Here we are again with the 2016 Proton Saga, a model that Proton’s deputy CEO Datuk Radzaif Mohamed describes as the national carmaker’s “most important model” yet. There’s a lot of history with the nameplate, with “value” being the main unique selling point during its over three decade of existence.
With many new carbuyers entering the market, their first choice should be something that can deliver on multiple fronts, while not having to pay a pretty penny. Proton is hoping the Saga meets all these requirements, and with prices starting at RM36,800 (up to RM45,800), it already hits the “affordable” point.
Our first impressions of the new Saga has been a rather positive one, but a drive around a test track doesn’t tell the whole story. Which is why we’ve been invited to sample the most affordable Proton on a drive up north towards Ipoh, to see what things are like in the real world. Will it continue to impress? Read on to find out.
As a bit of a recap, the Saga is offered in four variants – Standard (MT), Standard (AT), Executive (AT) and Premium (AT). All of them receive the same 1.3L VVT engine as the Iriz, which replaces the old IAFM+ unit, mated to either a CVT automatic or five-speed manual.
For this trip, we were handed the keys to the 1.3L Premium, which comes with all the bells and whistles, along with the largest price tag. For the money, items like a double-DIN head unit, reverse camera, 15-inch wheels, and most importantly, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) are all here. For a more detailed look at what else is available, check here.
We’ll start with the first thing that gets judged the most when it comes to any car – the looks. Proton says it went with a “modern and dynamic” approach for the new Saga, keeping what’s familiar while injecting several new elements.
Therefore, owners of the outgoing model will immediately identify the front-end, which gets reshaped headlamps, an additional slat for the grille (inspired by the 1985 original), a contoured hood and reworked lower apron (reminiscent of the new Persona).
At the back however, things are significantly different, beginning with the slim, two-piece taillights. They are joined by a central chrome element (black-painted on the Standard) that runs across nearly the entire length of the new bootlid.
Viewed from the side, the car’s profile is less boxy than before, with a restyled C-pillar that slopes more gradually this time round. As a result, the rear doors have been reshaped to match, fitting a wider aperture than before. From this angle, the car certainly has a more proportionate look to it, especially when compared to its competitor – the Perodua Bezza – and its larger sibling – the Persona.
All in all, the Saga is quite pleasant to look at but there’s no doubt the main attraction is that rear-end, which certainly does draw curious eyeballs. Which is why it isn’t surprising that the promotional items (ads, flyers) of the car include generous use of the Saga’s new butt.
The new look also sees changes to vehicle dimensions, including a 74 mm increase in length (4,331 mm), 11 mm decrease in height (1,491 mm), and 9 mm addition to the vehicle’s width (1,689 mm), but there’s no change to the 2,465 mm wheelbase.
The latter is due to the fact that the new Saga retains the second-generation model’s platform, albeit with several improvements. The chassis now gets strengthening in several areas (torsional rigidity is now 12,000 Nm/deg from 10,000 Nm/deg), while the suspension has been touched on to provide better dynamics – new dampers, springs and an engine bay strut bar are just some of the enhancements here.
In other areas, Proton has also revised the car’s hydraulic steering ratio (16:1 vs 20:1), reduced steering effort required (2.75 kgf vs 3.0 kgf), and introduced a steeper steering rack angle, allowing for a tighter turning radius (5.1 m vs of 5.3 m). Meanwhile, the Bezza boasts an electric power steering (EPS), and an even tighter turning radius (4.5 m).
These changes can certainly be felt while on the road, with the new Saga being a giant leap forward for the model in terms of ride and handling. Our drive saw us spend a majority of our time on highways, with short bouts on unpaved roads (leading up to Adeline’s Villa in Gopeng), as well as around Ipoh town (in search of the famous nasi ganja), allowing us to experience the Saga away from Proton’s test track.
At highway speeds and beyond, the Saga remained remarkably stable, without resulting in any feeling of nervousness while behind the wheel. The revised suspension setup plays a big part here, being firmer than on the previous car, so the “bouncy” feel of old is now gone.
In its place is a firmer ride, which can be felt while going over common road deformities encountered for those that frequent the notorious PJ roads. However, it isn’t unforgiving nor back-breaking, with the car doing well to dampen things so it remains civil inside.
The firmer ride also helps in the handling department, with the Saga tracking well through the corners, aided further by the communicative and quicker steering. The car remains well planted at the back, with the front-end being the first to fall out of line as you approach its limits – not something entirely necessary for day-to-day drivers but could be relevant for future participants in the Saga Cup category of the Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) Racing Series.
