Proton Satria Neo 1.3 and 1.6 In-depth
Proton launched it’s iconic two-door hatchback, the Proton Satria back in December 1994. The Proton Satria was based on the Mitsubishi Colt and came in 1.3 liter and 1.6 liter variants. Two years later, it received it’s first minor facelift, with the number plate relocated to the hatch instead of on the bumper. Four years after it’s introduction, the sporty Satria GTI variant was released, featuring a sporty bodykit, Lotus tuned ride and handling as well as a powerful 1.8 liter twin-cam engine making 140 horsepower. In 2003, Proton introduced the Satria Special Edition which featured a new bodykit and a minor interior facelift. In 2004, the R3-tuned limited edition Satria R3 was launched.
The Satria is one of Proton’s more successful models, achieving near-cult status in hatchback-loving countries like the UK. We have been looking at spy photos of the Proton Satria Replacement Model for more then a year now, and the wait is now over. Proton has launched the Satria Replacement Model and it has been given the name Proton Satria Neo. Let’s have a look at the new Proton Satria Neo.
Related Posts:
Proton Satria Neo R3 Details and Photos - new limited edition tuned up Satria Neo!
The Proton Satria Neo is an all new platform developed from scratch. It is not based on the Waja/Gen2 chassis or the old Satria chassis. However for the sake of better economies of scale, it does share some components with the Proton Gen2. The new Proton Satria Neo’s exterior design projects a stout and intimidating image. Projector headlamps are of the Proton tiger eyes design first seen on the Proton Gen2. The headlamps are a 4-headlamp projector system which uses H1 bulbs. These H1 bulbs have a 2000-hour lifespan. Of course, the silhouette was designed to provide a good drag coefficient of 0.35, front lift coefficient of 0.01 and rear lift coefficient of 0.05. This is an improvement of the old Satria’s drag coefficient of 0.405 and the Satria GTI’s drag coefficient of 0.395. This will improve performance and fuel consumption.
Bling bling “turbine”
Bling bling covers for the 1.3 liter
The Proton Satria Neo 1.6 comes in specification levels: the M-Line and the H-Line. Both features 16 inch alloy wheels wrapped with Continental SportContact-1 tyres in 195/50/R16 88V size. The alloy wheels are of the bling bling design. Proton prefers to call this design a turbine design. This turbine design is symmetrical, which means the left and right sides of the car use different designs to ensure the turbine always “spins” forward. I still think they’re horrible, but then again wheels are something that are easily replaced and is one of the first things to be changed on a car. The Proton Satria Neo 1.3 L-Line base model uses 15 inch steel rims with bling bling turbine wheel covers. The tyres provided are Sime Astar Prima 195/55/R15 85V.
The Satria Neo uses Proton’s self-developed Campro engines
The Proton Satria Neo uses Proton’s Campro engines. These are the same ones found in the Proton Gen2 and the Proton Waja Campro. The 1.3 liter Campro offers 94hp at 6000rpm with 120Nm of torque peaking at 4000rpm and the 1.6 liter Campro gives you 110hp at 6000rpm with a torque figure of 148Nm at 4000rpm. This is for a car that weighs about 1146kg for the 1.3 L-line manual up to 1184kg for the 1.6 liter auto. I took the car for a spin around Sepang. The 1.6 liter was a fun drive although it is seriously nothing fantastic. Not mind-blowing, just adequate. Performance was quite on par with my classic Proton Satria’s 1834cc SOHC engine. The Campro engine’s revs felt like it had a slightly heavy flywheel, though I suspect it must be because the engine has not fully run in yet. The engine is a bit noisy. At high revs from 5000rpm onwards it screamed with a very metallic sound which was too loud even with my helmet on. I think if you change the intake system to something less restrictive it would sound nicer, but in stock form it sounds abit painful at high revs towards the redline. Not very pleasant. But the power is there.
The 1.6 H-Line comes with an engine cover but I think the engine looks sexier uncovered
As for the 1.3, I cannot imagine how the Gen2 1.3 auto’s performance is as I have not test driven that yet. But the Satria Neo is a lighter car than the Proton Gen2, and the 1.3 auto is really underpowered. The engine struggles to go under load but you don’t really go anywhere. I highly recommend you stay away from the 1.3 liter models unless you’re a really really slow driver who is very patient. By the way, the Campro’s torque dip at low RPM ranges is still there. To help with the 1.3’s performance, the manual transmission for the 1.3 model has a revised final drive ratio of 4.33 instead of the 1.6 model’s 4.05.
Here are the obligatory performance numbers:
| Top Speed | 0-100km/h | |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (A) | 185 | 13.7 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (M) | 190 | 11.5 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.3 (A) | 180 | 16.0 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.3 (M) | 175 | 12.1 |
Notice the huge difference in the acceleration statistics for the 1.3 automatic and the 1.3 manual model. I think the 1.3 manual model would have acceleration numbers almost as bad as the 1.3 automatic if it were not for the new gear ratios. Hence the huge difference as compared to the difference between the 1.6 auto and the 1.6 manual.
The brakes are good, as expected from the sporty drive Proton promises. You’ll be happy to hear both the 1.3 and the 1.6 liter models come with disc brakes on all four wheels. The brakes are ventilated at the front, and solid at the rear. The Proton Satria Neo’s front disc brakes are larger than the Proton Gen2’s. The 1.6 high-line model comes with anti-lock brakes, while the 1.6 M-line and the 1.3 L-line models do not.
Previously, spyshots and patent filings have indicated that the Satria Neo would come with a cream based interior like the Proton Gen2. Thankfully this was revised and the Proton Satria Neo now comes with a grey interior. A cream interior really does not lend to a sporty look. Proton calls this a Tempest Grey colour scheme. The interior is a combination of dark grey, light grey and silver. Air conditioning controls are arranged in a vertical arrangement below the integrated Blaupunkt CD player.
The air cond vents are circular in shape. You twist the outer ring to adjust the amount of air flow. The vents can be adjusted independently from the outer ring for airflow direction. While I do not know if this is an original idea, it’s a clever design which reflects the minimalist concept of the interior. It is functional too once you get used to it. Interior air conditioning is an improvement over the Proton Gen2’s air conditioning system where there is a delay while the air conditioning system cools the air. This delay is not present in the Proton Satria Neo. The Proton Waja Campro also features this system. There is a glove box but it’s really very tiny. I think it’s just enough for you to put a case with your audio CDs and a Smart Tag transmitter in it.
Tiny glove compartment
Gear console design has a metal trim around it, like the Satria GTI’s. I like how the ball of the manual gearshift fits into my palm.
The meter panel is the standard symmetrical pod design used in all new Protons. The meter illumination is blue in colour. I’m not sure if this is a good idea since blue is a bit hard to focus on as a foreground colour. You can adjust the brightness of the meters via a dial to the right of the meters. Steering wheel is a three-spoke design with a silver ring in the middle and a Proton logo in-set. The 1.6 models have audio controls built into the left and right steering wheel spokes. The dashboard meter features a digital trip meter in the middle. The trip meter also has a fuel computer funtion which shows distance to empty and average fuel consumption. The whole interior looks very minimalist and modern, and it gives me a sporty feel. The plastics are softer than the typical hard Proton plastics so at least that is an improvement. I wish they’d given the steering wheel a better feel too. Somehow it feels really bare bones in my hands. The impression I get is “budget, budget, budget”.
