When the first Proton Saga left the line on July 9 1985, few people would have imagined that the same model in virtually the same form would still be rolling out of the factory door in January 2008, almost 23 years later. With very few exceptions, the industry norm was that a model would go into the next ‘generation’ after a period of five (typically for Japanese models) to ten years (for European models). One of the reasons why the Saga remained in production for so long was that it was the cheapest model the company could offer although over the years, its price went up changed from the original RM18,000 level. Proton could not offer its second model, the Wira, at the same sort of price level either and after that, inflation and other factors resulted in other new models being priced higher. In fact, because Proton could no longer offer a ‘low-priced’ car, the government gave the go-ahead for Perodua to be established to make minicars which would be cheaper.

The question of retiring the Saga popped up on a number of occasions in the 1990s and when the late Tan Sri Yahya bought over Proton in 1995, he was thinking about stopping production of the model before the end of the 1990s. But the economic crisis occurred and in that period when sales slowed down substantially, the Saga proved to be a life-saver for Proton as it was the cheapest car in the showrooms. Surprisingly, this model from the 1980s was the best-seller in Malaysia in many months and if not, it was the Wira from the early 1990s. So it was hard for Proton to stop selling it when it accounted for such a big chunk of sales.

Until the Persona, the other new models launched in recent years failed to sell better than the Saga and Wira combined. In 2006, the Saga accounted for 24.7% of Proton sales in Malaysia and together with the Wira, the two models accounted for 50% of total sales that year. Between January and November 2007 – the worst year in the company’s history - of the 107,642 Protons sold, 37.2% of the sales were of the Saga.

So the decision to retire the Saga was one which had to be carefully planned. It was clear that the model had to go because it was a product of the 1980s and used manufacturing processes that did not make it possible to provide higher quality. The big gaps that you see between panels were okay in the 1980s but not today, but that was how the car was designed 23 years ago.

To remove the Saga meant having a successor which could get at least the same sales volume and Proton’s smallest model, the Savvy, could not even come close. It started off with the plan to be a low-priced model which could fight Perodua in that segment but along the way, someone changed the brief and it cost more than planned. Three new models introduced in succession had failed to achieve enough sales volume to allow Proton to retire the old ones because they were hatchbacks and Malaysia is a sedan market. The poor reception to those three hatchbacks, coupled with quality issues, saw Proton being overtaken by Perodua which came out with the Myvi.

Of course, the fact that the Myvi is a hatchback contradicts the argument that Malaysia is a sedan market so why did it become the nation’s best-seller instead? The reason is that, apart from being the wrong models for this market, Proton’s two cheapest and most popular models were old and people simply got tired of them. The Myvi was brand new and with Perodua’s greater focus on quality and after-sales service, it won more customers.

The Persona proved the point that if Proton could produce a decent sedan, lots of people would buy it and within the short space of time, its monthly sales were comparable to those of the Saga. The strong reception it received set the stage for Proton to launch the second and more significant model which will truly replace the original Saga, a model which is crucial to the company’s future.

The new Saga program actually started a bit later than the Persona, also a sedan, which had received ‘reluctant’ approval from the former CEO just before he left, according to a source. While the Persona rode on the Gen2 platform, the new Saga was to use the Savvy platform, which was logical. It was estimated that RM530 million would be needed for the new Saga project, of which RM60 million would be allocated to refurbishing the factory in Shah Alam to make it. However, with strict cost control, the total amount came to around RM470 million.

What is impressive is that the project was done within 17 months from design freeze in July 2006, that phase when management agrees to the proposal and signs off on the budget to prepare the car for production. Yet this speedy gestation period was not done by cutting corners for crucial phases such as testing of components. According to Dato’ Syed Zainal, everything was done on schedule and the deadline has been met. In fact, deadlines were pretty firm (unlike in the past when people were uncertain because schedules changed) which was also a comfort to the many suppliers because they could plan properly. With earlier models, there seemed to be confusion about volumes required and then time-lines would suddenly be compressed which all impacted quality as work had to be rushed.