Much like other Proton models, the brakes have a fair bit of travel in time before anything happens but it isn’t as severe a case as that on the Persona, according to my co-driver – paultan.org/bm colleague Hazril Hafiz. As for NVH, the Saga is quiet when just coasting along but at higher speeds, it is very susceptible to wind noise from the side mirrors, accompanied by tyre roar.
Under the hood, the 1.3L VVT outputs 94 hp at 5,750 rpm and 120 Nm at 4,000 rpm – directed to the front wheels via a CVT automatic in this case. The Punch CVT here (dubbed CVT2+) is a big improvement over the one found in the Iriz, and does a good job of laying the power down within reasonable expectations.
A retuned ECU compliments the improved CVT, and it certainly helps when attempting an overtaking manoeuvre. Even so, one shouldn’t stomp on the accelerator pedal and expect instant results, with a progressive right foot being a better alternative instead. If you prefer the former approach, you’ll be met with a build-up of revs and an unnecessarily strained engine.
Proton claims the Saga, at a constant 90 km/h, will do 17.9 km/l (vs 15.9 km/l before) on the CVT, and 18.5 km/l (vs 16.7 km/l before) on the manual, but due to the nature of the media test drive, we couldn’t test it out for real. Still, the 1.3L Dual VVT-i engine powering the EEV-certified Bezza is claimed to provide a fuel consumption (mixed ECE mode) of 21 km/l (auto) and 21.7 km/l (manual), making it more economical by comparison.
Moving on, life inside the Saga is a pretty pleasant affair with decent interior plastics (keywords here are cost effective) for the new layout. For starters, there’s plenty of nifty equipment that most tech savvy individuals will welcome, like the twin USB charging ports (1.5 A and 2.0 A), and double-DIN head unit, with the latter having not only Bluetooth, AUX, and USB media playback, but also a pretty impressive audio playback quality.
The head unit can be controlled via the steering-mounted controls (Premium only) either willingly or otherwise – the latter due to the positioning of the buttons. Speaking of awkward, finding a comfortable seating position can take a while for some, as my taller co-driver (183 cm-tall) found out. However, it was pretty apt for a person my size (170 cm-tall), with a relatively long seat base and good support.
Even so, the steering wheel at its highest tilt setting (no telescopic) still ended up pointing at my chest, and blocked my view of the digits on the instrument panel. This could be fixed if the seat was able to be lowered further but even at its lowest setting, it didn’t solve the matter. Furthermore, the height adjustment is merely adjusting the angle of the seat base, rather than raising the whole seat. We would like to see more adjustment options for the seat, but that would require redesigning the position of the pedals, so that’s that.
Rear passengers meanwhile will have slightly more legroom thanks to the scalloped rear section of the front seats, but will have to make do with a shorter seat base, non-adjustable headrests, and a backrest that isn’t the most supportive. By comparison, the Bezza has significantly more legroom, but less headroom than the Saga.
Other complaints include the instrument panel, which may have better readability, but is pretty deprived of information. It doesn’t tell you if you’ve turned any of the fog lamps on, so the only way to tell is to see if the button is lit on the centre stack. Furthermore, there is an ECO Drive Assist indicator but no way of telling what’s your current or average fuel economy.
Improvements to safety can also be found, with a four-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating across the board compared to three before, with highlights being a higher adult occupant protection score of 13.33 points (from 10.23 points) and 71% compliance in child occupant protection (from 48%) thanks to Isofix mounts. Unfortunately, the Saga Standard doesn’t come with ABS, and the Saga Premium does pale in comparison to the Bezza 1.3L Advance’s five-star rating, even with ESC.
On the practicality front, there’s plenty of stowage space to store all your usual items (wallet, handphone), and the boot can now accommodate 420 litres, which is quite a lot as you can tell from the photo in the gallery, but still shy of the Bezza’s 508 litres. You could get more space by folding the rear bench, but you’ll only have a limited aperture due to the rigidity requirements of the car’s chassis.
In summary, the Saga is a welcome return to form for Proton, and certainly a strong letter of intent in the carmaker’s goal in recapturing the faith of consumers, as well as their position on the sales charts. With all models getting a 1.3L engine and the top-spec Premium coming in below RM46k, the Saga is a tempting alternative to the Bezza, which tops out at RM50,800 for the 1.3L Advance but is better equipped with a touchscreen head unit, keyless entry, and leather seats.
Sure there are a few niggles here and there, but they aren’t detrimental to the entire overall experience of an affordable car that gets you from place to place. With an impressive drive, useful equipment, and good practicality, all priced within reach of the masses, the Saga personifies the much-used term – “value for money,” and yes, the comeback is real.