The audio system is powered by a Blaupunkt CD player. The 1.3 model features FM and CD, while the 1.6 model has the additional capability to play MP3 files. The 1.6 model comes with 4 speakers, while the 1.3 model comes with only 2 speakers. This Blaupunkt CD player also has options to interface with a CD changer or an iPod. These functions are optional accessories. The Satria Neo’s bee sting antenna is an active system in the 1.6 model, it actively searches for signals in poor reception areas like basements where passive antennas do not work.
Modern door inset design. The half-moon shaped door handle looks dodgy, and the door knob looks cheap. I prefer a design integrated with the door handle like the classic Satria’s.
The interior is a bit cramped for me. I am 181cm tall. That’s about 5 foot 11 inches. When I got into the car, I had problems wearing my helmet for the track session. Sitting down in the front, my head was almost touching the ceiling of the car. With my helmet on, I could not even fit in the car properly. I had to slouch a little in my seat so that I could get the helmet on. This was the front, so imagine if I was sitting in the rear. The rear legroom is abit larger than the original Proton Satria but too little to make a difference. This is definitely not a car for large people. It’s a two-door hatch, do not expect it to give you wonders in terms of interior space like a four-door sedan or even a Perodua Myvi.
The Satria Neo attacking the corners at Sepang
What about ride and handling? The Proton Satria Neo’s body is supposed to be 2 times stronger than previous Satrias and is built with high tensile steel. The Proton Satria Neo has a torsion ridigity of 13,300Nm per degree and a bending ridigity of 14,000Nm per millimeter. The front suspension is features MacPherson struts and the rear suspension is a multi-link setup with a rear anti-roll bar. My experiences with the Proton Satria Neo on the Sepang F1 circuit impressed me. The body behaviour was typical of a Lotus tuned suspension, however I had some qualms about the steering feel. I had expected more of the car’s reaction time to my quick steering actions. Perhaps I had overestimated the advertised Lotus handling, the car did not respond as quick as how I expected it to. You will get used to the steering feel sooner or later.
Let’s have a look at what Proton had done to improve the reliability of the Satria Neo. For one, the Proton Satria Neo has been tested at Spain’s stone pave circuit. The stone pave circuit like it’s namesake is a circuit paved with stone. It’s really rough and it shakes and stresses the car’s body and parts to ensure maximum endurance. The Proton Satria Neo underwent a 200,000km test on the Stone Pave Circuit, which is equal to 10 years of wear and tear. The Proton Satria Neo also comes with a 7-year anti rust corrosion warranty.
An improved power window design
The power window switches are located in the center console area near the handbrake. The power window mechanism has been improved over the Proton Gen2 system and features a scissors type regulator which apparently provides for better reliability. The load bearing components are made out of stronger materials, and additional roller bearings reduce stress on the mechanism. There are also balance rails for the glass pane, and the motor is also an improved version.
As for safety features, the Proton Satria Neo does offer SRS airbags, pre-tensioner seatbelts, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), and anti-lock brakes (ABS) but these are only offered on the Proton Satria Neo 1.6 H-Line model which is the top of the range. So I expect Proton will get some criticism for not making it standard on all models. For your car’s security, the H-Line model also comes with a CAPTOR alarm and immobilizer system. The Proton Satria Neo has also passed EuroNCAP, GCC for Gulf Nations and ADR for Australian crash test standards.
Cupholders, samurai sword handbrake, power window controls, 12V power socket, and electric wing mirror controls occupy the center console area
Other creature comfort accessories include powered wing mirrors, front fog lamp for the 1.6 models, cruise control for the automatic transmission 1.6 H-Line model, steering wheel audio controls for the 1.6 models, a 12V power socket in the center console area, reverse sensors, ignition key reminders which alert you when you leave your keys in the LOCK or ACC position, and lamp warning buzzers when you leave the car with your headlights on. The hazard lights blink automatically when you open your door while the engine is running to alert oncoming traffic. The rear seats also fold down in a 60:40 configuration to allow extended boot space. The 1.6 model has rear headrests. I am disappointed at the lack of an armrest. In the place of the arm rest are cupholders. Expect aftermarket armrest accessories to be out soon.
L-R: Brilliant Red, Twilight Blue, Brilliant Red, Iridescent White
The Satria Neo comes in five colours, Liquid Orange, Brilliant Red, Twilight Blue, Iridescent White, and Metal Grey. To be honest, all the colours are nice making it hard for me to choose my favourites. But I seem to favour the red and blue the most. Twilight blue isn’t exactly the blue you expect, it’s almost black. Iridescent white is a very interesting colour. It’s like a mix of white and silver. All of them are excellent choices for the car. Good job Proton on the colour combination.
Metal Grey
So, how much will this car cost you? These prices are on the road with insurance.
| Proton Satria Neo 1.3 (M) L-line | RM43,500 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.3 (A) L-line | RM46,500 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (M) M-line | RM48,500 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (A) M-line | RM51,500 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (M) H-line | RM51,800 |
| Proton Satria Neo 1.6 (A) H-line | RM54,800 |
An aggressive forward stance
Rear seats for the 1.3 model. The 1.6 model has rear headrests.
Right, yadda yadda. I’ve tried to detail the specifications as much as I can. Now what do I think about the car? Personally I think the car is a good buy for those in the market for a two-door hatchback in the 45,000 to 55,000 ringgit price range. There’s nothing else in that market range actually and the Satria is a little dated now. Evergreen! But the 1.3 and 1.6 liter engines leave something to be desired, and I am more of a performance guy (as most people who buy sporty hatches?) so I’ll wait to see what Proton’s Race Rally Research team has up it’s sleeves for the Proton Satria Neo’s raw horsepower and torque numbers. The car might also be a little uncomfy for large people like me. Kudos for the grey interior though. I heard this was a last minute decision change from the original cream interior. This is definitely Proton’s best interior look so far.
Another shot of the interior. Proton logo on the passenger airbag compartment seems out of place.
This might be Proton’s best car yet, and I can see it going in the right direction. If Proton improves with each model like this, I’d say the Waja replacement is going to be an excellent car once it finally comes around. Which is what the Malaysian market really needs right now actually, an economical comfortable 4-door family sedan. That fort is held by the Waja right now and that seems to be eaten away slowly by the Vios and City.
The 1.6 and 1.6 H-Line versions feature a roof spoiler and rear wipers.
The Satria Neo’s boot, sorry this is not very clear.
The Twilight Blue is actually a very dark blue, almost black. You can see the blue highlights under a bright sun.
Proton intends to capture at least 0.5% of the growing 20-35 year old market segment with this Proton Satria Neo, which would be about 31,500 units a year.
