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The Proton Iriz may not be heading to Australia after all – at least not with that name intact. According to a report by Australian motoring website CarAdvice, the new Malaysian B-segment hatch may actually carry the Satria nameplate instead when it arrives Down Under.

Proton Australia's COO Kaye Amies said that her division is talking to officials over here about resurrecting the name when the car goes on sale in the country, reportedly in the middle of next year. Here's where it gets interesting – the decision on calling it the Satria apparently hinges on the potency of the planned Iriz R3, slated to be unveiled here late next year before coming in Australia the year after.

Amies said that the performance model could receive the long-departed and much-loved Satria GTi moniker over there, but insisted that the new car would have to do the name justice.

"We're sort of thinking if we bring this car out, and then [an] R3 [sports variant launches] – they're thinking that they might do a more racy version – because of that we're thinking, 'Should we be doing that or not?'" she said. "The Satria GTi was such a well-known car and so many people wanted it. People still ask us have we got any."

Proton Satria GTi

"We'd need to look at it, see what it looks like, see what it's going to do. Is it just going to be something that blows out through a little tailpipe and makes a lot of noise and does nothing, or is it actually going to be a bit sporty?" she added.

Although the Iriz name has caused a stir in Australia, Amies said she had no qualms about using it if Proton Australia is settled on it, a decision that would most likely be made in January.

"It was a bit funny because a few people said, 'Aww, it's really a girl's name, so it sort of makes it a girl's car, doesn't it?' I said, 'Do you think a Lotus Elise is a girl's car?'" she said. "We're still having discussions with Malaysia in terms of what their thoughts are about it. We'll discuss it with them and try to come to some resolution, but we'll wait to get Christmas over and done with first."