It is based on the seventh generation Mitsubishi Eterna platform and shared a vast majority of parts with the JDM-spec Eterna, receiving only minor internal and external changes for the Malaysian market. The Perdana was the third car developed under Proton's extensive collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors. When it launched on 26 January 1995, the Proton Perdana became Malaysia's first car to compete against the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Cefiro. Proton identified the need for a larger, more luxurious D-segment car after the launch of the B-segment Proton Saga and C-segment Proton Wira in 19 respectively. The Malaysian economy grew at an average of 8% each year between the late 1980s and the first half of the 1990s.