Video: Proton Satria Neo Advertisement
June 16, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
nice shot of the car on the track.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
Paul,
Good review. Just came back from COE. I have seen and tested it as well
Noted on the major improvement done esp interior. Darker interior with excellent fit & finish. Bucket seat. I think Proton made a really good job which they willing to delay the launch after 4 years. People may say carry over old Satria or Gen2 platform but totally new platform with better NCAP achievement. Congratulation to Proton… I’m a bit old to use this with 4 kids.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:23 pm
new car from proton??
how about power window?
anywhere, good luck to proton….
dunt let us disappointed…
but still worry about QC.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:26 pm
WOW!!! finally it out… have a test drive the car b4 booking… lol….
June 16, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
WOW!!! finally it out… have to test drive the car b4 booking… lol….
June 16, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
center console dun hv arm rest? those radio & control button looks much better den Gen2.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
Wow.. that is a sweet looking hood. And it goes well with the headlamps also. I can dig the total feline look. Shame about the exhaust though… me no like.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
nth 2 say,onli can give a smile =))….
June 16, 2006 @ 6:41 pm
another jounarlist opinion:
http://www.autoworld.com.my/emzine/
June 16, 2006 @ 6:43 pm
sporty. But 2 doors. good for satria’s fans.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:46 pm
ichican only looking for MPV from PROTON
June 16, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
i like the advert finale where the car slides on dirt and reveals the name. wonder the car can really do that?
June 16, 2006 @ 6:51 pm
Ah looks ok, shame it’s tight inside tho.
The classic satria has a very comfortable cockpit, it easily encompasses me.
Bigger than the Honda City/Civic too.
June 16, 2006 @ 6:59 pm
everything looks good. how about the quality??? the glove box is too small for me and the interior still need to improve. hope proton can success this time.
June 16, 2006 @ 7:01 pm
based on paul’s review, car seems to be “desirable”. hope to test drive it soon.
June 16, 2006 @ 7:07 pm
I’ll definately wait for GTi and R3 version of Satria Neo. I believe this car have a lot of potiential and worth the wait for both sporty version.
June 16, 2006 @ 7:13 pm
regarding the interior paul..its the same with gen2 wen it comes to being “tight”…im driving a gen2 bt the factory fited seats are jus too high..my hair always brushes the roof..wen i changed to Recaro seats…WOW! sudenly im siting low and theres so much headroom…i tink its a seat problem rather than dodgy interior space design…bt i luv the interior…!
June 16, 2006 @ 7:27 pm
great job paul…nice review!! btw paul is the performance beter than Gen2 or is it the same? how about the compartment? i dun seems to c much compartment to keep cds n etc…
bravo to proton…good to c some improvement…not very good…but it shows proton can make what ppl want to :D….
……
but too bad…specs for 1.3 is so not worth for the price
now for test drive n the QC is issue….hope its good..
next model….savvy facelift…expected to b launch in conjunction with merdeka day….this could really prove the new MD can bring proton fr the twilight zone…
June 16, 2006 @ 7:30 pm
great writeup paul… i’m in love with Brilliant Red… hehehe… too bad I’m not looking for a hot hatch. I do hope they do a great job with the Waja Replacement Model.
June 16, 2006 @ 7:38 pm
dont mind me but i have only one comment.
the ‘hood’ covering the meter panel = ‘bra cup’? it looks like the newer protons nowadays have this 18sx tagged to it.
i dont mean to be offensive. pls forgive me.
June 16, 2006 @ 7:39 pm
Hmm. exterior is good. Interior again plauged by copy and paste method. I would prefer them to redesign the air cond hole. Identical to the ones in SAGA. Very damn ugly. U call this sporty, proton? Handbreak,Door handle,Air conditioning controls all copy and paste. Bored, not creative at all.
Personally, I would prefer a oval shaped or a face down 1/2 moon shape , not jutting design of the air cond outlet. a myvi type door handle and repositioning of the air conditionin controls into a horizontal position to give more room to the leg compartment. Sometime its hard to reach the bottom control of the air cond.
The good part is the gear console , the front and especially the back light and the design of the boot compared to yucky savvy. The boot is very eye catching , If I was given the boot to judge the book by its cover, I would love it.
Would been better if the car has 2 exhaust located on each sides instead of the middle. Radio buttons on the wheels are better compared to the gen2.The rims, goood. I love it when they put more logic and brains when come into designing these things.
I have just one question, why did proton left the compartment between the air cond and the cdplayer empty? How abt shifing the radio up and the air cond controller into the x-radio compartment and making that into a compartment for storage.
FInally, I would rate this car:
Interior: 2.8/5
Exterior: 4/5
me 2 cents
June 16, 2006 @ 7:48 pm
Ha….
June 16, 2006 @ 7:52 pm
Dogster > i agree wif u regarding the void on top of the cd player…they sho hav jz moved the cd player up n left the bottom wif a compartment wif cover as storage like those found in altis or worst come to worst…add a storage compartment to the space wifout shifting the cd player (sav budget mah) hope the aftermarket can do it together wif the armrest…
June 16, 2006 @ 7:58 pm
dogster and stephen_ksf: true, good point, or they could have added the cupholders there instead. like the current satria’s cupholders which you pull out from between the air cond vents and the cd player.
June 16, 2006 @ 8:08 pm
How many stars for Euro NCAP? I have just visit Euro NCAP website and found nothing.
June 16, 2006 @ 8:09 pm
MyBoy: They’ve not tested with the official EuroNCAP authorities yet. But their own internal tests passed EuroNCAP specifications.
June 16, 2006 @ 8:13 pm
Paul, can u please share some info with us regarding how many stars this car has earned in Euro NCAP testing. I have just visit Euro NCAP website and found nothing.
June 16, 2006 @ 8:18 pm
MyBoy: test standards… not tests!
June 16, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
love the car!, hate the fuel cover.! cant wait for the r3 version or the gti i wouldnt mind getting one. Great post paul T
June 16, 2006 @ 8:42 pm
Looks good and well packaged overall
get the aftersales service right, and i think this is a winner
June 16, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
the engine still the same louya ones…..haih……everythg’s fine to me….onli the engine is a let down……
anyway, overall its a gd car…
Cheers!!!!!
June 16, 2006 @ 9:18 pm
proton should really improve on the Campro engine & the gearboxes. a nice looking and nice handling car is nothing if it doesn’t have an equal engine to boot. anyway i must admit that satria neo is quite a looker although the back side as always could be improved. anyway where’s the Kleeman connection i have been waiting ?
June 16, 2006 @ 9:19 pm
seriously its AWSOME!! Proton Satria Neo.. perghh!! Totally AWSOME!! Congrate to Proton.. Malaysia Boleh!! ngahaha!! :p
June 16, 2006 @ 9:26 pm
Tested the car as well. Again, it’s the steering wheel. They have to learn this: A steering wheel is the first thing a driver touches with his bare hands at first, the quality of the steering, the overall cost involved with the steering, must be higher. This will give the buyer a very good first impression. I jumped in the car from the passenger side purposely as i’m walking towards it and notice the material used on the steering… hehe liked the glove box’s gliding mechanism…. but but but… there were glitches, the show car i tested …. the glove box is already abit dodgy. and oh yes…. damn small.
