New Proton Saga Launch and Test Drive Report
This is probably the most anticipated car in the history that I have had this blog running, the car that will mark the retirement of the old Proton Saga and mark the beginning of a new saga in the history of Proton. It is what both we and Proton call “the People’s Car”.
It is the car that signifies Proton is going back to the basics and fulfilling its responsibility as the national car manufacturer to actually produce national cars that the majority of the people actually need - a cheap, economical run-about car with a sedan bodystyle.
That car is the new second generation 2008 Proton Saga, known to us for the past few months as the Proton BLM.
As most of you should know by now, the new Proton Saga was engineered from the Proton Savvy’s platform, by a team that was led by Proton engineers together with external consultants, including LG CNS. It was developed in a record period of 17 months from the design freeze stage to the SOP stage. It was designed to be a simple, affordable and practical entry level sedan. You could call it the people’s car if you wish, something the original Volkswagen Beetle was a long time ago.
Proton decided to do away with any attempts at making this car “different”, from the beginning it was decided that its design was to be smart and simple. The front features a hexagonal mesh front grille, swept-back headlamps, and prominent lower air intakes on the bumper, while the rear of the car features wraparound crystal cluster lights and a concave boot lid. From the side you can see prominent wheel arches, which give the car a sportier look.
Thankfully, there are no design quirkiness to be seen, and the car lacks the typical hatch turned sedan awkward look that the Suzuki Swift Sedan and the Nissan Latio have.
For a small sedan like the Saga, what many will be looking at is how much interior space it has. So let’s have a look at how the new Proton fares in that area.
The new Proton Saga is bigger than its predecessor in pretty much every way possible. You’ll probably be able to guess what cars Competitor M and Competitor V are. Numbers are good, but they remain just figures on a piece of paper until you actually try getting into the car.
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Here we have regular PAULTAN.ORG contributor Shannon Teoh in the rear seat of the car. You can see clearly the legroom and headroom available to the rear passenger - surprisingly good! The only concern would be the width of the car, it is narrower but acceptable given that this is a small B-segment sedan.
Either 2 adults or 3 children will sit comfortably in the rear bench, and there are seatbelts for 3 people, so if the government enforces the rear seatbelt rule anytime soon, the Proton Saga will be ready for it.
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Interior conveniences include two cupholders in the front, one cupholder in the rear, an open storage compartment where the passenger airbag would be expected to be, a glove compartment, two rear bottle holders, door pockets on each door, seatback pockets, a 1-DIN storage area below the 1-DIN CD player, and finally a little compartment just below the steering wheel column.
The Proton Saga has a standard car power outlet socket positioned at a 90 degree horizontal angle just below the air conditioning controls. This might cause a problem with some of the longer devices that you might want to insert into the socket, like mobile phone chargers and etc, as it might get into the way of the gear lever. If you have drinks in the front cupholders, these might obstruct the power outlet as well.
The air conditioning controls themselves (click image on the left to enlarge) are very simple and intuitively designed. This is an improvement over the Proton Persona’s air conditioning controls where the temperature dial was somewhat confusing. Previously readers who have seen the dials have said they look like they were recycled from the old Mitsubishi-generation Protons, but these are new stepped dials. I’m not sure what the proper term is, but it means that when you twist the dial, you feel feedback from the dials, they “click” from setting to setting, while the old dials in the Saga/Iswara/Satria/Wira were stepless, you just twisted them around and they don’t give any feedback as to whether you’ve actually achieved anything or not.
The only stepless dial is the one where you control whether the air conditioning system recirculates the air or takes in fresh air from outside. This has been made into a dial instead of a button of sorts because the control actually requires the action of you twisting the knob to close the external air intake vent - basically its a manual system.
The air conditioning vents integrate angle and open/close functions in a single action, much like the ones on the Satria Neo. The dashboard plastics do not fall into the soft touch category, but Proton has added texture so that they do not look or feel cheap, and I appreciate that thought. I do not really have a problem with the plastics. The stepped dials and switches do not have a cheap feel to them, and all of them provide feedback as to whether you’ve actually pressed them, which is an improvement over the Persona’s feedbackless dashboard buttons.
The switches, knobs and dials are all placed in intuitive positions. My only issue with the interior is not something major. It’s just that Proton does not seem to have a standard Human Interface Design template for their interiors. A little button with a dot on it activates the central locking system in the Proton Persona, but the same button in the Saga is used to deactivate the alarm system! The same design, but different meanings in different cars. This will have to change in the next generation of cars.
Audio is provided by a single CD Clarion head unit, and either 2 speakers for the N-Line and B-Line, or 4 speakers for the M-Line. The silver head unit lights up with red backlighting, matching the rest of the car.
I wish Proton has specified to Clarion that the volume knob be on the right side of the head unit instead of on the left, as this is a right hand drive market. If you notice, the Clarion 2-DIN head unit used in the Mitsubishi-generation Protons and the Waja had the volume knob on the right. Nevertheless, the audio output through the speakers was rather decent, but being a 1-DIN unit there will be many who will swap everything out for their own custom ICE setup.