Cheapest version at RM31,500 does not have body-coloured bumpers

As with the Savvy, Proton again commissioned a unit of the Korean LG Group to handle certain aspects of the project. Malaysian engineers were sent to Korea to work on it and of course, Lotus Engineering in UK also worked on the chassis. An important sub-project was the improvement of the Campro 1.3-litre engine planned for the new Saga; it’s no secret that the Campro engine that is presently available has had poor low-end torque and this needed to be addressed. Two solutions have been arrived at and the Intake Air-fuel Module (IAFM), a relatively easy addition, is used for the new Saga’s engine.

When the first spy photos of the new Saga appeared on the Net, many people saw it as a ‘Savvy with a boot’. While this is certainly a simple way of looking at it, visually the new Saga shows less connection to the Savvy than the Persona to the Gen2. Although 40% of parts are shared with the Savvy (eg the door handles), almost every body panel is new because of the substantially different shape. Even the ‘face’ doesn’t look anything like the Savvy, unlike the Persona where you may mistake it for a Gen2 sometimes.

Proton badge on cars will be black and white from now on, but corporate logo will be in colour

If you take a close look at the Proton badges on the grille and bootlid, you will see something different. It’s in black and white now (or black and chrome) and this will be the new colour scheme for badges fitted on the cars from now on. The corporate logo will, however, continue to be multi-coloured.

Size-wise, the new Saga is smaller than the old one although it will be seen later when we look inside that small outside can be big inside. The overall length is 4357 mm which is 54 mm shorter than the old model but overall width is 54 mm more at 1680 mm. In spite of a shorter overall length, the wheelbase is longer by 85 mm at 2465 mm, something which benefits cabin space. And the height is much more for better headroom – at 1502 mm, the new Saga’s roofline is 142 mm higher than that of the old Saga. However, the car’s floorpan is 20 mm closer to the road now.

For the past few models launched, Proton boasted of the structural strength of the car and mentioned EuroNCAP star ratings when the model has not even been crashed by that independent organisation. Though it has not specifically stated that the star ratings were actually from its own crash tests using the same criteria, it is not the same thing as actually being tested by EuroNCAP and this has often been challenged by those more familiar with the subject. So this time, Proton makes no such mention of how many stars it can get and officially states that it ‘delivers above-average dynamic safety and occupant protection’ and ‘meets international crash standards and requirements’. Fair enough and as we already know from the Savvy, the bodyshell is exceptionally rigid, an important factor in the concept of the ‘safety cage’ to protect the occupants during a crash. Having the boot extension at the rear should, logically, provide a better crumple zone. Incidentally, only the top version gets an airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioner.

Under the bonnet, the engine is not the Renault unit used for the Savvy but is the Campro 1332 cc unit used in the Gen2. The reason why the Savvy did not get the 1.3-litre engine was that the engine bay was too small and for the new Saga, re-engineering had to be done to fit the Campro engine. However, the new Saga’s engine is also different from the one in the Gen2 1.3 because it has the new IAFM mentioned earlier. This engine produces 98 bhp/72 kW at a higher 6500 rpm – about 3% more – while torque is improved even more – 5.5% - to 113.2 Nm. While there cannot be direct comparisons made to the engine of the old Saga, for those who are interested, that 1.3-litre unit with a single carburettor (and one less camshaft and only 8 valves) produced 51.9 kW/70.5 bhp and 105 Nm.

1.3-litre engine is from Campro family but is more powerful and offer better driveability, thanks to Intake Air-Fuel Module (IAFM)

Adjusting the airflow at the lower rpm range to match combustion needs has smoothened out the torque curve and eliminated that nasty dip between 3500 and 4000 rpm. Acceleration is more linear as the torque keeps increasing all the way to the peak at 4000 rpm. From a dyno chart provided for viewing, it also appears that the IAFM improves torque between 1800 and  2200 rpm – an area where a lot of normal driving is done – which means that stronger acceleration should be available.