I’d get this car over the Bestari, for the interior. But i’d get Bestari over this, for modability.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:26 pm
18sx? …………
have you seen the interior of the lotus elise or exige? dashboard design is the same.
they designed a whole new platform for this? wow, i wasnt expecting that.. any clues as to when they intend to develop a waja replacement?
would be sweet if they developed a 2.0-3.0 platform and used the petronas E01 with it. they could base the perdana replacement on it and the waja replacement on a derivative of this! the mitsu just looks too ugly:S
June 16, 2006 @ 9:27 pm
Tremendous effort by P1. Absolutely fantastic. Still room for improvement in terms of plastic quality and engine performance (0-100 in 16sec is just too long). The fit and finish is great. So far the best car from P1.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:32 pm
ingolstadt, I agree with you… the steering is the key
I think Proton got it right in terms of steeringoperating effort in SAVVY and this one. Gen2 is to light. Savvy is very responsive and Neo feels very connected like you know you are twisting the tire rubber on the road. Both savvy and neo has fair better feedback from steering than most japs brands
material of the steering is better in this that gen-2 and savvy (slippery)
June 16, 2006 @ 9:35 pm
I am not sure lots of people will go for the H-line. In fact, most myvi’s sold are not top of the line with the aribags in them, its just the basic thing. Still saving 1/2K for airbag cost.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:36 pm
PAUL,
Need you to confirm this rumour. Heard from the local APR guys (Audi Performance Racing). He met up with his friend who’s testing the Neo at the time, he popped the bonet and showed him the (Supposed GTi of Neo, the one caught by spyshots with an intercooler) prototype, the engine is a longitude one, and turbo-charged. Apparently, its the Audi A4’s 1.8T engine from Volkswagen, but since the drop off, the delay kick in, a few mods were made, hence the Neo launch in June.
Is this true?
June 16, 2006 @ 9:37 pm
Paul,
I have the benefit of doubts on the following statements: -
1. “The Proton Satria Neo is an all new platform developed from scratch. It is not based on the Waja/Gen2 chassis or the old Satria chassis.”
I look at it with my “naked” eye, it is old Satria chassis. Check with the salesperson (he is not technical guy from P1) and one of P1 vendor known to me also informed the same. Any comment from you?
2. “You’ll be happy to hear both the 1.3 and the 1.6 liter models come with disc brakes on all four wheels.”
1.6 have bling bling alloy wheel but I look at 1.3 wheel is cover with plastic base bling bling cover and also ask the sales person, it is drum brakes for all four tyre? Any clarification from you?
Overall, this car quality built is better than old Satria but observe carefully when close the bonnet, the gap near tail lamp is not consistent for both side of the 2 cars on display that I had visited. Hopefully this is isolated case.
As Paul mentioned, this car do not have the luxury of space for heavily built person. My personal opinion is Proton do a good job compare to previous model but is just consider “decent” work compare to Japs makes.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:40 pm
You forgot one thing…what about the boot space? Looks like no one thought about it.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:41 pm
Malaysian don’t really care about NCAP, but better than Chevrolet Aveo I guess, coz I see too many 1.5 Starr NCAP aveo on the road. Anybody know what is the NCAP rating for sutera????
Tiny glove box I think It suits the concept of the car, it is a sports car not a family car where you can put in all stuff in the glove box, like the word ‘glove box’ it should be enough space for glove only.
I agree with ichiban the head clearance is limited, better install bucket seat just like most of us do.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:41 pm
joe ooi
i can confirm it is not from old satria chassis
look carefully again… really lift the car on lifter and see
read chips yap review. he highlights a lot of new stuff although some basic stuff is still shared with gen-2 for cost reasons
June 16, 2006 @ 9:44 pm
Joe Ooi:
1. it is a new chassis.
2. the 1.3 model has disc brakes on all four wheels. just because the steel rims makes it hard for you to see doesn’t mean it’s not there. these days there are no cars with drum brakes on all four wheels. even the old satria 1.3 had discs in front.
June 16, 2006 @ 9:49 pm
Aside from the bonnet, Can you flip both front chairs to reach the rear seats? Or its just the driver’s side?
June 16, 2006 @ 9:51 pm
Paul, noted your comments, thanks.
June 16, 2006 @ 10:03 pm
Joe Ooi: I want to know though, what made you think it was using the original Satria chassis?
June 16, 2006 @ 10:13 pm
Joe Ooi..
Remember this..
Our Proton is special made.
Japanese/Korean/Chinese or even Asean (other than Malaysia) is called asia car.
Germany/British/France/Italy and the rest of Eroupe called continental car.
Our proton called “Continental Asia Car” So designed like Asia, tasted like Continental….That’s why VW like to have it!
June 16, 2006 @ 10:19 pm
Finally.. its out… I am happy just to hear things have improved with the launch of this car… yeah, the interior is quite nice… but as my family is growing, this car is not for me.. furthermore what concern me is the persistence of proton’s technology in the future, as its’ strategic plan is still in dark…. Proton has mountains to climb, and this is just the beginning… Even though I am not a proton admirer, I welcome if proton continues to provide quality to msian people, not keep deliver quality at SC.. Quality is the only key for automotive industry success, not NAP…
As for good support of technology, solution to cramp back seat & legroom, I am goin to book avanza anyway next week, Thx to our stiff auto competiton (especially myvi sales), finally I think now is the best offer….
Good luck poton.. & happy motoring to SRM fans…..
June 16, 2006 @ 10:32 pm
unfortunately, i cannot buy this car cause i have bought my self myvi lioa… hehehe.. no more proton for me at last!! free from proton’s stupid problem!!
June 16, 2006 @ 10:38 pm
Paul, based on my previous info from my friend as vendor to P1 who have close contact with debt head and also based on my today visit to P1 showroom with my “naked eye” assesment.
But I still have the benefit of doubt (”less”) as from my own literature search, develop new chassis required high engineering input in R & D stage. And from economic of scale perspective, any new chasis may involved RM billion investment and required to achieve minimum sales of 500,000 units during normal life cycle or “shelve life” of the mass produce models (Japs normally 4 -5 years and Conti may up to 7 years) in order to recoup the investments. But based on your comment, the yearly sale is projected at around 31,500 unit only per year.
That means in 5 years, the projected sales is around 157,500 unit. To achieve minimum 500,000 units sales, Proton need to take approximately 16 years to achieve it. In other word, this model may be “2nd to Saga/Iswara model trend” that will be available in Bolehland for a longer time than necessary.
If P1 want to be competitive and survive in open market, they must be at least sale 100,000 unit per year in order to be economically feasible and can compete in the open market? So, I “suspect” Proton use Satria chasis as I check with Proton website, there is no indication that they spend RM billion in R & D? But look at this section: -
http://www.proton.com/about_proton/facts_figures/investments.php
Their R & D expenditure merely in aggregate of RM 34 Million from year 1999 to 2003. This expenditure included Gen-2 and Savvy models as well? So with this figure can Proton come out with new chasis? It must be another joking? Even many world class players like Nissan, Toyota (e.g. Innova, Fortuner and Hilux share same chassis), etc also have to share chassis for their models!