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betta than bezza
Good that Proton has a good product but we must ask where is Najib’s promise to reduce car prices? We Malaysians have been waiting now nearly 4 years since Najib made this promise. Malaysia has now been awarded the highest car prices in the world. Infact, our car prices are now higher than Singapore’s car prices including their COE (taking into consideration both countries GDP per capita)
Our Government does not understand, Rm40k might be small money to the Ministers and cronies but to us Malaysians, it is very big money. 30% discount on RM40k is a whopping RM12k less.
To the majority of Malaysians, RM12k is a lot of money. It means food on the table for 2 whole years for some families.
Unfortunately, to the Ministers and many corrupt Government officials, RM12k is no big deal. So, they cannot understand how much a 30% savings would be for most people in Malaysia.
I appeal to Proton to start the ball rolling. Being National Car maker, Proton should tell the Government to honour their promise to reduce car prices by 30% to help ease the burden of the rakyat. Majority of the rakyat are suffering already with high cost of living in Malaysia.
Kesian those 20,000 Bezza owners that have to look at their awkward looking butt and undercarriage everyday for the next 3 – 5 years or more. I can’t even stand to look at dat ass for 5 minutes.
But on the good side, they could save alot on flight tickets for the next few years as the car could basically fly when you go over 120kmh. Add a GT wing to it and you fly to Hawaii also no problem.
It’s a handsome car for the price . Good job proton
This kucing kurap guy is fighting for lower car prices. Not for himself but for everyone. I cannot understand how bodoh people can be to kutuk him for doing something good.
I don’t know about you, but I for one would like cheaper prices. At least this dude is doing something good than all the keyboard warriors
I got 56 thumbs me down. These few individuals want higher car prices?
What is in their head?
You thumb up yourself. So pity.
After add GT wing, if they stick TRD stickers and sportivo badges, they can fly to Mars and finally bring back Matt.
I sounded funny but I have to agree with you. I have tried the Bezza on highway. Over-taking heavy vehicle will cause the Bezza to sway towards the heavy vehicle. It is just too light. Handling is a thumb down for Bezza.
Of course, not to mention the awkward Tonggek look of Bezza.
Although you read in this review, Bezza looks good on the specification. But in actual fact, below are Bezza clear weaknesses which are not reveal in this review.
1. Back seat is extremely vertical making your long journey very uncomfortable.
2. Plastic materials on the dash board are a lot hollow sound (thin) compared to Saga which sound more solid.
3. Steering wheel is in fixed position – cannot be tilted at all compared to Saga.
4. Bezza door panel – hollow sound.
5. Very light, makes poor handling, have floating effect when drive on highway, also beware of cross winds.
6. Poorly design tonggek looks at the back with reveal floorpan and suspension.
7. Seats are very narrow, in fact the car is narrow compared with Saga.
8. Expensive compared to Saga.
9. NVH poor compared to Saga – I think they have very few sound proofing material – to make the car lighter.
I think I have said enough. Verdict: – Saga wins hands down.
light can also have good handling btw, the MX-5 is also light but handling is great.
Bezza is not just light, but it’s tall and narrow too. Suspension setup also part of the reason.
And yet bezza have 5 stars ASEAN NCAP compared to 4 stars for the saga. So the only poor thing that will be left after an accident is the saga driver.
I think Bezza owners’ reply shall be, “I sit in the driver’s seat looking ahead, no butt in my face. It’s you following me closely who will kiss my big ass”… LOL
Bezza’s back and visible undercarriage gives the same feeling like seeing a plumber’s butt crack, disgusting
I’m not holding my breath on Najib’s “empty” election promise of car price reductions. With govt. budget deficit, the only way to reduce car prices which is through excise duty reduction will never happen.
Ministers in their ivory towers are totally detached from the public and have no sense of reality especially on the cost of living.
Furthermore, Proton which is now owned by DRB, a public listed co. is only answerable to shareholders. So no chance of them doing “charity” for the govt. as they are virtually on survival mode losing market share annually.
Change in the govt. is the only logical way car prices will never realistically reduce under BN regime with their massive corruption and wastages.
@ orang pandai.
Are u sure he is not writing nonsense with political agenda same like u too. Here is car blog bang. Give comment on cars rather than stir thing here.
Try to compare prices of things during 2008 vs 2016…houses, nasi ayam, etc.
Now compare saga 2008 1 star price rm38k and saga 2016 4 star rm36k. Can u see any lean engineering effort or still not seeing…
Proton has come out with a good product but can this save the company? History shows Proton has always had good products and cars. Cars were never the problem. What made Proton go into financial mess is mismanagement and crony parts suppliers who overcharge.