I am not completely sure, but I reckon that if you take out the 1-DIN storage compartment module from below the 1-DIN head unit, you’ll probably be able to install a 2-DIN unit.
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The picture above shows how the front passenger area of the Proton Saga would typically be looking like. The passenger’s legs are in the photo to let you judge the interior width of the car better. The driving position for both the manual and automatic versions were decent without issues.
For the manual version, the clutch pedal was adequately spaced away from the brake and accelerator pedals, unlike some previous Protons. The automatic shifter uses the P-R-N-D-3-2-L shift pattern - no shiftronic-like features here.
The manual shifter is really something I’ve never seen before! The shift lever is so tall and the shift throw is rather long. The high position of the shift knob shortens the distance your hand has to travel from steering wheel to shifter, so many it was intentional. The lever’s free play both in neutral and in gear was also quite noticable, and it all reminded me of a pickup truck’s manual shift lever, although the lever did not vibrate like how a pick up truck’s normally would. Shifts felt rubbery and disconnected, not very fun but nevertheless it gets the job done.
Clutch engagement and disengagement for the manual transmission happens quite far into the clutch release. It should be quite safe if you accidentally shift without pressing the clutch pedal to the very deepest, as somewhere past mid point the clutch would have already fully disengaged.
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On to the new Proton Saga’s best kept secret. The new 1.3 liter Campro IAFM engine. Let’s get to the low down on whats changed since the last iteration of the Campro 1.3 found in the Proton Satria Neo. Firstly, the manual gearbox that comes with this engine is now sourced from Aichi Kikai instead of Mitsubishi, which Proton engineers say allows them greater flexibility in specifying gear ratios, something that Mitsubishi did not provide.
Next, the engine has an Integrated Air Fuel Module which integrates a variable length intake manifold system. I will not go into lengths explaining what a variable length intake manifold system is since I have already done that before (click here to read).
The electrical system has also been updated. Ignition now uses coil-on-plug ignition, which eliminates spark plug cables from the ignition system. This eliminates some power losses caused by spark plug cables. The starter is now of a smaller physical size, but has a bigger capacity. If you listen to how this Campro IAFM 1.3 engine starts compared to the Campro 1.3 in the Satria Neo, you can hear the difference. Think of how the Perdana V6 sounds like when it starts.
The Campro IAFM engine keeps the Campro 1.3’s 94 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 120Nm of torque at 4,000rpm figures, with changes only to the way the power and torque is delivered instead of any change in the peak power and torque. Proton’s dyno tests of the new Campro IAFM engine reveals power ratings of up to 98 horsepower is achievable, but Proton prefers to publish the power figures in brochures at 94 horses for some reason, perhaps for consistency sake as not all engines may be able to achieve the 98 horses figure.
As you can see from the scanned dyno chart comparison above, the original Campro 1.3 was making slightly more than its 120Nm rated torque at peaks, but there are some serious dips in torque in the low to mid rev ranges. The new Campro 1.3 with the IAFM module has a very different torque curve. Its peak torque is lower, but still achieves the 120Nm target. There is also more torque between 2,800rpm and 4,000rpm.
I am happy to report that with my brief Proton Saga review test drive around Cyberjaya there is no annoying torque dip with the new Campro engine now, but nevertheless it still did not feel particularly torquey at low to medium revs. One would expect a VIM system to provide stronger than usual low end torque, but I guess in this case the VIM only manages to fix the Campro’s naturally bad torque curve.
Throttle response still leaves a little to be wanting - the engine is slightly slow to come on and slow to taper off when responding to throttle movements - nothing dangerous but it can be noticed. The laggy throttle response is why you sometimes have a little throttle blip when you shift gears on the Campro, whats happening is the throttle still continues to be open when you’ve lifted your foot off the accelerator pedal and disengaged the clutch, so the result is a little blip.
Proton quotes expected fuel economy for the manual model to be 6 liters per 100km, and 6.3 liters per 100km for the automatic model, at a constant speed of 90km/h.
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Ride and handling is not the typical feel you would expect from a Proton. While the Persona has very decent handling for a 4 door family sedan, the ride comfort for this new second generation Proton Saga is good, but unfortunately the body roll angle is rather significant! However, the roll rate is at an acceptable rate so the roll is not overly uncomfortable during normal driving. Go abit aggressive and the rear passengers can be thrown about. What makes it worse is the lack of any rear assist grips to hold on to, even though it looks like there are mounting points for the grips!
The seats are your average baseline sedan seats - only the Nissan Latio excels in this area with their oversized seats. We did not drive very far so at the moment we can’t really tell if they are comfortable during long journeys or not. The rear bench does not do the whole split-fold-down thing, so this will be a concern for those who want to carry long things often, that require the sedan’s boot length to be extended to within the cabin.
The rear windows do not go down fully. I discovered this when I got into the back seat of the Saga so I could stick my head and camera out and take moving shots of the car while we were on our test laps around Putrajaya. The window only came down about two thirds of the way - there was no way I could stuff my head out that.
The new Proton Saga uses a MacPherson strut suspension at the front, and a torsion beam suspension at the rear. These suspension bits were based off the Savvy but tweaked to suit the new car. The front has a lower spring rate, while the rear has a higher spring rate to compensate for the heavier boot. There is a front stabilier bar directly connected to the damper body instead of the lower control arm.