Paul, anything to share or comments!
June 16, 2006 @ 10:54 pm
dogster…i agree wit u too abt the compartment thing…looks quite strange there…
btw..say it in reality…looks cute and ok rather than in the picture…i really dun like the tailpipe…really remain me of the penyu(savvy)…overall the exterior looks ok…better than other proton’s line up…yup…the style feels like a conti car a bit…interior site..quite not impress me at all…the door handle,the handbrake and center console…not great at all…still feels cheap a bit but thanx to the dark interior color…can sv it frm feels cheap….it helps to feel it a bit classy and sporty…thank god not in the beige color…the steering is ok and i really like the spedometer area…feels like conti cars…hhhmmm…the driver’s seat…quite ok 4 me…feel the grip when sit onto it…for the rear seat…feels a bit cramp….and not much legroom…if compare it with some other cars in its class…actually it is not important…it is a sporty cars and the rear seat is not for everyday use…
still not test drive it yet…sooner or later i’ll test drive it…and maybe this car is on my list among others in my wishlist to b considered to change it with my 3rd cars…..which is currently a national cars…maybe this car feels great if she is parking among my other cars in the garage…hhmmm…hv to think abt it…bt still worry abt the quality of this car…hhmm…
so far my rate for this car is 3 out of 5…
June 16, 2006 @ 10:54 pm
paul, the boot space? bigger than savvy?
June 16, 2006 @ 10:55 pm
proton12vauto said,
“Joe Ooi..
Remember this..
Our Proton is special made.
Japanese/Korean/Chinese or even Asean (other than Malaysia) is called asia car.
Germany/British/France/Italy and the rest of Eroupe called continental car.
Our proton called “Continental Asia Car†So designed like Asia, tasted like Continental….That’s why VW like to have it!”
Joe Ooi - What you mean by “special made”, please define - “special made under NAP”?
When and how you categorize as “Asia car”. Is it because of geography location? If that is the case, then you are totally “BLIND” as far as geography is concern, Malaysia is geographically located at Asia continent! Don’t try and “act intelligent” by coming up with “new term”.
Our Proton call “Sick car of Asia” as it need “NAP pills” to survive. If tasted like continental, then you have to talk to and convince Jeremy Clarkson it is tast so so …… and so far your comments on us is unacceptable, including his stupid blunder of “Proton Kelisa”. If you think you can find a “new confident” with Satria Neo, then ask G to dismantle NAP then put up your show in level field. If cannot, and still need “NAP pills” - then it is still “P1 freak DNA”.
June 16, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
proton 12vauto….”Our proton called “Continental Asia Car†So designed like Asia, tasted like Continental….”
i dun think proton is calssified as a special made…proton still a asia cars…like others carmakers…if u said so…wut about honda,toyota,nissan or others related to ur quote of designed like asia and tasted like continental…all of them hv achieved it for so many years….
June 16, 2006 @ 11:17 pm
proton12vauto said - “Our proton called “Continental Asia Car†So designed like Asia, tasted like Continental….That’s why VW like to have it!”
raybrig85, what he means are the design is by Asian (Mits Japs included) and tasted like Continental is means Lotus DNA, so conclusion is this is “cut and paste” car.
For VW, they like Tanjong Malim new spanking car plant to CKD their cars, but Proton want to give them old Shah Alam plant, that is one of the reason the negotiation failed apart from can’t agreed on VW 51: P 49 ownership structure. To say VW like P1 car is utterly ridiculous!
June 16, 2006 @ 11:38 pm
There’s one behind me while waiting for the traffic lights and the other beside me.
The one behind me had the foglight on, and damn! Proton better get those foglights fixed, as they are literally shooting at those airplanes in the sky.
This is the first time I got blinded by foglights by looking at my rear mirror. :-\
June 16, 2006 @ 11:42 pm
a big hug for proton >:D
June 16, 2006 @ 11:57 pm
joe ooi
about investment on chassis… WAJA alone cost 1 billion to make..
gen2 was around 700 mill… media kit for this i think says 500 mill…
try checking finacial report
about NAP pill.. i thought PROTON same level playing field already what?
on VW its not because of PROTON failed nego. it is because someone else got AP to sell VW here in Malaysia. Auto Stadt? siapa yer significant other yg dapat tu?
June 17, 2006 @ 12:17 am
paul, i’ve sent an e-mail to you two days ago. i hope you have read it.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:01 am
saw the car just now. overall the build up of the outer chassis is flushed and smooth. overall the shape is not bad but the headlights shape is kinda overkill. the multi-bulge on the bonnet gives it a similar evo4 bonnet feeling - agressive. build quality of the interior is fair too. too bad they din opt for better type of steering wheel. the ones installed is plasticky to the touch. interior control knobs looks tidy and flushed and goes the same for the stereo system.
first impression is on the fair side which good. but have yet to see it on the long run
June 17, 2006 @ 1:07 am
i like the looks of the exterior..but the interior is a bit plain..the material used for the interior seems to be better quality ones as compared to gen2’s..the space between the air vents and cd player should be made useable instead of being covered..and yes, the roof is abit too low..
i expected it to be installed with the new campro with cps, as the prototype was at KLIMS06..too bad proton kept it for “further testing”..
about the Proton logo on the passenger airbag compartment…i suspect the logo is there to cover the “SRS AIRBAG” word since the L-Line and the M-line dun hv such feature..
from the report by paul, i believe satria neo really marks the new commitment of proton towards quality…kudos to proton!!
p/s: i cant wait for a waja replacement model…
June 17, 2006 @ 1:33 am
went to the showroom today.. forgot to check the bootspace like one of u pointed out.. -.-’
the interior is much better than gen2 and waja.. the seat feel is nice! the gear knob feels bulky to me but still nice on the hands.. the headlamps are a tad too front.. if u view it from isometric viewing angle it looks rather ugly but from front, yes, kinda fierce looking.. the foglight somehow was like planted deep inside but still some of u say shooting the airplanes.. LoL.. dunno never see them on b4..
hmm wat else.. the meter clusters look alright with the dim lit blue..
cd player can play mp3 and attach ipod? that’s sure a plus..
the engine bay when i opened it was like, “wah.. kinda big for the car right”.. i find the wheelbase kinda long but still it fits with the look of the whole car..
that’s all i guess.. overall it’s a nice car.. and i like the sound of the door when it closes.. very un-proton.. ^_^
June 17, 2006 @ 2:07 am
Looking at the final product and having been to the Centre Of Excellence, I would say that it is almost as if Proton doesn’t want anybody to tamper with the Satria Neo’s look without removing the entire front and rear bumper.
Examples would be the addition of a front lip and a rear bumper lip or even exhaust modifications. The “M5-ish” front lip that sports two flaps almost destroys any possibility of the addition of a front lip without making it ridiculous and the rear permits nothing apart from the centre placed exhaust making it impossible to modify.
