The CM Persona is based on an extended Proton GEN•2 platform, and was sold as a saloon complement to the GEN•2 hatchback. The entire section aft of the B-pillar was re-engineered, and many of the GEN•2's flaws were addressed. Early models of the CM Persona were fitted with the 1.6-litre CamPro S4PH engine, but later models received the improved CamPro IAFM unit. The CM Persona would become a best-seller for Proton, selling over 40,000 units annually prior to the launch of the Proton Prevé.