Tyres are 13 inch steel wheels wrapped with 175/70R13 tyres for the N-Line and B-Line models, and 14 inch alloys wrapped with 185/60R14 tyres for the M-Line model. Brakes are 13 inch ventilated discs at the front, and 7 inch drums at the rear. The M-Line has a single driver’s airbag, but none of the line-up has ABS brakes. The boot is a decent 413 liters and comes with a full sized steel spare tyre.
Fitting its purpose as a family car, the new Saga comes with child lock functions for the rear doors. All models also have central locking, but the N-Line does not have an alarm or remote activation of the central locking.
Click to enlarge and view specifications list for each model
I think the new Proton Saga is a great little family car, with an amazingly adequate interior space that can fit 4 people comfortably, or 5 people if you must. There are a little issues here and there that make me unhappy, for example the central locking knobs are very hard knobs with a small diameter. The small diameter hurts your finger when you press it down to lock the door.
But I can live with all of this, and most people would not even notice the small little details I’ve pointed out in this article.
The car drives well and handles like a Savvy with a softer suspension, the Campro’s annoying torque dip is gone, the interior is decent with good legroom and headroom, and a 1.3 liter engine should prove to be fuel economical. People, this is your car!
The only thing that worries me is that Proton’s assembly line still seems to be a hit or miss affair, I have a friend with a perfect Proton Satria Neo, while some others find that they’ve mistakenly purchased moving aquariums with failing power windows. I hope Proton will continue to improve on their QC efforts.
The aftermarket industry should quickly look into designing sportier springs, anti-roll bars, and a short shifter for this car, as I believe these will really be in demand for those who wish for a more engaging drive from their economical buy.
Proton Saga N-Line Manual - RM31,500
Proton Saga B-Line Manual - RM34,998
Proton Saga B-Line Auto - RM37,998
Proton Saga M-Line Manual - RM37,498
Proton Saga M-Line Auto - RM39,998
It is available in 7 colours - Metallic Black, Granite Grey, Solid White, Genetic Silver, Chili Red, Mountain Blue, and Zircon Green.
Please post any questions in the comments if you want to know more about the car. I will try my best to answer with whatever I remember of the car from the short media test drive we had on Monday.
Please enjoy the following additional photos:
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Manual transmission meter panel - Click to enlarge
Automatic transmission meter panel - Click to enlarge
Automatic transmission meter panel - Click to enlarge
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Chili Red
Chili Red
Metallic Black
B-Line Genetic Silver, with N-Line Solid White in background
Mountain Blue
N-Line Solid White
Zircon Green
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January 18, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
FIRST!!!
Would love to test drive it someday. Might be my very first car!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
w0w..very cute car
January 18, 2008 @ 5:36 pm
GOOD
January 18, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
Third!!!..hehe….cool~~
January 18, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
not a bad looker
January 18, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
Looll..Forgot to sign in 1st…If Not i’ll b da 1st to comment..Huhu
Bravo Proton..
‘Proton Basher’..Any words ?
January 18, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
cool…just saw the launching at TV1 just now…am going to have a look tonight at the nearet showroom…
January 18, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
good job proton!!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
well done, Proton!!!
will consider to buy one after real view of it.
January 18, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
I bought one.!!!!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
fourth..damn..
January 18, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
Did you ask whether the new IAFM cant be fitted to the current campro thts already out there on the streets?
January 18, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
WAH
Very NICE CAR !
Interior is cool too !
Unfortunately, only the most expensive variant has the front fog lamps, seat height adjuster, reverse sensor, and electric door mirror and alloy rims
HAI… disappointed
January 18, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
good….
but i hate body roll….
but no car is perfect…
January 18, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
at last… on 18th january 2008..
congratulation.. 2morow gonna see it with myy own eye at mutiara damansara..
January 18, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
Let keep finger cross
January 18, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
very long gear stick..how about the seat..suitable for long journey?
January 18, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
My First Impression WOW!!!! Will make a point to Proton Edar Showroom Tonite - My wife already planning her new set of wheels. May this is it
Another WOW!!! From me…. or rather US
January 18, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
stylishhhh! fu yohh!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
Looks good! Might be interested in getting this car!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
I like d meter cluster…
January 18, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
Thanks paul, since I live far from the city, your blog cover some of my question without any need to go to the showroom. Perhaps some of the question best answered in the showroom itself. Anyway this is a great blog and I never fail to read anything you post here especially if I’m looking for a new car.
January 18, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
Damn… i have to say that this is a damn good car… this is real economical family car… and it look so good… look like proton have make us proud at last… bravo proton!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
nice…the standard of ‘our’ car is getting better…..well done !
