Proton Saga SV

  • Proton announces 42% increase in sales for Q3 2013 over Q2, driven by strong Proton Saga SV numbers

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    Proton has announced that its sales in the third quarter of the year has increased by 27% over the corresponding quarter in 2012, with sales for Q3 this year amounting to 43,260 units. The automaker also added that compared to the second quarter of 2013, there was a 42% hike in Q3 sales.

    The rise in sales figures was mainly attributed to the introduction of the Proton Saga SV, which was launched in June. Since its debut, more than 22,000 units of Saga SV have been registered – we reported earlier in the month that the automaker had received more than 30,000 bookings for the car.

    “The Saga SV has received overwhelming response from the general public, and we are grateful to Malaysians for this,” said Proton’s commercial chief operating officer Hisham Othman. “We believe that the Saga has always had a soft spot in the hearts and minds of Malaysians, and with its USPs and highly competitive pricing, the car will continue to strengthen its position as the consumer’s preferred choice of an entry-level sedan,” he added.

    Proton also mentioned that its Suprima S hatch has also been receiving strong interest from customers since its launch in August, but didn’t reveal sales figures for the car. The five-door hatch is set to make its debut in its first overseas market, which is Indonesia – the car is being officially launched in the republic tonight. Next up will be Australia, in November.

     
     
  • Proton Saga SV to make headway in East Malaysia

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    Proton Edar expects to sell at least 4,000 units of the Proton Saga SV yearly in Sabah, reports Bernama. According to Edar CEO Hisham Othman, nearly 1,000 bookings have been recorded for the car in the East Malaysian state.

    The nationwide booking count has now surpassed 8,000 (up from 6,000 late last month), around half of which are expected to translate into sales. Hisham said this exceeded expectation, considering the entry-level Saga variant has only officially been on the market for three weeks. “You can own this car for as low as RM280 monthly payment (in Sabah),” he said.

    Bernama also reports that neighbouring Sarawak is expected to contribute a significant market share for the Proton Saga SV. “Our previous sales trend showed Proton Saga sales of all variants accounted for 15% of Proton sales in Sarawak,” the national news agency quoted Hisham as saying.

    He also said the company was trying to reduce the price gap between East Malaysia and the peninsular. Consumers in Sabah and Sarawak have to bear an additional RM3,000 in freight costs, which include storage, shipping, transportation and insurance.

    The national carmaker has 12 outlets in Sabah and 13 in Sarawak. The Proton Saga SV is sold at a starting price of RM36,138 in both East Malaysian states.

     
     
  • Proton Saga SV – bookings surpass 6,000 units

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    More than 6,000 bookings have been recorded for the Proton Saga SV within two weeks of its launch, according to a Bernama report.

    “At this early stage, we expect to sell at least 2,000 units of the Saga SV monthly,” the national news agency quoted Proton Edar CEO Hisham Othman as saying. “We can deliver, at present, at least 3,000 units monthly to buyers.”

    Although sales were slow in the run-up to the May general elections compared to last year, Hisham said the entry-level Saga variant would give the national carmaker a boost and help it achieve its goal of capturing a 30% share of the domestic market.

    Bernama reported in an earlier story that due to the demand, Proton may up production of the Saga SV from the current 2,000 units per month. “Currently, our production is enough to fulfil the number of bookings that we received, and we assure customers who make their bookings now that they can expect to get the car before Hari Raya,” Hisham said.

    He added that 65% of the total pre-orders (4,000 at time of reporting) were for the CVT-equipped version. We reported back in April that Proton Edar expects a 20% jump in total sales this year from the 141,000 units sold in 2012.

    Click here for full details and pictures of the Proton Saga SV.

     
     
  • Proton Saga SV launched – from RM33,438 OTR

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    As we reported on Thursday, a new Proton model variant has been introduced – as intimated, it’s Saga-based, although it has a new suffix. The Proton Saga SV was officially launched at the Proton Edar Platinum Showroom in Mutiara Damansara earlier this morning.

    The Saga SV, the acronym standing for Super Value, becomes the cheapest Proton currently available. A Proton spokesman said it is not meant as a replacement for the FLX Standard variant, which from RM38,361 (manual, solid), comes with additional minor kit such as first aid kit, safety triangle, tinted windows, luggage tray, door visor and trunk lid cover.

    Incidentally, the more eagle-eyed will notice that the car features both FLX and SV badging on the tailgate. The car is part of the Saga FLX model range, but will simply be known as the Saga SV.

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    To those curious as to the whereabouts of the “FLX+” that was part of the ASEAN NCAP phase one testing programme, it’s likely an internal code to designate the improvements made to the range, of which the Saga SV is part of.

    The car is ASEAN NCAP three-star rated, and features a number of safety improvements. It now features two airbags, and both front and rear impact aspects have been upped – the front features a new bumper beam and additional reinforcement, while the rear bumper gets packed with foam.

    Also on, a reinforcement “V” bar in the rear bulkhead that separates the boot from the cabin. The front door also features side impact reinforcement bars, while the centre pillar has also been strengthened. All these safety improvements have been implemented across the entire Saga FLX range, with some being quietly introduced some months back.

    The rear centre lap seatbelt has been replaced with a three-point seatbelt, and the front seatbelts now have pre-tensioners. The Saga SV also features a child restraint anchorage for the rear seats.

    No mechanical changes to the powertrain – the car is equipped with the same 94 hp and 120 Nm 1.3 litre CamPro IAFM mill as found on the rest of the FLX range. Equipment on the Saga SV includes a single-DIN CD player, reverse sensor and 13-inch steel wheels.

    On the exterior, the SV goes the same route as the FLX Standard, with unpainted door handles and side mirror covers and no fog lamps. The rear garnish is now unpainted while the tail pipe finisher has been removed.

    With that, let’s get to the pricing – the Proton Saga SV is available in both manual and CVT versions; the manual goes for RM33,438 (solid) and RM33,888 (metallic), while the CVT is priced at RM36,438 (solid) and RM36,888 (metallic), all on-the-road with insurance. That’s almost RM5,000 cheaper than the FLX Standard 1.3, the previous entry-level Saga.

    At the launch, the company took great pains to reiterate the point made by Proton deputy CEO Datuk Lukman Ibrahim earlier in the week, which was that the Saga SV’s low price was achieved through value analysis and engineering, with no cut in safety, quality and comfort. Proton said that the new price is not a margin cutting exercise, nor is it a promotion, discount or a rebate.

    Six colours are available for the car, these being Solid White, Elegant Brown, Tranquility Black, Fire Red (previously exclusive to the Saga 1.6 SE), Genetic Silver and Blue Rock. The Proton Saga SV comes with a three-year/100,000 km warranty.

     
     
 
 
 

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Last Updated Mar 07, 2024