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This is a first look at the car that government officials will be using as their daily rides - the Proton Perdana Replacement Model based on the previous generation Honda Accord. It was sighted at R&R Gombak by sharp eyed reader Khai RULE Cultus.

The story with the government fleet is a lengthy one full of twists and turns. The government currently uses the aging Proton Perdana Executive for use by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, judges, members of the administration and selected Grade A civil servants and the Proton Inspira for selected Grade B and C category civil servants.

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With Proton focusing on the more affordable segments, there has been no focus on producing a D-segment car, and most would agree rightfully so considering the lower sales volume involved as well as the positioning of the Proton brand.

There has been so many candidates for a donor car to be badge engineered to become a Proton Perdana replacement model - we've heard rumours of the Mitsubishi 380, Nissan Fuga (Infiniti M), and most recently the Honda Accord.

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We first heard news of Proton using the Honda Accord chassis for the Perdana segment in April this year, a follow up to an agreement between Honda and Proton to study the matter in October last year. But then I suppose the government got fed up of waiting - it announced in August this year that it would be replacing the Perdana Executive and the Inspira with the Honda Accord 2.4 and 2.0 respectively.

Then there was a sudden about-turn in October, where MITI deputy minister Datuk Hami Samuri revealed in the Parliament that Proton had developed a replacement for the Perdana based on a Honda chassis, and that government officials had already inspected the car and decided to use it instead of the Honda Accord.

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This Proton-badged Honda Accord has very minimal disguise, and still looks largely like a Honda Accord. The grille is covered up, which suggests Proton's own take on the car's nose. The alloy wheels on the car also seem to be lifted from the Proton Exora Prime.

In the interior, there are minimal changes, with the Honda badge on the steering wheel simply replaced by a Proton badge. We also see some kind of ballasts in the rear, presumably to simulate rear occupant load weight balance.