January 18, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
wahh.. i must hand it to you Paul. published on 5.30pm on the dot! impress.. impress..
actually, im currently at Proton COE showroom rite now. as i mentioned in other threat, a family member already made bookings for this baby.
wow, it’s definitely worth it! it looks waaaayyy better in real. every body was ‘ohh and ahhh’ing.. very funny if you tell me. since im only there as an observer, more than once strangers come up to me and ask my opinion on the colors, features etc (perhaps thinking ill be impartial or they jz need a 3rd opinion, but i think their minds are rather set on buying). you’ll be surprised how solid color can also look so good. i personally like the granite grey one, kinda sleek looking
im not in liberty to buy another sedan, im saving my pretty pennies for my future sports car. but then i can tell you straight up its hard to keep your cool looking at those babies. to future SAGA owners, congratulations. hope sumbody would give me a ride soon!
January 18, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
Atleast it has decent looks and not something which is bold and out of ordinary. Perhaps this is really what the people really want.
The dials still look like they were from an old wira. To save costs, there must be some ingenuity.
Paul, what about the issue of quality? Are gonna get what we paid for? Or much lesser? Kindly enlighten us.
Word of caution to buyers. Proton still needs time to sort out their issues. People who rush to buy it will be proton’s guinea pig. Don’t say u are not warned though it is very tempting.
January 18, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Goddammit! This car is freakin UGLY… hehehe… NOT~
Seriously… from the first look, it’s not bad at all! It’s very possitive. The interior looks good. They are playing safe eh. hehe… Anyway, with this pricing, “car V” and “car M” will be having a tough time. lol~
January 18, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
u r great Proton….Excellent..
January 18, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
twelfth!!hahahaha
January 18, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
great car man! i like the price.
January 18, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
X L N,
paul ,
is it not too overly exegerated if i say,
its a bit of french car ride quality, (comfort tuned)
January 18, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
The part that shocked me was about the handling. But I assume it is still better than iswara right?
January 18, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Paul it will be great if you can do comparisons between this New Saga and the old one. Like in pick up feel, comfort, interior is narrower than the old saga? thos kind of stuff.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Too late to book now… the waiting list already very very long
January 18, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
looks good. surprisingly good for a car with such dimentions.
It’s easy to imagine similar design cues on future proton models such as the perdana replacement or MPV.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:08 pm
Kudos to Paul Tan for his kind report and congratulation to Proton for the resurrection of its new Saga…at last.
So ladies and gentlemen, the car is already there. I am looking forward to your feedbacks, compliments, grouses, complaints and everything about the car. It’s all yours now. Let the party begins !!
January 18, 2008 @ 6:08 pm
nice headlight….
January 18, 2008 @ 6:08 pm
with the pricing… can’t complain much dee…
the exterior looks nice… very nice indeed… interior..have to see it in person to feel it it’s cheap or not… although paul did mention on something being done on the surface…
all in all, for the first time, we can classify this car as cheap and probably good?
hehe
January 18, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
a very very good looking car seriously…decent stylish base line model i ever seen…good expansion job from savvy platform…p1 doing great job then those jap…no awkward look in this car…simple interior design but i bet it will functional well…i like those meter panel…a spacious car from what i see…good job…i think theres more to come from this new saga…high line is not introduce yet..i think the high line wait for its own campro cps+VIM to be fitted on it…mayb it will come with more feature on its interior plus some R3 bodykit…hahaha good job p1 g luck BLM…gonna see it personally at showroom ASAP
January 18, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
freeze said,
January 18, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Paul it will be great if you can do comparisons between this New Saga and the old one. Like in pick up feel, comfort, interior is narrower than the old saga? thos kind of stuff.
————————–
table given up there.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
Cool exterior design, same thing I can’t say for interior. P2 Viva will never selling well after this as it used to be. My opinion.
BTW manual stick quite fugly. I’m no P1 basher please, mere sincere comment from a citizen.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
The overall design is very nice, waaayyy better than the Logan. By the way, how is the all round drivers view?, seems the front pillar is abit wide and obstructing. Any plan for a track day event Paul? Love to see what this baby can really do. Recaro seats, anyone?
January 18, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
wow.. good job proton!! a good product really! and superb pricing. for the first time in history, the rakyat do not feel cheated by a glc ! congrats proton..
i would like to offer myself to represent perodua to announce the stopping production of perodua viva… hahahahaha…
January 18, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
going to see it tonite.my wife says is quite interested.may be buying.if only i can sell her jeep 1st.
headache…
January 18, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
over all looks good
January 18, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
over all look tidy finising.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:32 pm
oh yeah…………the new saga really look cool
drebar , i agree wat u say,stop to produce viva …………wakaka
P2 viva ,a loser of proon saga ……….
i cant wait to see the the new perdana will be wat look,
but i think it will very very very cool……….
January 18, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
at last!! the moment of truth!!
hooray!! my baby is out!!!
gonna enjoy driving it!!
thnks a lot paul for this great masterpiece of urs!!
bravo Proton!!!
January 18, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
=) GREAT suprise…. i like it…. looks simple yet stylish… improvements in its performance… Good job Proton…
January 18, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
how it would ‘taste’ oh if u put 15/16 inch sport rim, apexi safc? hehehe.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
so…
January 18, 2008 @ 6:43 pm
really great style IMO..
i really like the front..
but still a cool car and my desire to buy Car M has vanished and SAGA come into my mind..
considering the long Q for booking, I will wait for the high line.. maybe they insert the campro CPS but will it fit..
just wait and see..
January 18, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
perodua will have less sales…..