Unfortunately, even in 2016, all the crony vendors who supply parts are still the same as it was in 1990. No change at all. they are still the same fellows who overcharge Proton tenfold for every part and accessory. How can Proton fix their finances if the vendors are still the same? They overcharge so much and yet, their quality is so low.
Proton also needs to show some sincerity in changing since now this Saga seems to be a good seller. Have they cut cost? Have the directors and management cut cost and taken a pay cut?
In other countries, if a company is seeking bailout and have gotten money from the Government, the directors and management will volunteer a pay cut and sacrifice their bonusses and perks.
In Proton, the directors and management still enjoy luxuries. For example, drivers, club memberships, entertainment allowances, phone aloowances, Business Class travels, 5 star hotels and so on. Proton need to cut all these perks and go lean if they want to make this Saga a success.
No point have good seller but company still bleeding financially cause directors and management make to much of demans and don’t want to take a pay cut to show they are sincere in saving a sinking ship
Don’t you ever get tired of talking cock and making no sense, regardless of the pseudonym you use?
Forgive him, my brother, for he is being paid to post crap after dismal sales for his toyota junks.
No brain keyboard warrior. Very shameful if you have kids and your kids get to know how nonsence you are.
Everytime i comment about ur crap nonsense, my comment is not being published… Now lets see if u r smart enough to kno why!
Proton car never a problem? Management got problem but their product got no problem? You really think so?
Jangan jdi batu api, jangan nak menyibuk hal org..tugas kita ialah sama ada nak beli ataupun tidak, bkn nak tunjuk pandai..biarlah , hal dorang hal dorang, hal kita biar hal kita ..kalau nak tunjuk pandai, pergi jadi proton punya kepala, sebab aq tengok kw ni, mcm nak sangat jdi proton punya kepala
I test drove Bezza and New Saga last week and found out the saga was more better than Bezza in term of everything except the fact that Bezza is more fuel efficient but in long term the saving on fuel is just unnoticeable.For example in my situation daily work use just about RM1 a day return from Sunway to Klang..but in return i get more comfortable & handling not to mention a different of 5k++ cheaper than Bezza.My vote goes to Saga Premium.If i want to buy any of these car,i prefer people behind me to say my butt is sexy than ugly back side.. But i’m waiting my persona arrival very soon coz the back is even more sexier,to me..
Power windows OK je
Huh, you complain about Bezza being 5k different with the fuel efficient yet you say you are waiting for persona which is 10k in terms of difference in pricing. I’m sure that is just unnoticeable as the fuel efficient in the long run.
more better dan much better pun x tau beza
RM36,800 is Affordable? I was hoping they would sell it less than RM30k for rakyat. Perodua could do it with their entry level Axia at RM24k. Let’s hope Proton create a car to cater such group for base spec cars.
I honestly think Proton have a problem with its positioning with that price range. It is no brainer to go for the top spec because it has got the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). But the Sage 1.3 CVT at RM45,800, isn’t it better to add RM4,000 get the Persona 1.6 CVT?
Persona
Brand new solid platform, High on safety
Better quality, not low cost like Saga
More comfort, Better refinement
Here’s another thing…
Hello car manufacturers? Please stop these eco test nonsense! Any car at 90km/h is economical la
My Mitsubishi Mirage does 3.2 liters per 100km
My thirsty BMW E36 328i does 6.8 liters per 100km
Conclusion
The Persona is still the sedan of choice below RM50,000
For the budget conscious urbanites, the Axia is still the logical choice
I agree. Entry level Saga shud be priced lesser than any other cars in malaysia to show that government grant money or soft loan watever is going back to the people. Hoping that the national car does live to its status.
Anyway good job proton for the new saga.
Cars prices between 30k-50k are still acceptable and affordable for most malaYsians. Looking at the bright side, if the cars are too cheap, more people can afford cars which then lead to traffic congestion. IMO, each person should only owns 2 cars maximum. Car incentives should be given to Malaysians who are looking to own their 1st car, and a hefty amount of tax (doubled or tripled the car price) for their 3rd car. It’s not bad, it’s like having a maximum of 4 cars in one household ( husband and wife). Lesser cars, lesser traffic, lesser pollution.
Rubbish cost RM24k is not logical
Proton ergonomics are the worst…the steering always off center when you drive them..
yes the steering is centered to the seat, but the legrooms for the driver are always larger on the door side than the middle console side
..this will cause people to sit improperly and the steering will be off center…
If i remembered, Jean Alesi had mentioned this on the preve that he test drived..but it seems like proton interior designer didnt care much about what people complaining on their cars..
