‘Wait, is that Proton?’: Malaysians react to Iswara in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro video

A Proton Saga Iswara has caught the attention of Malaysians after appearing in a promotional video filmed on Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro. — Picture via Instagram/Apple

By Ian Jeremiah Patrick

First Published: Friday, 25 Sep 2026 11:54 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — A Proton Saga Iswara has caught the attention of Malaysians after appearing in a promotional video filmed on Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro.

The video is part of Apple’s #ShotoniPhone18Pro series, a campaign highlighting the video features of the iPhone 18 Pro.

Other instalments have included performances by BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Hong Kong rapper‑singer Jackson Wang.

In this 58-second video, the Iswara serves as a getaway car in a single-take chase scene involving a group of youngsters running from a mysterious man.

The locally made car appears when one of the actors runs towards it, with a camera rig attached to the right passenger door to capture footage inside the moving vehicle.

The appearance of the Proton Iswara, which is fitted with a sunroof, quickly drew attention from Malaysian netizens commenting on Apple’s Instagram post.

Among the comments were “I saw Proton Saga there”, “Wait, is that Malaysia Proton car?” and “Proud to be a Malaysian”.

Others wrote “Malaysia mendunia” and “I saw Proton, I press LIKE” in the comments section.

Posted on September 23, the video was filmed by British cinematographer Matt Lewis to demonstrate the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera capabilities.

Lewis is known for his work on Netflix’s British crime drama Adolescence, which used extended single-take sequences.

In the Apple video, Lewis explained that the aim was to create a single-take chase scene with a film-like depth of field.

The video comes shortly after the iPhone 18 Pro officially went on sale in Malaysia on September 18, following the opening of pre-orders on September 12.

Local media also reported crowds at Apple The Exchange TRX on launch day, with customers forming separate queues for pre-order collections and walk-in purchases when the store opened at 8am.