January 18, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
brilliant dashboard texture, really dampen the reflectivity,
January 18, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
bl4ck said,
January 18, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
how it would ‘taste’ oh if u put 15/16 inch sport rim, apexi safc? hehehe.
______________________
will taste slightly like this, huhu!: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2187349626_47677fac06_o.jpg
January 18, 2008 @ 6:56 pm
What I like: the look from behind, boot space, cup holder at the back door.
What I don’t like: only the high line got the small compartment behind the driver and passenger seat (other only have behind passenger seat, I wonder why).
crash test only got 3 star. I expect it will got 4.
still hard to see the behind when reverse.
quality no better than viva.
conclusion: never regret I got a myvi.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:58 pm
arghhh showroom is crowded… will come back tomorrow to look for this car.
saw the launch via internet streaming @ office.. it look nice, let see tomorrow if it feel better.
January 18, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
and BTW paul tan, bravo and well done for the coverage
January 18, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
well done proton!
proton had been doin their homework nicely!
well, for an econo-car like dis, we dont expect much detailing like button feel, touch and so on. its pretty decent. hope tat r3 division will sort out the throttle issues as well as the suspension issue. i’m sure dis car will look gempak wit nice r3 aerokit! havent seen the car tho..
anyway.. its really good to c the road flooded(hopefully soon) with a car like dis! proper safety, decent economy, etc… goodluck with ur future models!
January 18, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
wow… this car seems strong and i doubt the competition from myvi le… its good to know tat proton finally comes out with “the people’s car”… nice brilliant move!
January 18, 2008 @ 7:06 pm
not really sure bout this….just wait n see ar…..
persona being a hot babies just for one month…after that?…
see that?….and think by yourself la
January 18, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
mmm.. from motortrader review, the 1.3L campro IAFM has 98hp and 113.2Nm which contradict to your review. now im not sure which one is the corrent engine spec. care to expain us, paul??
January 18, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
bole la…quite impressing for our national car maker
January 18, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
sure sell like hot cake…maybe it will set the highest sales record…n hold it for
a very long time…b4 other car makers able to beat it..well done to the
engineers..a job done well…
January 18, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
just back from launching at KLCC.
THIS CAR ROCKS!
about 7 cars of different specs were shown.
IMO white color suits me
plastics feel good
the drag coefficient, Cd, same as savvy
galvanised steel is used
frankly speaking, Viva is just an overpriced car!
apart from “makan2″, we managed to get know
that a 7-seater mpv will come insyaAllah.
for those who wish to have a sporty look saga,
u can fit 17inch OZ rim, leather seat,
smoked headlamp, side skirts,
scaled-down evo spoiler at the back.
it’s not my idea, but was shown there by RED
(a department sort of), in eye catching red chinese color,
with black colored roof.
who want their VW if we can have our own VW ?(Volks=people, Wagon=car)
Viel Glück Proton!
January 18, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
a good looking car imo. interior looks modern. with enhance engine. i expect built quality to improve or potong zaka this proton saga
January 18, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
Seen the car this afternoon, it was rather stylish and elegant. Now lets hope the quality of the car won’t dissapoint us!!!
January 18, 2008 @ 7:37 pm
with lotus, i hope that r3/RED or wateva division will make a sporty variant of saga and savvy that benchmark the legendary peugeot 205gti or the original mk1 golf gti for its purity in handling. juz dream..
January 18, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
cant wait to see the look on my fren’s face…. sure she is regreting for buying myvi now n cant wait to show of to other teachers in school who bought viva
sure lepas ni…’viva gone forever’!!!
hahahah
January 18, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
hmmmm not bad le the looks and everything… But Paul, to you, Persona or the new Saga is better? ride comfort built quality and etc….?
January 18, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
Paul Tan boleh!!! Thanks anyway.
January 18, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
Finally some commendable efforts from Proton.. Hope they’ll keep it up..
Even tho I ain’t in the market for a new car, I’ll still be goin for a lookie at the dealership to see how good this new “people’s car” really is…
Thx Paul for the quick coverage! Great write-up as always!
January 18, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
The front part looks like Fiat Panda, cool…
January 18, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
hahaaaa..mari mari..all of us buy one, then we can create new proton saga car club..can make alot of money tooo..hahah mari mari mari!!!
January 18, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
congratz proton.. finally u’ve made it.. can’t wait to test drive this car
January 18, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
Paul your blog is on the news!!! Here’s the link…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82f8O2u-lRo&feature=related
January 18, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
gosh.. this blog is like a chatroom! i got hooked and had been following ever since day one i browse it.. me newbie but feels like family liao! lol .. am loving this new saga baby alredi! if got saga club can me and my old babe megavalve saga join arrrr
January 18, 2008 @ 8:15 pm
Clean design…but not a big WOWW it’s just a normal car, not excited, not bother to look it, but congrats Proton for your new products.
January 18, 2008 @ 8:24 pm
I’ll wait and see whose power windows will fail this time… my bro’s 2007 Gen2 failed twice last year and now it is starting to fail again. Bah, back to Proton again.
While replacement is free for 3 years, it is the time wasted to get it replaced at the service centre.