Come on la wei..viva pon boleh center steering dia, takkan proton xboleh…
I agree with you with this one. The waja is a great example, sakit driving position. Your legs and shoulders pain. Ergonomics fail!
Proton have lots of chronic weaknesses that they are yet to overcome. Aesthetics, packaging, ergonomics, fuel efficiency, weight saving, NVH to name a few.
You know why proton are so stable when high speed at the corner? Because of the weight that leads to better grip..you know why bezza so shit at the corner? Because of the lightness + less width + high body + suspension setup that make the tyre are struggling to find the traction.. perodua = doesn’t know anything on how to make the center gravity of the car as low as possible
better than VW Vento!
But Toyota Vios is best among the best!
Really want to buy it but my 2015 Advance Axia only can sell around 27k meanwhile the remaining loan ammount is more than 36k. Almost 10k need to top up. Really regret buying my tin milo for 42k.
Meaning axia bad RV? Hahaha.Actually all cars with just 1-3 years ownership still can’t sell due to loan and depreciation.Who want to buy a 1 year car at the same price of new one? So don’t say your Toyota is good RV Same Lorrr.Logic
42k for ‘Advance’ AahSial, RV pun Sial lorr coz Myvi 1.5 SE manual and Iriz 1.6 manual now only cost RM45k – 46k after rebate (if a person prefer hatchback over sedan). FC, no much difference or maybe even better with Myvi 1.5 and Iriz 1.6 (both manual) than AahSial with so-called EEV 1.0 engine mated with ‘brandished’ crap automatic gearbox.
Ok bila mau export? Kalau Indonesia pun tak laku malu lah.
the Saga returns to form !
What about the interior quality (dashboard materials, fit and finish etc) and atmosphere, Paul? Please share your thoughts. Thanks!
As an owner of the saga premium for two weeks, I can say that in general, I am pleased with the interior quality. They are all hard plastics as you would expect on a car at this price point. The gear knob actually feels nice and solid. The control buttons on the steering wheel also feels solid and not flimsy. My only gripe is they should have a leather covered steering wheel on the premium.
i can say the hard plastic in new saga feel solid than bezza hard plastic,,
just test drove both several day ago..
Bezza upholstery plastic disappointed me actually.Feel so cheap.
If u tekan-tekan plastic side door of Bezza u can feel the softness of the materials.In fact so much air space.Only good if u want to smuggle drugs inside.Pls be aware of this police
But my sales rep instructor tells us to promo this “feature” as luxury soft touch plastic woh!
Ground clearance saga premium vs bezza premium x mana lagi tinggi?
Sudah tahu lagi mau tanya, huhuhhuhuh
Depend on the level of tonggek-ness
u want to go offroading ka weh?
Lucky Jackpot no!!
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
Huahuahua.. jealous at highest level
Oh Wai, someone is using John name to bash P1. Will the original John please stand up.
I have problem with P2 not P1.. oh waii
It’s OK John. We all know WHO is the real J speaking. I just have 2 ‘smoke’ & walla, here come the real McCoy.
Smoking? Now i know why u been posting crap. But pls share it around, dun be shellfish
After all has been said(bash included) & done. This Saga will be in every nook & corners in M’sia just like a Myvi. The facts is the Saga & Myvi is THE cornerstone of P1/P2. Anyone disagree please state your reason.
Disagree.All Malaysian should drive a BMW 3 series as standard.Because of this P1 and P2 created by idiots we are forced to drive the lousiest cars in the world.If I’m wrong why people around the world not driving P1 or P2 if the cars is good? They not even heard of these car company in their whole life! And i still remember one idiot in putrajaya said our car as good as BMW? But why his whole family drive Porsche? BMW? Merc? P1 and P2 screwed up the whole nation! And screwed up our life terribly! We a forced to believe our country will be a high income nation in 2020,that’s less than 4 years from now but a high income nation drive a budget car? Really? All high income nations@developed countries around the world drove a big cars,high performance cars.Budget cars is just for their children go to high school.We are the only ‘high income nation wannabe’ which majority of it’s citizens not afford to choose a better ride for family.Poor public transportation yet we are forced to buy a car to work! Our country Malaysia is a joke!
Bravo Aaron. You put up a good reply. This is what i call a meaningful discussion or exchanging of viewpoints. Thank Q.
If BMW is so good, why not everyone buys it?
