Now, Malaysia are proud of the new BLM Proton Saga....
On January 18, 2008, Proton unveiled the successor to the 2007 Saga, which was planned to be phased out in June 2008. Retaining the Saga name, the new car is an indigenous design, designed to outperform and outengineer the old Saga compact sedan and aeroback in every way. It's bodywork is essentially based on a stretched Proton Savvy. The new model is an in-house design developed in collaboration with Korea's LG CNS and Lotus Engineering. This model enables the Malaysian company play to its strength in the home market i.e. three-box sedan. The Proton Saga is not planned for U.S. launch but will be sold throughout Southeast Asia, in China, India and Australia.
As of February 2008, approximately 23,000 customer bookings had been made for the car since its launch and the corresponding waiting time for delivery during that same period stretched up to 5 months.
On July 16, 2009, an electrical version of the Proton Saga was demonstrated at the University Sains Malaysia, Penang.
[edit]Specifications
The Saga comes in 3 different specifications with the choice of manual or auto transmissions starting from the base specced N model to the fully kitted M model. Aichi Kikai supplies the 5-speed manual while Mitsubishi makes the 4-speed automatic. The basic N model retails from RM31,500 to the RM39,800 high specced M model. The new Saga would be the cheapest Proton once the RM26,999 original is retired. Proton dubs the new Saga as "The People's Car".
Engine and performance
The new Saga is powered by the same 1.3-litre Campro engine (which was co-designed with Lotus) that is fitted to entry-level Gen-2s. Besides the 1.3L engine option, the 1.6-liter version is also available as an exclusive engine option for taxi operators. Like other Proton models powered by Proton's own Campro engines, the 1.3-liter engine is rated at 94 hp (70 kW; 95 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 120 N·m (89 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm, while the 1.6-liter version (not including the Campro CPS engine which is not being used in the Saga) produces 114 hp (85 kW; 116 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 148 N·m (109 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm. Both engines feature the new Integrated Air-Fuel Module (IAFM) which varies the airflow into the engine to improve efficiency, smoothening out the problematic dip in the torque curve in the lower and middle rev ranges. Its output matches that of a 1.3-litre in the Satria Neo. Power delivery characteristics in both cars are remarkably different. The torque could be felt after 2,500 rpm as surging sensation through driver's body, all the way to climax at 4,000 rpm, where it drops off rapidly. The acceleration to highway speeds is good. The 5-speed manual from Aichi Kikai is geared towards the ultimate refinement at cruising speeds, but it does offer a good spread of torque everywhere, not to mention good overtaking power anywhere from 80-120 km/h. Suspension setup consists of MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar up front with a torsion beam in the rear. Its Lotus designed torsion beam suspension enables it to turn in sharply, hold its stance sideways through corners, understeering to a sizeable extent. Fuel economy is even better, ranging from approximately 6 L/100 km (47 mpg-imp; 39 mpg-US) for the manual transmission to 6.2 L/100 km (46 mpg-imp; 38 mpg-US) . for the auto and can rival a Toyota Prius when traveling at 80 km/h (50 mph) in fifth. Top speed is around 170 km/h (106 mph) As the Saga is designed as a city car, the air conditioning system has been made even more powerful and efficient, even at engine idling speeds. The ignition system has also been updated with coil-on-plugs instead of the traditional ignition cable system, eliminating power loss.
Cabin and interior
The new Saga, like its predecessor, is expected to be standard among Malaysian taxicab operators. The car is not designed to accommodate a compressed natural gas tank. A Malaysian Orange Taxi Company, Innovasi Timur Sdn Bhd installed a superior NGV System with a modified NGV Cylinder Bracket, giving larger boot space for luggage. There is ample room for 5 Malaysian adults of average height and bigger than the old Saga. Top-of-the-line versions (currently the M-Line) are fitted with a set of 14-inch rims and 185/65 R14 tyres for added traction, providing the car with strong braking force and better road holding. Only one airbag for the driver is also fitted to the M-line models. However, the car is not equipped with ABS.
Awards
Since the official launch of the second generation Proton Saga in January 2008, the car has won 3 major automobile awards. Autocar Asean, the Malaysian edition of the longest running car magazine in history has awarded the new Saga "Winner of the Small Sedan/ Hatchback Category" for 2008. Shortly after that, the car was voted as the "Best People's Car" at the Asian Auto - VCA Auto Industry Award 2008. In November the same year, the new Saga won yet another major Malaysian automobile accolade when it was declared the "Winner of the Entry Level Car Category" under the New Straits Times/ Maybank Car of the Year Awards for 2008. On 13th May 2010, Frost & Sullivan awarded 'Best Passenger Model Car of the Year' for the Proton Saga for its excellence and reliability.