January 18, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
Saga R3 anyone?
January 18, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
Thumb up for P1
good job
January 18, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
After 22 years, at last, the old Saga can rest in peace.
At one glance, non-motoring enthisuast will find it hard to believe this SAGA was based from Savvy, unless you put them side-by-side.
No airbag/s is not really an issue for me..at least I have the option to put a 4-spoke Momo later on. And, hey, even the base model got power steering & central lock!
Paul,
From your review you wrote the shift pattern is P-R-N-D-2-L, but from the pic it looks like it is P-R-N-D-3-2-L.
January 18, 2008 @ 8:46 pm
the long stick shifter does look rather odd….let’s hope it can withstand prolonged use and the moment exerted on it.
January 18, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
Already see this car in the showroom, well looks much better than in the pictures and overall it’s a nice looking sedan and simple, any way not planning to buy a new car so soon….don’t mind buying this one in future…
January 18, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Paul:
How would you rate this car overall on a scale of say 1-10,
1 being a pile of rubbish to 10 drives like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia?
January 18, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
i just got back from the showroom, the car is so niceeeee. harap2 loan cepat approve. so slowla bank nih!! im petite. but i dont feel small sitting in the driver seat. i used to cuak, kot2 the car might be too big for me like my father’s iswara. unfortunately dia takde tray under the seat like the perodua. and it has big boots
the seat is comfortable, not like the gen 2. tp td tengok getah kat tepi boot dia tuh dah tercabut. org2 yg gi tgk showroom tuh ganas2 betullll. nway, i still like the car 
my first ever car 
January 18, 2008 @ 9:03 pm
mmmm, nice… Audi A4 front facelift + Merc C class tail lights… Good job Proton…
January 18, 2008 @ 9:10 pm
i sometimes drive my work car, a Land Cruiser 70 pickup with a gearstick as long as the saga and it feels lazy and imprecise compared to my daily transport, a manual AE101corolla. one of the reasons ppl buy a small manual is for the sweet and tacticle gearchange feel when you shift. from this review, it seems that this car is underdeveloped, although the interior is the best i’ve seen from a proton- and you can’t really argue with performance with this money. oh and the N-line version looks like a commercial vehicle- wheels too small
January 18, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
Long gearstick is the norm nowdays, a common feature in race/track cars. An ergonomic feature for our hand to shift from steering wheel to gearstick in shorter time. Short gear stick is a thing past just like found in Savvy MT. Paddle shifters totally eliminates the need to take our hands off the steering. 2 hands on steering wheel is important for us to have total control on our car during race.
January 18, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
Just came back from proton showroom. Too bad that I’ve bought the merdeka saga 6 months ago. This new saga is such a nice looking car. What I like most about this car are the steering which is like the one in satria neo (without the buttons), the overall exterior design and the taillights, which is very nice looking too. But, what I don’t like about this car is the plastic looking handbrake, and for me the old saga’s handbrake looks better though. Otherwise, this is such a very desirable car for that price tag.
(um after all registered to this site just to compliment the new saga…)
January 18, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
No bad ar…
But have to see the Real SAGA 1st
January 18, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
hi all, me a newbie, hooked on paultan’s blog ever since first time saw it, this place is even faster than a chatroom, really freaking awesome lolz.. am loving the new saga baby alredi! if got saga club can me and my old babe megavalve saga join arrrr.. til i upgrade to new gen saga!
hmmm.. wonder why is BigFish now… hehe
January 18, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
Congratulation and thanks Paul Tan for the good review of the new Proton Saga. Congratulation to Proton and all the best in future and come out even more exciting and better products.
Well, I haven’t go to showroom as there were so many people at two of the Proton showrooms which I passed by after work. Tomorrow sure will go to see the Saga. For now, I kinda dislike the long manual gear shifter.
Paul, may I know what is the drag coefficient (cd) of this Saga and do you have any crash test photos for this Saga or you can just stated its rating. Thanks a lot.
The People’s car Award 2008 and People Car Choice Award 2008 goes to Proton Saga!! hahaha…. just to hit up the party!!
Happy Motoring.
January 18, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
As usual, so many congratulatory and patriotic statements. .Not least the Proton salesman talk this good and that good ……
January 18, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
i cannot resist this car but cannot afford to buy a new car….how?pity me..uhuhuhe
January 18, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
I really wish to personally congratulate Proton, especially Mr. Syed Zainal Abidin. They’ve done such a wonderful job bringing Proton back in the black!
I think this will sell better than their own Persona, in terms of price.
The one thing that I am most happy for Proton is the design, NO MORE SH*TTY SAVVY DESIGN!!! Everything looks so stylish now, including the nice interior, which is a step up from the previous cars, even the Persona’s remake seem to look bad next to the new Saga’s!
Welcome back Saga, and more importantly, Proton.
January 18, 2008 @ 9:48 pm
cant wait to see Proton’s MPV… should be better than this… not in the market for sedan
January 18, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
The best comments i’ve seen on proton cars in decades!!!
Great job Proton. Hope to have lots of new models after this
.
Gonna photoshop bodykit renderings after this .
January 18, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Thank to PT for good write up which is very informative but not exhaustive.