Before you ask about p1, it is not sold in many countries, that’s why
Bcoz the tax in Malaysia is super high! Even we paid around 30% higher than USA for a Japanese brand.In USA an altis cost USD20,000 (RM81,000).That was after ringgit deprecated.It made us even worst! In Malaysia we have to pay RM115,000.To make a comparison our salary per capita at USD13,000 but USA almost USD52,000! They earn higher salary but paid little to buy a car! Yes they pay higher price for fuel but not that they travel 500km a day! Compare that!
Why not sell in many countries? After 30 years still can’t make it.U asked me why? Because P1 and P2 is below standard and unsafe in their country.That’s why P1 sold in Malaysia is low quality compare those sell in UK.Or not they are not allowed to enter their markets.Myvi was called garbage in TV auto show.Time to sell P1 to foreign makers and let they overhaul whole quality,management and financial issues.Start exporting.Only foreigners can make it happen.Like what they did to MAS.Locals only looking for pocket money not for business sustainability.
We are becoming high income society but also high expenditure for rakyat to foot the bill = Pointless just to get more votes.
Ooo..that is why all people in London drive BMW is it? Pity us..even our neighbor down below and up above all drive BMW. Pity us because they did not have national car and all drive BMW. High income nations@developed countries not all about cars boy. Now go get your driving license.
Yes ali,keep driving your axia.A no ambition guy like u..no wonder this country is infected by laziness plague.Fyi neighbor down below is developed country sold more BMW and Merc than Bolehland.Many even drive Ferrari,Lamborghini to work! Country down below salary USD51,800 per capita.Where to hide face a little small land is better than big brother? Shame!
Population of high income nation dont drive cars. They commute. People in germany dont even buy houses. They rent. Mature society do not need to flaunt their wealth. They are practical.
Here, people are so hard up on being recognised as sucessful, forever suffering from inferiority complex. Its all about big cars and big houses. Hutang banyak pun takpa.
Keep renting until you old sir.Yes,many don’t drive cars.They commute with an efficient public transport! Are u commute with our lousy public bus? Lrt?
Guess lots of myvi lovers here not travelling abroad much.Trap in a coconut shell and complacent in life.Look around us.People work hard but low wages ended up borrowing cash.Debt country.
If you want to drive porsche, work hard lor.
Why wasting time here whining ?
Coz i don’t want to drive a huge tax..I want to drive a car! Why must give my money to incompetence government.But i don’t drive unsafe car for sure.
What is this bashers lawan bashers shebang? Why u pipu wanna emulate ur idols and cant come to a consensus? Oh wait, u pipu have agreed to disagree, deswai now civil war.
This car is so handsome ! Modern design , very attractive looks, I rather look at the picture than reading the paultan review XD
Better than Tonggek Biza.
tremendous improvement in the design. definitely better value than Bezza
Based on pricing, yes its better value for money than the Bezza, but I would not want to be the 1st guinea pig (oops, sorry lah JAKIM for I have used the banned word). You see, we do not know the long term total cost of ownership of this Saga yet.
Yes, we do know the long term ownership cost of Saga3. Its approximately the same as Saga2.
Why I can see this future so clearly? Cuz it uses the same underpinnings as the previous gen.
The new saga looks handsome. Credit due when it is due. I don’t like the new perdana nor do I like the preve but this new saga, well I actually like it. Well done proton, for the new saga.
Unfortunately, it comes at the wrong time, most consumers are very cautious in spending money now, some also pok-kai (retrenched) already
Even it come at wrong time ( not our opinion) , this saga sure will sale like hotcake..so , do you wanna say that biza tonggek also come at wrong time? Kalau kata saga tak patut keluar skg, buat pa mw tunggu lama2 lgi? Kmon lahhh ramai rakyat malaysia tak sabar nak beli nih!
just becoz u got no money doesnt mean other dont.
maybe its the right time. people aim for vios or city might change their mind and bought this car. (i know the segment is different)
The things that will instantly make this already nice looking car better are 16 inch rims, the headlight as in iriz (projector), and suprima-like tail light (combination) of lines and LED`s. but overall it`s quite a progress proton has came out with. (should have make the wheelbase longer tho)
Then, Tata telcoline sure will match your taste..yeahhhh, you want a longer wheelbase
Any chances of Proton Wira remake??
Persona are a replacement for Wira.
it would be great if new preve named as wira…
Preve replaced waja
Dear Paultan
We would like to see a review on Bezza ‘balik kampung” trip, just like what you did for the Saga here.
Bezza launched so long ago, still no long distance drive review? You only did a track review. How to compare with Saga when no review on Bezza long distance drive?
Maybe because p2 don’t provide review car. How can journalist/media can review bezza. P1 might be suck on marketing but they at least use journalist to market their car.