The biggest gripe i have with this car is that for city or highway driving, one would have to squeeze every ounce of torque at 4000 RPM making sure that the engine has to stress itself. This would be very inconvenient for people who need to speed up quickly and would have to drag the engine for a long time just to reach a certain speed.
I would personally prefer the old Waja engine which produces good torque figures from 2,700 RPM if i’m not mistakened (long time never check, sorry ya Correct me if i am wrong).
June 17, 2006 @ 2:49 am
OMG, there are still people who thinks that there are front drum brakes around??
and you can’t assess a chassis with a “naked eye”.
To no one in particular
Would you have known that Waja and Gen2 shared the same chassis if it was not published? Can you tell me some other cars that share same chassis (unlike some obvious ones ie: Volvo S40 & Ford Focus)? You will be surprised of the answers. and btw, correct me if I am wrong, the old Satria chassis belongs to Mitsubishi.
June 17, 2006 @ 3:13 am
Oh No…..Proton has done it again…
Gen2 + Saga aeroback (the latest one) + Savvy = Proton Satria Neo
What a ridiculuos combination… It is like a cut and paste car.. I would like to call it a “ROJAK” car as it uses the identity of those previous car mentioned above…
Proton did not even think of redisingning the interior and exterior in order to give the satria own identity..They just cut here and there a bit from the previous car, insert it into this car and call it proton satria neo…RIDICULUOS..Ex..first impression from outside…it looks like a gen 2, first impression inside, it looks like a Saga (from dashboard to the round round air cond blower) and the gear handle looks exactly like the one in savvy…
I am really dissapointed with Proton as I expect them to come out with a better car…at least not a car like this (belum ambik kira QC lagi tu)……I thought I am going to see a wholly new Proton Satria with its own identity with new dashboard compartment, steering and audio to name a few…Maybe I am expecting too much from them this time, as i thought they have learned from the competitors and our “pak lah” but it seems that they have not..aih…..
Anyway, I am still confident that Proton can do better than this in the future as we are still waiting for the Perdana Replacement Model….
June 17, 2006 @ 4:03 am
Not bad… I wonder if they have a test drive model at Mutiara D’sara? Thinking of selling off my BMW E32 (w/ 2000cc road tax) for cheaps.
June 17, 2006 @ 4:18 am
Neo does look nice on the outside. Only issue i have, after the 2 years delay and numerous spy-pic the look is no longer surprising anymore.
The interior qualoty and fitting is a lot of improvement from the days Gen2 was launch. However, personal choice tells me the interior is really not the attractive. Storage space is still no better den Gen2. Glove compartment is good for storing flat thing. anything thicker then 5 CD will probably not fit in. No arm rest…!!! Really dissapointed.
Nice seat though… felt much better den the odd looking Gen2 seat.
One thing i find funny is Malaysian have a real wierd way of looking at new car… mayb juz Proton car… every1 kept slamming the door….!!!
June 17, 2006 @ 4:21 am
another thing… safety is still not a primary concern at Proton. ABS and airbag is still a premium according to Proton.
June 17, 2006 @ 4:59 am
wow too many comments to read through. I must say that Proton is spot on with the design, even if some of the materials give off a cheap-ish feel such as interior plastics and rims. Even the gen2-esque controls in the center console looks good in this car.
My only qualms are the plastics, the rims and that they could have planned the storage holes better like some of you mentioned. They could’ve also used a space saver design for the handbrake.
All round disc-brakes are an excellent decision. The 1.3 produces 94bhp? I think the old 1.3 made just over 70.
June 17, 2006 @ 5:06 am
“One thing i find funny is Malaysian have a real wierd way of looking at new car… mayb juz Proton car… every1 kept slamming the door….!!!”
That just cracked me up hahaha : )
Oh yeah I also don’t like the tiny glovebox. They really could’ve done better there.
To advertise the new power window layout. Can we take this as admitting to their faults? I just hope it works.
June 17, 2006 @ 5:20 am
“Paul Tan said,
MyBoy: They’ve not tested with the official EuroNCAP authorities yet. But their own internal tests passed EuroNCAP specifications.”
Still im eager to know how many stars it suppose to get. How many point the car has managed to earn can be easily translated into how many stars (eventhought it might not get it on a real/official Euro NCAP test).
June 17, 2006 @ 5:28 am
“(Supposed GTi of Neo, the one caught by spyshots with an intercooler) prototype, the engine is a longitude one, and turbo-charged. Apparently, its the Audi A4’s 1.8T engine from Volkswagen”
Wow ingolstadt, that’d be really cool. But as good as it sounds, I doubt that it’ll happen. It doesn’t really make much sense to design a car as tranverse engined then mod it for longitudinal engines. Unless…they’re planning an AWD maybe?
I personally think that they’d be better off with the Petronas E01. Lightweight and high-revving. Sure to go well with the type-R fans.
June 17, 2006 @ 7:19 am
Joe Ooi: You do realise that the link you gave me, all four columns are related to R&D? the engine row is for engine development, and the product row is for product development. product development would include things like the chassis.
to make it simple, you could say R&D research is the “R” in the word “R&D”, and the other 3 rows listed there are the “D”.
this would mean a total of RM3.3 billion in product development over the period you observed.
June 17, 2006 @ 7:35 am
Joe Ooi, I like the way of your thinking, trying to make sense of things. And you’re absolutely right that the sales figures for this new car might not justify spending billions on chassis development. But try to think of it this way. Since platform sharing is the normal practice nowadays, what makes you think that this platform would only be used for this car? Proton, now with JVs with China etc might share this platform with other OEMs aswell? So it might not actually take 16 years for ROI.
By the way, as a Lotus Engineer here in the UK, I can confirm that the platform used is a brand new one. And another thing, unless you are mistaken in what actually a chassis/platform means, it definitely can not be identified/assessed just by using the ‘naked eye’.
June 17, 2006 @ 7:41 am
I’d like to see a coupe version of the Neo ala the old putra from Proton. Pressure charging, rear wheel drive with Lotus tuned ride and handling. For the local drifters out there. That would be awesome.
June 17, 2006 @ 7:54 am
Looks good and they have improved. But there will be talk about
43,500 for no safety features while 46,500 can get a MyVI with
all safety features. Different class of market thought but good job
from proton but they still haven’t got their pricing.
Do they still have a vendor problem ?
Why can’t they put more feature for the same price ?
June 17, 2006 @ 8:11 am
joe ooi…if he said so…it is still the same…nissan and honda including toyota has done it b4…some of them has done ‘design like asia and feel like american’ also…:)
Voices,
i hv ur answer…like vw golf shared same chasis and platform with seat leon cupra…toyota aygo,citroen c1 and peugeot 107…shared the same chasis and platform…actually…many cars has done it….lots of to b listed to…
btw voices…even merc has done it too for thier a-class and b-class…
June 17, 2006 @ 8:52 am
Proton Satria Neo…, This is THE ONE… I know it. I know it the moment I saw it.
June 17, 2006 @ 9:06 am
daffy said
> while 46,500 can get a MyVI with all safety features….