——–
“Please post any questions in the comments if you want to know more about the car.”
———
I visited the Proton showroom opposite IOI Mall. And there are two new Saga on display, come with black and white.
Paul, hope you can answer this question: -
1. Conventional design have 2 piece window, old Saga, first Kancil, Mercs S class, Waja, Persona, or any other car all have small triangle fix piece + windable rectangular piece.
2. From my “inspection” on rear window. I am in the opinion that the BIGGEST FLAW and BLUNT BIG MISTAKE for this car is the rear window come with one big single wind able rectangular piece.
3. I try to wind down manually for the white and black color. I managed to wind down all 4 windows but lower down approximately 2/3 of the opening only (so eliminated my doubt on faulty/malfunction window). Looking at the car and photo in your blog, side view, red color), the one big piece window extends to the top of handle. Logical explanation is this piece can wind down to up to top of tyre or bumper level only. Thus, the big piece is unable to fully wind down for full opening.
4. Asked the sales girl for explanation, she was “kelam-kabut” without any answer but just try to wind down the window. Ask another salesman, his answer is “biasalah”, “oh yah, this window design to open 2/3 simply because survey show people tend not to fully open the window and to prevent children from coming out.” For me, no answer from the salesgirl is better than the salesman “freak talk”.
5. The above is not as what defender described as “ad honimem” argument, but through proper observation and hand on to check it. Anyone go to showroom can do it themselves to satisfy that what I said is factually correct.
6. I don’t think it is part of child lock system - “Fitting its purpose as a family car, the new Proton Saga comes with child lock functions for the rear doors”.
Care to explain, not only from Paul, but anyone, be it Proton engineer, defender, bashers, etc. Care to share the information.
Thank you in advance for any objective explanation.
Paul says: hey, thank you very much for reminding me of this. i did notice this and even took a photo of it to blog, but somehow i forgot to insert it in the article. i have now added a photo and an extra paragraph regarding this.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
Wow… Nice job Proton! The front looks amazing! While the rear, on the other hand is OK, looks like Skoda… Overall I am impressed… Front looks very sporty, and looks like it has potential to be even sportier (we’ll definitely see modified versions of this car) and I already thought of one design in mu head the moment I saw this… Think EVO X and Golf GTi…
January 18, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
lots of ppl asking around when m in the show room…really like this model alots…luckily made advance booking early on for my mannual granite grey…avoided to long QQQ…one thing which not like on this baby will be the height ratio between the window & the door body…sort of weird when looking from far…can’t wait to test drive it…pls. share out comments once you all able to test drive…
January 18, 2008 @ 10:30 pm
One thing I noticed… Why is the center piece (between driver and passenger) so low? They raised the gear lever so high that it looks awkward… I mean, while reaching for the air-con knob, people are definitely gonna bump into the gear shifter…
January 18, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
Wow Big Fish… i’m at awe at your determination to find flaws & open up possibility for bashing sessions…
January 18, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
when will the NEW Saga come with a hatch back version?
next year?
January 18, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
Hi all, i was new here,
just back from the showroom, the car was very very nice, good job to proton this time, realy cant complaint it, but where can i see all the color of the new saga or the Moutain Blue & Chili Red, i like this two color, who know pls let me know, thanks
January 18, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
wahh, the rear view looks 95% like the previous gen C-class (which is a good thing). overall, i think it looks better than latio, city, or even vios! kudos to Proton!
January 18, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
Bravo… gonna see it tomorrow. The salesman SMS to me for today’s launch and refreshment for everyone, but I could not make it. Otherwise today makan free, ha ha ha.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
And oh..the black=chrome emblems Rare sick (great) i love ‘em. The’re gonna be like that for the other upcoming models.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
hi guys & gals…
went to the showroom to have a look at the Saga… a nice decent built car and quite roomy…
but thats not the point… i talked to a proton guy… i asked him about the waja CPS… he informed me that the new waja would be launched in april at the latest after proton launched the new perdana in march. and the new mpv would be in the middle of this year… wah… 4 model with-in this year alone… but sadly, according to him, the waja would cost more by a few thousand. beside the changes of the powertrain and interior, there would be some minor changes to the exterior also. hope this info is true and will excite us for the next few months… ciao
January 18, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
wow! impressive! thumbs up! Finally a major improvement!
January 18, 2008 @ 10:44 pm
Congratulation Proton, congratrulation Syed Zainal and Whole proton family. Now you produce people car. It look simple but very nice. I like it. Good for ladies as well
January 18, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Is it only the test unit or the car does not come with mud flaps? Or do all new cars come without it nowadays? Also notice there is no side signal? But ofcourse can see the front one from the side as well.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:48 pm
kingbrutal said,
January 18, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
hi guys & gals…
went to the showroom to have a look at the Saga… a nice decent built car and quite roomy…
but thats not the point… i talked to a proton guy… i asked him about the waja CPS… he informed me that the new waja would be launched in april at the latest after proton launched the new perdana in march.
===================================================
A new perdana? The mitsubishi 380? or a facelift?
January 18, 2008 @ 10:48 pm
BigFish said,
January 18, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
———————————————————-
wow, after considering the flaw that you pointed out, i think this car really suck now, cause the back window cant be winded down completely
…..