Being such a small and crampy car, I shudder to think PT writers wud willingly torture themselves just to please a few pipu.
Proton wira also need to do comeback
This Saga design and practicality is way better than Bezza. This review says Saga has some problem adjusting to perfect seating position vs the steering wheel. I can tell you Bezza is a lot worst – the steering wheel cannot be adjusted at all, its at fixed position!! If you adjust the Bezza seat to the back to get more seating space, the steering wheel is too high, cannot be tilted. And Bezza back seat is almost at a right angle – you will be very uncomfortable going balik kampung trip. Bezza when overtaking big vehicle in the highway, you can feel it swing towards it, because is too light. Noise insulation is bad in the Bezza. I will definitely choose Saga over Bezza. Moreover Saga is cheaper too. And the Bezza now infamous back tonggek design pissed me off.
Bezza can increase pipu reverse parking skill bcoz owners must hide the bontot tonggek everytime
HAHAHAHAHHAA so truee XD, you make me laugh so hard bro
Bezza is good for short hops like grab or Uber drivers.
Today everyone reading the Saga review, other news are irrelevant!
Unless the hot sausage fiasco takes over:)
cant wait to see it on the road….looks like better proportion that Bezza and Persona..
Ugly.
kudos to Proton. hopefully after-sale service doesn’t sabotage. otherwise it would be same old story.
Oh. Hydraulic power steering, and quicker than before. Nice! I miss HPS… even with sports mode and what not…
Now that I think about it, where is the test review of the bezza?it has been few months since the launch, and yet there is no official review event held by p2. I know that marketing wise, there is no need for them to hold such event, bcause people would still buy it without doing much research. Tells a lot about the mentality of the buyers doesn’t it? While for the proton cars, they are putting their trust on their product, line it all up for the media to scrutinize. Well, that is what I think. We got on one side the company who try to prove their mettle, and on the other side, a company who is enjoying the privilege of “brand buying”, maybe too much and too soon.
well thats the power of brand image…once your image tarnished, public will remember it for a long time..it takes really hard work to convince back the public
since when did perodua ever organize public road media test drive review? I never seen it… not for Alza, not for Axia, also not for Bezza…
they never did it… probably they have something to hide…hahaha…
How is the manual transmission ? Is it close ratio, not notchy etc or the usual unimpressive one?
For a 94hp, proton engineer is not stupid..of course this saga will use close ratio gearbox..better acceleration and acceptable top speed..normally, a 1.3 litre car only can achieve their top speed at 160-175kmh..but, proton engineer already show us that the saga flx can achieve 190kmh, no mods at all..i found it youtube, just search ” tahap kelajuan saga flx”, now, imagine what this new saga can do? The ecu had been retuned for better performance..other than that, long ratio gearbox just make a car have bad acceleration but better top speed..for city driving, a close ratio is more better since it provide good response..vios trd 500hp sticker ahbeng, avanza garbage and many more use close ratio gearbox..long ratio gearbox are suitable in a car that have high torque, turbo engine or diesel…long ratio gearbox just make the car have lack of power at low rpm, thats why a car with high torque are more suitable..so, to have close ratio in this saga is a right decision
Thank you for the flawed but lengthy explanation . However your English could do with some help. A tutor perhaps ?
Yes , i want to improve my english, atleast im trying and practicing the language to become better…every people need practice you know..please forgive me :) so, when our class start? I want you to become my lecturer
You need a mechanical mind to understand what he wrote. I understand but I doubt other reader will understand.
What is the service interval for the new Saga?
If PT crew said the comeback is real that means this car is good
seem like there are still a lot of ignorant ppl are supporting Proton. Shiok sendiri masters and dunnoe wise ppl are just laughing at them:”hahaha! you are driving proton!”
Seems like it, but only comments on Paul Tan’s blog,
the actual sales figures says otherwise, so all praises for P1 at this site must be seen will a bit of salt.
In order to find out for yourself, the only reliable way is to find out from your friends or relatives who owned such cars for at least a period of 6 months to a year.
Saga owners can go oversea for holiday every year. Jepunis overpriced owners cannot coz have to pay high installment every month!
Haha!
Nope. Jepunis overpriced owners cant go overseas holiday cuz kena bar by PTPTN for not paying back their loans.
i dunno why malaysian designers be it P1 or P2, their car design is kinda amateur. design is not dynamic and sharp looking. in fact many areas look disproportionate.
i agree. i thot its the old hyundai. the car is super fugly.
proton is continuosly shooting their own feet
everytime they come out with new model, it is cheaper and the quality improved over theier exp model
iriz made with better quality material than preve. now saga use better gearbox than iriz
so everytime he come out cheaper model he kill his own big model.
dunno to run a car company. mercedes make small model and sell first then the most exp model get the best stuff!