Airbag is just one of the factor that contributes to car safety. Airbag is meaningless if the body crumbless like aluminium can upon impact. How tahan is myvii’s body?
I have seen myvii’s photo that crumble like milo can after accident, not sure how hard the impact was though. But I am sure I wont want to be in that car.
Dont get me wrong, all I am saying is if u are into safety, look at ncap rating if possible (if any), dont too quick to make judgement.
June 17, 2006 @ 9:16 am
Seriously i think this car looks pretty good, kudos to proton! Just cant understand that why they so particular about the centre exhaust…
June 17, 2006 @ 9:37 am
Well, first of all, the page is out of alignment again. Well, read all the comments last night. Found out that this Neo seems to be improve a lot if see from picture, still havent got chance to see in naked eye. One thing I like about the interior is the manual gear shift design. looks awesome for me. and the dark interior looks ncie, just like others said, the door handle doesn’t look good. Wonder what is the blank space above the audio unit for? the audio unit seems misplaced… but one thing, if someone wants to change the original audio player to a 2-din, there’re enough space and no aftermarket covers needed like the Gen-2 and Myvi. the meter cluster looks nice, but from wat Paul’s report say, the interior quite small, so if this Neo sell in foreign coutries like UK n Aus, are the quite big sized westerners sit inside?? If can’t sit, how are they going to buy? I mean for ordinary use, not for racing cos if racing they’ll get recaros etc. This’s really a fun car actually, not for family use. The rims look average only for me but the wheel over looks terrible, I prefer Gen-2 1.3’s wheel cover…
About the chassis, my opinion is that sharing chassis can save a lot of cost and many manufaturers did the same thing. chassis design really needs a big amoount of money.
Price, I think the H-line is fine for the price with all the equipments. L-Line I think its a bit expensive as there’re not fitted with many equipments and M-line I think bit expensive cos it doesn’t come with many fittings as well, adding only around RM3000, u’ll get ABS airbag, EBD, CAPTOR, etc. why bother to buy M-line? maybe for some ppl yes but for me I’ll get the H-line if wanna get a 1.6
Anyway, not a bad car… just that we still hv to see whether the QC got problems or not…
June 17, 2006 @ 9:52 am
I think the use of the blockquote tag kills the alignment in Internet Explorer. I have to redo the CSS for this site… sigh. Too noob already.
June 17, 2006 @ 10:31 am
This is not what I have expected, this time they really made a very nice design from both exterior and interior, this satria is the best design of all proton models. But, too bad the airbag still not standard.
June 17, 2006 @ 11:18 am
well, alignment is back to normal…
yeah.. airbag still not standard for all range… hmmm… hope they can really make it as standard itmes in yrs to come in newer models… n really hope goverment will set airbags and other safety features be standard in all new cars…
June 17, 2006 @ 11:31 am
in real , da car looks small .
but its ok 4 m’sian market as ppl here still kindda small in size.
personally i like dis car .
especially da orange , it reminds me of ford focus ST which is one of da most powerful front engine-front wheel drive car .
but da red oso looks nice which makes da car looks sportier .
actually proton can make a performance car wif dis car by putting in a 2.0 litter petronas engine which will benefit petronas n proton .
da engine bay is very big .
i can oso say da interior has a very big improvement .
da quality did improve compare to cars b4 .
da steering wheel actually feels thick which is nice to hold . maybe dis is not da feeling when u starts to own da car . but u’ll get use to it , lolz !
not like da gen.2 which is skinny .
i oso feel dat dis car is a good buy .
dis is becoz da car actually price very near to myvi especially da 1.6 M-line .
which wan would u go for if u wan a powerful car ?
imagine R3 create a rear wheel drive satria.
keep goin proton .
we’ll support u !
June 17, 2006 @ 11:31 am
http://kaeshyuan.googlepages.com/SNEOConvertible.jpg
June 17, 2006 @ 11:42 am
Friends,
Off course Proton can standardize all car with airbags, EBD, ABS…but surely the price will go up. I tot Myvi 1.0 don’t have airbag? No people talks about it. It’s a matter of choice. Not everybody makes 2000 RM a month. Some people are just clerks at Banks…factory workers…they also want a piece of Neo. Off course it seems wrong not to offer airbag to every model, but hey, it’s a matter of choice. If you want the top line…make some more money and quit your job today. Hopefully when Proton have the volume, maybe one day they will do it….just don’t talk about that in export market they got this and that…their cost is costlier there.
You want airbag? Why don’t you buy Naza Sutera…with 0 crash rating…off course your face will remain intact..but sorry you lost both your legs cause China made car just don’t have enough testing..It’s true
By the way the car looks awesome from every angle….as a conclusion, the car is not for everybody…not for family people but okay as a second car…This is a perfect car for hunting Bohjans …and for the tall people..you should forget Neo and just buy the Kenari…it’s a really beautiful car…maybe Juara
June 17, 2006 @ 12:07 pm
Paul Tan said - “Joe Ooi: You do realise that the link you gave me, all four columns are related to R&D? the engine row is for engine development, and the product row is for product development. product development would include things like the chassis.”
The link I provide is included 2 sections: “R & D” and “Product Development”. Let try to define or categories this 2 section: -
1. R & D - Is stand for research and development. Historically, this concept can be trace back to Renaissance Period (circa 1400 - 1600). But by today perspective, Research normally refers to the “software” of the process, albeit “human’s brain intelligent” and development is the “hardware” - the new products or inventions. This “new” invention from academic perspective is consider as “new findings”, “improvement”, “originality” and “enrich knowledge”. Normally the “end result” of R & D may include but not necessary limited to “prototype”, “model”, “concept”, “computer simulation”, etc. In other word, the end stage of R & D does not include actual production process. So fairly to say any R & D required huge human and capital investment.
2. Product Development - this include preparation and any cost (fixed and variable) required for carrying out production process.
So where to draw the line between R & D and Product Development? Based on Proton Website link: -
http://www.proton.com/about_proton/facts_figures/investments.php
The Proton investments are for R & D Facilities, Product, Engine and R & D Research (I wonder why since R is stand for Research yet put one more time after R & D)
• R & D Facilities are building, experiment equipments, tools, office, etc or the like indirectly or directly related to facilitate or to enable R & D activities being carry out. This cost normally categories under development expenditure or “set up costâ€.
• Product is the “final†goods or services which in this case a car not limited to chassis but include all other component like engine, power window, meter, air-cond, mirror, no. plate, viper, car seat, steering and other thousand components.
• Engine of course the cost involve in development of engine. In this case for Satria Neo it is Campro engine, also used in several models (Waja, Gen-2) which have SEPARATE R & D cost.
• R & D Research also may involve any R & D activities by coming out new products, normally produce by Proton itself like engine, chassis, etc (excluding vendors component.).
So talk about new chassis for Satria Neo, where to draw the line between R & D and Product Development since it might “overlap†or share with other model(s). Of course normal practice by accountant is to amortize or apportion it according to their standard of practice. But by the above “academic†definition, R & D should be limited to last item for “R & D Research†only (this one perhaps have to apportion further for other model(s) as well, including engine or other component(s) make by Proton itself), For R & D facilities cost, it shall amortize the cost over time. Product and Engine (have it own R & D cost) shall not form part of R & D cost for Satria chasis.