January 18, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
wow, for the segment it is in it kinda wins hands down in the looks and practicality section… BUT hope its QC bucks up… proton now designs nice looking cars but the moment of truth for them will be their QC which i bet my buck will suck again….
January 18, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
Wah, based on comparison with Car V and Car M, this new SAGA definately the best for money. Pity to those who already own V and M, ya. Not only that, the price is also cheaper.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
Why is V for Vendetta sitting in the rear seat? He looks so happy though.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
hi everyone
my first time here and hope that you can help me in choosing Myvi,persona and the new proton saga. my first priority is fuel economy and engine technology, then space and accessories.
thank you
January 18, 2008 @ 10:56 pm
And pity to those who own Old SAGA. Trade-in price is so cheap that better to keep rather than trade-in.
January 18, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
farghmee said,
January 18, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
just back from launching at KLCC.
THIS CAR ROCKS!
about 7 cars of different specs were shown.
IMO white color suits me
plastics feel good
the drag coefficient, Cd, same as savvy
galvanised steel is used
frankly speaking, Viva is just an overpriced car!
apart from “makan2″, we managed to get know
that a 7-seater mpv will come insyaAllah.
for those who wish to have a sporty look saga,
u can fit 17inch OZ rim, leather seat,
smoked headlamp, side skirts,
scaled-down evo spoiler at the back.
it’s not my idea, but was shown there by RED
(a department sort of), in eye catching red chinese color,
with black colored roof.
who want their VW if we can have our own VW ?(Volks=people, Wagon=car)
Viel Glück Proton!
ilmondo said,
January 18, 2008 @ 7:37 pm
with lotus, i hope that r3/RED or wateva division will make a sporty variant of saga and savvy that benchmark the legendary peugeot 205gti or the original mk1 golf gti for its purity in handling. juz dream..
Guys, was talking to the guys wearing the SAGA RED shirt at KLCC launch this evening, Actually the car is from Proton Styling department, PROTON l Design as you can see stated on the number plate, and the plastic plate by the c-pillar (not R3 or RED department as you think) . The car is actually a showcar to give an overview to customers how to modify their SAGA. and done by PROTON l Design designers. RED means Revolution Enhanced design, as you can see, the standard SAGA is Enhanced for the showcar..
January 18, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
ahh Big Fish I was trying so hard to comprehend ur question then I finally get it…the big piece of windows rests on top of the rear wheel arches when fully wind down..that’s what you mean.
I think my savvy rear windows can’t be fully wind down also..
Waja does not have a small triangle piece also..can the rear windows fully wind down..or the wheel base is long enough to accomodate the fully wind down windos.
Cost is the main factor..just adding a small window on the A-pillar like Honda City is could raise the cost…
and truly it’s a safe design for manual cranked window…there’s no other mean for you to raise up the windows if kids are at the rear seat.
January 18, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
hey, anyone took pics of that saga RED?? cant wait to see mod new gen saga on the roads
January 18, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
And pity to those who own Old SAGA. Trade-in price is so cheap that better to keep rather than trade-in.
—————————————————————-
There’s still demand for cars with carburettor engines..SO simple to mantain..no electronics, no ECU, No sensors to worry about.
January 18, 2008 @ 11:11 pm
cabin width is reasonable ,likely a wira width,
boost up seat good for legs,
of course stiffer suspension batter, but its suit the best and more rewarding for car with more powerful engine with big wheel and low profile tyre for higher limit of application and enjoyment, the GTI for instance,
or sportier tuned suspension is for 1.6 as its more capable, or for sportier hatch,
but for this 08 saga, if i were to own 1, ill keep this supple suspension for a joy of being comfort, keep its satndard wheel,
but like said, with 08 saga cheaper car, if got some spare duit to visit accesories shop,,
January 18, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
Hey just got back from the show rooms. Theres alot of space in the engine compartment. Wow. Its for turbo enthusiast i guess. Other areas are reasonably good. Overall looks is acceptable from front to back but then I feel the proton emblem is probably a little too big. anyways i would give a 7.5/10 ratings
January 18, 2008 @ 11:15 pm
will they fix the new improved fuel efficient engine on persona?
January 18, 2008 @ 11:19 pm
ENZO said,
January 18, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
when will the NEW Saga come with a hatch back version?
next year?
———–
Hacth back - Savvy lah dude …………
January 18, 2008 @ 11:19 pm
yup yup.. tat’s why i still love my old auto megavalve saga so much.. two decades old liao and still goin strong.. quite reliable car it is… easy and cheap to maintain..
January 18, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
I will be back to post few more questions about this car that I doubt likely have quality issues.
January 18, 2008 @ 11:24 pm
i’m just back from COE… what i can say is this car is much-much better from picture.. i like the black color rear view… like honda city.. what can i say is i don’t expect better than i thought… the interior is simple.. meter = cool.. front & rear looking is wow.. the back cupholder is good.. i think black color is most of choice.. car ‘V’ & car ‘M’ is on trouble right now… what can i say is “the Saga legendary is begin”…
January 18, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
a very good car in term of performance & price