Never heard of continuous improvement, have u?
Gerard, how much proton paid you? Why there is no “actual” FC figure while doing “actual” test drive? Too shameful to tell? If you see this you better amend the post , if not you are proton paid writer obviously.
You need to understand the way media drives are done. The cars are driven in a tight convoy, usually at higher than normal speeds. And our writers will need to test out the performance and behavior of the vehicle in all conditions, to be done within tight time constraints. The route and driving pattern are definitely not representative of real world usage, so we do not have a fuel economy figure. Best we can do is to mention the claimed figures, all clearly labeled as claimed numbers, at their respective test modes.
Normally it would be higher than publish. But due to courtesy they, the writers will state the FC of the manufacturer specs. Even our own car it is somethimes hard to achieve that reading But some cars are achievable.
After reading all the comments, who said only Proton getting bash?
We should support proton. . except for perdana, all their models are designed by Malaysian, made by Malaysian n vendors are mainly Malaysian.
saw the saga on the road. the roof is really very tall making the car look out of proportion. and the side profile look of the front is also not so nice. all of a sudden the previous saga FL looks good. the 1.6 red one with the grey body kit.
I beg to differ. Saw one persona parked at space u8 shah alam, at a first glance i thought it was a Jetta from behind. Funny that i took a second round just to convince my colleague that is a persona. We both approved that it is a handsome car.
Then,i recommend you to just buy the secondhand flx , because the first owner of flx are in love and already booking this new saga..dont bising2 here, it only make all people think that you have a blind eye …make your choice , proton tak paksa pun kw beli saga ni
I think flx looks better in the front, but this new one has a good butt.
Better jdi ahbeng maa, kasi kacuk itu saga flx punya muka dekat ini saga
I think the old BLM looks better and will prefer if they put new engine and transmission. The biggest body that they can accommodate will be better.
– ugly meter,
– ugly front face,
– poor fuel performance
– etc….
yes i am bashing because that’s the truth
proton/pro-proton/proton fan angry being bashed, yet you still at the same state of shame
Oi use ur brain lah
some people do nothing but hang around the comment section and talk sh*t many times. why so toxic?
bezza, saga… both got reasons for people to like and dislike them. so what? if car is good, more people will buy over time. no need your stupid comments to make yourself feel good.
We, as the basher, selagi ada peluang utk komen, disitulah kmi menyerlahkan bakat kami , watak utama? John , same lorr,ben yap, mikey ,salam sejahtera, etc..misi kmi byk , menyemak dkt komen, mengeluarkan segala kepandaian kami, dan mengagungkan jemama masing2 , semoga tahun 2020, para basher berkembamg maju
I actually laughed at that. bravo!
TERUSKAN USAHA ANDA. SEMOGA BERJAYA.
Quality good. Volkswagen front bmw back?
Why don’t make a video side by side, speed and handling test with its worthy competitor which is perodua bezza? I’m looking forward to it
(Saga premium vs bezza advance). TQ
Was considering getting axia fory daughter. Was considering a bigger car a bezza or saga. Don’t like bezza look, prefer axia look more nice looking. As for Saga still scratching my head, been using a few proton before nothing to shout about nor anything to despise at. It still works but with a lot of parts falling off…Unlike Nissan or Toyota…Looks and feel the same after 10 years. Only realise my tummy grow bigger and ankle is not that flexible as before.I did not like the new Saga rear but with it’s drippy eyes. If they were to design like the mainstream design with a bigger but, I trust that the NCAP rating shall be a 5 and loading boot capacity should be more than 500 litres. It should be more practical for balik kampung.Front, Mid and Inside looks acceptable to me.
Sales agent asked us to choose Iriz standard instead of Saga due to better safety standards, without Mr acknowledging that actually the Saga Premium costed less than the cheapest Iriz. So was it a regretful decision to beli the BetulBetul-Onz? Hey no it wasn’t lah. Although my iriz only has 2 speakers and a smaller boot, the interior feels far more superior than the Saga. The car also feels very solid when you drive it at very high speeds (ada satu kami try 160km/h kereta masih stable). Well the other advantages are worth it to be experienced hands on so I’m not gonna type a god damn long article here guys. Anyway the saga isn’t really a bad car, it’s just that I’d like to have a bit of luxury in my ride and therefore the Iriz puts a bigger smile on my face. ✌