Can the IAFM be retro-fitted? Officially, Proton would say it cannot but it appears to be possible as it requires only changing a few intake system sections (might even be easier than installing a turbocharger). However, the EMS would need to have the right program otherwise it won’t work properly. Anyway, should anyone be contemplating such a ‘mod’, be advised that it will immediately void your warranty.

When asked about the 1.6-litre engine being fitted to the new Saga, Dato’ Syed Zainal said that this is already under development but is intended for the taxi market. Discussions with taxi drivers showed that extra power is required but the engine will be tuned to run on NGV. Whether a non-NGV version will be sold to the general public will depend on demand.

Well aware that maintenance costs are of major concern to motorists, especially those who buy entry-level models like the new Saga, Proton has extended the service intervals to 10,000 kms (which is longer than some popular Japanese models).

Manual and automatic transmissions are available and no, you won’t have to live with a 3-speed automatic transmission which was what the old Saga had. The new Saga gets a 4-speed automatic transmission supplied by Mitsubishi. The 5-speed manual transmission is something new to Proton as it comes from Aichi Kikai of Japan. This company, believed to be affiliated to Nissan, is a specialist in transmissions and supplies many Japanese carmakers as well as Ford and Hyundai.

A comparison of ratios between the Aichi Kikai MF30A transmission and the one used in the Gen2 (Mitsubishi F5M41) shows that the MF30A has a lower final drive of 4.705 compared to 4.333. While this suggests that top speed will be not as good and rpm at cruising speeds will be higher (meaning more fuel used), overall ratios are actually higher for the MF30A. In the first two gears, the ratios are 3.333 and 1.954 whereas the F5M41 has 3.583 and 1.947. In top gear, the MF30A also has a higher overdrive ratio of 0.755, whereas the F5M41 is 0.804.

Suspension of new Saga is the same as the Savvy's but tuned for the different weight distribution

The chassis of the new Saga is an extended version of the Savvy’s and this is immediately apparent from the additional 70 mm of wheelbase. The suspension layout is the same with independent MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam axle at the rear. Most cars in this class have a similar layout which is low cost and simple and one of the advantages of the torsion beam arrangement is that it does not intrude into the boot space much.

The suspension has been tuned to provide the sharp handling and ride comfort that was a strong point in the Savvy but takes into account the different weight distribution which should be better in the new Saga. Although Proton cars have been criticised in many areas, ride and handling – thanks to the Lotus DNA -  have usually been praised.

The two lower Saga versions get 13-inch steel wheels with 175/70 tyres while the Medium line (the best-equipped for now) has 14-inch alloy wheels and 185/60 tyres. These are more common sizes that the odd 175/50x15 tyres fitted to the Savvy, making it less of a hassle for owners to get replacements later on.

For brakes, the new Saga gets ventilated discs in front and drum brakes at the rear. ABS is not available at this time, mainly for cost reasons, although it has not been ruled out in future. When asked why an airbag was provided in the top version and not ABS instead, the answer was that market surveys showed that Malaysian buyers were more keen on the airbag than ABS. This reflects the lack of understanding of both devices because ABS is something you will use almost everyday whereas an airbag is a ‘one-time thing’ – which you should hope you do not need to use.

According to Proton data, the cabin length of the new Saga is 1947 mm, 197 mm more than the old Saga and better than even the Toyota Vios (not sure if they are referring to the new one) and the Perodua Myvi. The interior width is about the same as the old Saga but the Myvi is wider. Headroom is also generous, as would be expected from the high roofline. So in overall terms, the new Saga has a specious interior and that’s something which will score a lot of points from Malaysians.

