The Australian name for the Proton Saga has been announced – Proton’s smallest sedan will be offered down under as the Proton S16. I assume this is supposed to stand for Saga 1.6, not sure what’s wrong with the Saga name. The S16 will go on sale from the 1st of November for under AU$13,000 with a manual transmission, but Australian dealers will get test drive units in October for anyone who is interested in the car.
Under the hood will be the Campro IAFM engine that powers the Persona here in Malaysia, producing 110 horsepower at 6,500rpm and 148Nm of torque. The car’s fuel consumption is rated at 6.3 litres per 100km on the ADR (Australian Design Rules) combined cycle.
This is unconfirmed but according to some Aussie news sites the Australian spec car is expected to have dual SRS airbags for the front driver and passenger, which means it’ll be one of the highest spec versions of the Saga available so far, as the top of the line Sage in Malaysia thus far has only been available with a driver airbag.
What’s even more interesting for Australian buyers is that the price tag could possibly go even lower with the introduction of a 1.3 litre Campro engine option, which will only be available from February 2010 onwards. It’s not sure if the 1.3 litre car will continue to be called the S16, or receive a more apt name like the S13.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
The comments highlight a mix of pride and frustration regarding Proton's export strategy with the S16 model in Australia. Many appreciate that Proton offers better specifications and lower pricing overseas, especially compared to local Malaysia models with higher taxes and lower features. There is criticism about Proton seemingly neglecting the Malaysian market by providing inferior specs at higher prices, citing safety concerns like airbags and safety features being insufficient for Malaysian consumers. Some comments express disappointment that Malaysians are treated like “lab rats,” receiving less developed products, while exports benefit from superior specs. There’s also a recurring theme about national pride, patriotism, and the belief that Proton should offer comparable quality and safety features domestically. Overall, sentiments reflect nationalistic pride mixed with dissatisfaction over perceived inequality and export-oriented prioritization.