton to give us a premium MPV as good as Alphard , Elgrand for our growing family .
Exora (1.6l) vs. Grand Livina (1.6l/1.8l) vs. Alza (1.5l) vs. Avanza (1.5l) vs. Eastar (2.0l) vs. Rondo (2.0l), please!
Isn't it a little suspicious that CBT, which features 2 full pages dedicated to Peugeots every week, recommends the 5008? I'm sure it's a great MPV, no doubt. But I'm also quite sure that they get a lot of money from Naza, so they can't possibly write anything less about Peugeots. Welcome to Content Marketing.
Comparing Exora to 5008 is almost like comparing Gen-2 with 308 Turbo. Sure, they're both hatchbacks, but in a different class all together.
Useless review!
You should compare apple to apple..not apple to orange!
If exora is priced the same as those 3 mpvs, dont you think proton wont do anything to match the price? You got what you paid for.
The review criteria should have included their price tag as it's top consideration when buying an MPV. Repeating what others had said earlier it should become very obvious to the experienced reviewer to have included the price criteria but somehow this fact eludes them. Although they are not really in the same class as Jeremy Clarkson but I like to believe that they have substance in their opinion.
Tax or no tax if you imagine proton had the Luxury and capability to enhance the drivetrain, the gadgets and its looks with the extra RM70K/unit production cost to rival the other model, I think proton can easily produced something equivalent if not better than the others. But then surely we'll find someone nagging about the pricetag and Proton should have produced something cheaper and affordable to the majority of Malaysian. Really an MPV costing RM150K is beyond comprehension and really a good way to waste money. But then to demand equivalent fiscal treatment similar to some other countries so that a fancy MPV can cost sub RM100K is just being individualistic as we as a young nation should look at the bigger picture.
The criteria should also consider Exora is Proton first MPV while the others have been in the market for sometime and had the chance to enhance the earlier model. However, excluding Exora the review is still beneficial as far as the other models are concerned.
If we normalize the price tag then consider the actual cost of production and focus on technology, aesthetic quality, comfort factor sure this Exora is still in amoeba stage but I am quite fascinated by this amoeba as it's quite good for a first Generation. I really think that the design and price level is suitable for our market. If we compare to Grand Livina, Avanza etc really Exora is better than them hands down. We don't need these expert reviewers to do it for us and if they maintain the same methodology in their review in the future then please exlude any proton products as it will be a foregone conlusion.
27 Jan 2013 Prices in UK (except Exora)
Volkswagen Touran - 1.4 TSI SE 5dr DSG Estate - £23,147
Volkswagen Touran - 1.4 TSI SE 5dr Estate - £21,912
Peugeot 5008 - 1.6 THP Allure 5dr Estate - £21,354
Mazda 5 - 2.0 Sport 5dr Estate - £20,440
Proton Exora Bold - 1.6 CFE Premium - RM80,012 - £16,636
Ford S-Max - 1.6 EcoBoost Zetec 5dr [Start Stop] Estate - £22,350
u can do comparisons til the cows come home, at the end of the day, people will buy a car that is cheap plus easy to get spare parts and not high maintenance.
simple..........peugeot 5008 is the best, handle like ferrari 458, accelerate like gtr, interior like audi bla bla bla................people still buy exora, grand livina, alza, estima, alphard, innova, naza ria, odyssey n other relatively cheap maintenance mpv n not "sejuk" mpvs...........
Mr Mahathir, your assumption is not true. In Malaysia, I was surprised to see how expensive is the car, some if not many Malaysians can still afford to buy. I said this because my good friend of mine just bought BMW X6, which I can't imagine I could afford it even I almost die.
The gap between the total car price is narrowed by the monthly instalment that you can afford to pay. Paying car instalment is like paying utilities now. If I pay Toyota Wish RM1200 per month for recon car, might as well I pay a brand new Peugeot 5008 for RM1500 per month. For Exora, those who can't afford to pay more than RM1000 will opt for it. If they are given the choice, they would want a better MPV. Since our local car is less taxed, Malaysians deserve to get better local cars. It is not far, if the Authority just imposed high taxes on imported cars but we are offered with lousy local cars.
My point is, the review is still good for Malaysians to assess the best options in the Malaysian market. Malaysians must also shift your mindset to assume that continental cars are expensive and difficult to get spare parts. We have been cheated by Japanese for so long, that is why Proton never be clever to build better cars, though we partnered with Japanese. At the end, we must ask - what is the best car for us - regardless Continental, Chinese, American and Malaysian cars.
Enjoy your driving...bye!
U got it wrong there,Exora bold 0-100kmh time is 11.3s not 13.3s