The instrument panel is similar to the Savvy’s with the same meters that were said to be inspired by a sports watch. They are large with clear calibrations but do not have the flamboyant yellow background. There’s also a LCD display window in the 8000 rpm tachometer which shows the fuel gauge and coolant temperature in the form of vertical bars. For the automatic, a little window between the tachometer and speedometer (which reads up to 200 km/h) shows the gear position.

The centre console is a simple affair and its functional with large knobs for the ventilation controls. All versions get an audio head unit with radio and the inclusion of the CD player as well was the subject of long debates because of the need to control costs. At one point, it was even felt that a cassette player would be enough but given that few people use cassettes nowadays, it seemed pointless. However, the number of speakers differs and the top version gets two front speakers as well. Further back between the front seats, the brake handle is also a conventional design – no more fancy ‘sword handle’ for the sake of being different!

Dato Syed Zainal drew attention to the provision of holders for cups and bottles – five in total – with two cupholders ahead of the shift lever, one in the console between the seats and two bottleholders in the rear door pockets. The one in the console has been improved after feedback from customers was that it was too shallow. Good cupholders need to be deep enough to hold the container otherwise it tips over during cornering.

In terms of standard equipment, there are significant omissions which could bring on criticism. Everything has a cost and if you want to pay less for a car, you have to accept that there will be some items that won’t be there. Unfortunately, Malaysian buyers have been spoilt over the years and expect too much. They may say that they are willing to accept less things for a Saga that is priced at RM20,000 but should Proton offer such a version, they will then say that it should have included more items for that price!

The boot volume is very generous - 413 litres, 43 litres more than the old model. That’s pretty meaningless to the average buyer who doesn’t see or use the actual space so Proton salesmen have been trained to use more practical ways to tell customers about the volume, eg by saying how many durians could go inside! And talking of durians – it is believed that one of the reasons why Malaysians prefer a sedan is that the boot is a sealed compartment so smells are prevented from reaching the cabin (and also, the boot gives extra protection in a rear-end collision).

Generally, for the price being asked, the new Saga should be considered acceptable although the choice of items to omit could have been better considered. There is no vanity mirror on the sunvisor for the two cheaper versions and while central locking is available on all versions, power windows are standard only for the two upper versions – and only on the front doors. The rear doors use good old-fashioned won’t-break-down manual winders that work the same way as the original Saga. No problem with that but what’s with the missing rear assist grips on the ceiling? It’s hard to remember any car which didn’t have them and some companies even put an assist grip for the driver. Fortunately, the fuel lid cover and bootlid can be opened by levers by the side of the driver’s seat (and the bootlid can be opened using a key).

Longer service interval aside, the new Saga is the first Proton model to come with a 3-year/100,000 km (whichever occurs first) factory warranty and there will also be a further 2 years Extended Warranty Package offered. This should offer a lot of peace of mind to customers who may still have concerns about reliability. Proton is confident that quality levels are much higher than ever before and defects should be lower but it still needs time for public perception to change so this is one way to provide assurance. Of course, you could give a lifetime warranty too but if a part fails and needs replacement, it is still troublesome to have to go to the service centre to have it replaced even if you don’t have to pay anything for the part.

The new Saga is expected to sell better than the model it takes over from, which means it should be doing 4,500 to 5,000 units a month. Dato’ Syed Zainal is confident that the demand will remain high and expects the new model to draw customers from direct rivals like the Perodua Myvi and Viva as well as the Honda City and Toyota Vios. He also said Chinese customers account for 40% of the orders to date, much higher than usual for Proton. This, he said, must be an indication of the acceptance by this segment of buyers who are known to be very concerned about quality and value for money.

Finally, the first Malaysian National Car can take its place in the museum of the Malaysian auto industry as it has a successor which appears to be worthy of taking Proton further on its journey to being a credible player in the global auto industry.

PRICES:
Entry Line (Manual): RM31,500
Base Line (Manual): RM34,998
Base Line (Automatic): RM37,998
Medium Line (Manual): RM37,498
Medium Line (Automatic): RM39,998

• First driving impressions