This is only my “realistic†assessment, and better looks for Proton information on this matter as they have their own set of classification? This is because the “royalty†paid to Mitsubishi might included in Product Development as well!
So far they produce 3 models (Gen-2, Savvy and Satira Neo) during this period. So equally divided for R& D facilities and R & D Research is 180 + 34 Million / 5 years = 42 Million per year for 3 models or 14 million per model. With this sum of money, may be enough to test Satria Neo under icy temperate weather or Australian extreme hot condition only? If the R & D cost so “cheapâ€, then any Ah Beng, Dick and Tom also can make car lol ……
Not only limited to these 3 models, but look at below link: -
http://www.proton.com/about_proton/facts_figures/research_development.php
Proton as claimed in it website is “FACTâ€, the R & D activities comprise Cars, Bikes, Engines, Military, Boats, Planes and Buses as well as platform for other industries like electrical/electronic, safety, materials, energy and mechatronic? With “peanut†sum of money Proton can do so many R & D activities in so diverse industries? Must be another big joking? So, from many feedback even in your blog, many of Proton car are in fact is thru “copy and pasteâ€, rebadge, restyling, cosmetic uplift, etc, etc, Perhaps for Satria Neo is a “major cosmetic changeâ€? For me never complain if the quality is there, what to bother whether copy or original! My opinion also they do a good job by “Proton standard†but consider “decent†by world class standard.
Paul – “to make it simple, you could say R&D research is the “R†in the word “R&Dâ€, and the other 3 rows listed there are the “Dâ€. this would mean a total of RM3.3 billion in product development over the period you observed.â€
So by your assumption RM 3.3 billion is R & D cost and all dump into and become Satria Chassis alone (excluding other model like Gen-2 or Savvy or other R & D cost incur for component produced by Proton it self – excluding vendors).
The forecast car sales are 31,500 unit a year. Say the shelf life cycle of Satria Neo is 5 year. Total sales are 157,500. Assume there is no platform sharing (unless future announcement by Proton to do so), the R & D cost per unit is 3.3 Billion / 157,500 = approx. RM 21 K per unit. So, we observed the lowest selling price for the 1.3 is RM 43,500 (higher end is due to better specs). So R & D cost is approximately 48% of selling price? So it is definitely ridiculous the R & D comprise almost half of the selling price? For Proton definitely they are not worry because has big brother NAP to protect them mah ……. Any shortcoming, then can suck more money from rakyat to cover the big hole!
So to be realistic, the sales have to achieve at least 100,000 unit per year in order to make it commercially viable! Or share this chassis for other future models! Can Proton do it? Sales are the most important KPI? No sale no talk? How about the actual sale is below forecast like Savvy, with sales approximately 1,000 per month? Ask my opinion, I believe Satria Neo can do better than Savvy but definitely won’t be able to beat MyVi which have few thousand pre launch booking!
June 17, 2006 @ 12:34 pm
No, I am not assuming RM3.3 billion is for the Satria Neo’s chassis. They have many other products coming down the line. Unless we work in Proton product development, we won’t know how much is spent on what. Proton has already stated the Satria Neo took RM500 million to develop.
The Neo’s chassis can still be used for other things like a Putra replacement or even an Iswara replacement chassis.
As for how Proton is going to cover costs… first of all your formula is flawed because the Neo did not take 3.3 billion to develop. And if I knew exactly how to do that, I would be sitting somewhere one level below Syed Zainal himself and drawing a very nice salary wouldn’t I?
June 17, 2006 @ 12:58 pm
Looks like Proton finally churned out a decent car! Gotta say i really like the design of this car, hope the quality of materials has improved. I think that the advertisement is nice too, though I wonder why they chose to put “Melakar Inspirasi” after all those english in the earlier part, seems half-hearted. Anyway, Proton did a good show, now I believe that it will improve.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:09 pm
Paul no pic of other Satria Neo. Satria Neo Desire, Satria Neo R3, and Satria Neo Symphony?. I heard the cars is very nice.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:10 pm
Well, just now i’ve gone to proton showroom.. Personally I don’t like the interior for reason it’s too empty at the middle, above the cd player it’s like something is design to put over there but didn’t assemble it. The Air Vend Hole area plastic is too plasticky feeling, I don’t really like it. Then about the 1.3 Series, I don’t like the doorknob, I’m more favourable over the 1.6 model doorknob. Please take note that the doorknob of both model is different. Other than these complaint at the moment, this car is impressed me. Well built actually, kodus to Proton Mgmt, hopefully more nice sedan with nice price is going to launch for Malaysian who have family.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:14 pm
About the quality, i’d say well done. Go test it, it’s really nice welding and the problem with gen2 door closing doesn’t exist in this model anymore, the door is easily close, not bad i must say
The only thing left to concern is how the pickup, how the engine works, that’d after test drive only know, at the moment, they don’t have any test drive available.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
Oh ya, any previous Gen2 Owner here? How’s the f/c of gen2? I think most likely it’s going to be the same for this model.
June 17, 2006 @ 1:34 pm
wahhh….so many posting already…..well,good move and good luck P1,hope everything will success and back to track…well done…;-)
June 17, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
one theory… perhaps they plan to utilise the space above the radio in a future variant… OR… perhaps they originally intended to use an audio system similar to the GEN.2’s…
why did they use the Waja’s side mirrors and not the GEN.2’s? anyone noticed? hehehe…
June 17, 2006 @ 2:06 pm
The R3 concept is out !!! seriously a very good looking….engine? dunno….
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=279226&st=2040&p=7484479&#entry7484479
June 17, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
Went to the showroom just now… steady,solid, well built, but unfortunately this car is meant for 2 person only… back seat is terribly cramp.. for two 4 year old kids bole lah…. see if it can help P1 to recapture no.1 market, for 2 passengers car?.. haha.. i dunno think so, those who plans to buy smartfor2, can buy neo… wrong investment poton… told ya..
ps: Cant blame MD SZ, this is not his project, but ah beng TM and friends..
June 17, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
hmm…i like da look of it from behind..huhu
da front part not too stylo~~
June 17, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
rosdi said,
June 17, 2006 @ 9:06 am
daffy said
> while 46,500 can get a MyVI with all safety features….
Airbag is just one of the factor that contributes to car safety. Airbag is meaningless if the body crumbless like aluminium can upon impact. How tahan is myvii’s body?
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hell yeeah~! :p
I have seen myvii’s photo that crumble like milo can after accident, not sure how hard the impact was though. But I am sure I wont want to be in that car.
Dont get me wrong, all I am saying is if u are into safety, look at ncap rating if possible (if any), dont too quick to make judgement.
June 17, 2006 @ 3:10 pm
For those of u who like p1 so much and seemed annoyed whenever we bashed p1, go and get yrself a unit now. As for me, thanks but no thanks. 2 doors? goodluck p1.
June 17, 2006 @ 3:25 pm
paul! Guys check this out