POSITIVE ATOM

       The CPS is the new range-topper for the Neo three-door hatchback featuring an array of sporty appointments inside and outside of the car.
       Exterior modifications include racy-looking bumpers, side skirts, rear roof spoiler, rear diffuser,chunky central exhaust and gold-coloured mag wheels. The interior,meanwhile, sees leather cladding with redcoloured patches and stitching.
       The engine of CPS has also been uprated, thanks to the use of variable camshaft control. Actually, the 125hp 1.6-litre petrol/E20-capable engine is the one used in the Persona saloon variant.
       Although the outputs have increased marginally, performance in CPS remains basically the same as in the regular Neo (see graph) partly due to the 43kg weight penalty.
       Due to the extensive list of modifications, the CPS costs agood B134,000 more than the regular Neo at B698,000 with four-speed automatic as tested here.For B40k less, you can get a manual shiftstick version.
       What's cool?
       The Neo was always a good-looking hatchback, so those aerodynamic addons - which don't look too cartoon-ish at all - help foot the car's bill among the young generation of buyers who are after a B-segment car priced under B700,000.
       The interior alterations also work quite well with a quality feel to way the leather
       is stitched, capable of matching those in many European imports.
       Since there are no changes to the chassis,the handling and ride balance remains exceptional for a B car.
       Low-speed ride is taut,yet comfortable, while body control and steering weight at high speeds is crisp.
       What's not?
       Just like in any other Proton: the engine. Despite the more powerful motor, there's still insufficient low-rev torque and you need to rev the engine to at least to 4,500rpm to really get the kick out of it.
       And once you're into kickdown hoping to get more grunt at higher revs, the engine becomes utterly vocal. Even during cruising at 120kph,the droning sound of the Mitsu-sourced unit (from the 1990s) is tiring.
       And even though the leather seats exude quality to a certain level, the unchanged plastics remain tacky and have some rough edges. This may sound trivial, but B cars from Chevrolet, Honda and Toyota all have higher-grade components, especially those used on the dashboard.
       Despite the good handling the Neo has, the steering is heavy around town and could deter potential buyers wanting a stylish car to use on a daily basis.
       Buy or bye?
       The first thing most potential buyers are going to ask is whether the B134,000 premium is worth the money. After all,the Neo CPS finds itself in a pricesensitive car segment and that difference means a lot to many.
       But to be fair, B700,000 is also what the youthful Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris ask for in top-line specification (yes, the Neo has airbags and anti-lock brakes like the Japanese duo, not to mention small details like cruise control which the Japs omit).
       Don't go thinking that the extra will get you better performance from the uprated engine. Make it like this: performance is essentially the same as before, that is, flawed.
       Therefore, the real deciding factor for the CPS is whether you want to spend more merely for the looks which, in our opinion, is worth it because the Neo was always about youthfulness and style and not a practical solution like the Gen2 five-door hatchback or Persona fourdoor saloon.