Over 2 million Saga has been sold since 1985. Here is Proton’s vehicle to add to that

Proton Holdings Bhd has officially launched the third generation Proton Saga 1.3L, the company’s second vehicle launch in just as many months designed to spear Proton back into the game.

“We have certainly come a long way since the introduction of the first Saga, over 30 years ago. A lot of improvements, enhancements and refinements have gone into the making of the New Saga and we believe the New Saga will appeal to all Malaysians especially those looking to buy a car for the first time or as a practical second car. We have incorporated a stylish design, practicality, safety, convenience and comfort into the country’s best value for money sedan,” said Dato’ Ahmad Fuaad Kenali, Chief Executive Officer of Proton.

The New Saga comes in 3 variants – Standard (MT & CVT), Executive and Premium with prices starting from RM36,800 to RM45,800 in Peninsular Malaysia.

The New Saga is fitted with 1.3L VVT engine in all its variants, replacing the IAFM engine that was used in the earlier generation. The adoption of the VVT technology in the car significantly improves its performance in terms of acceleration and fuel consumption. The new VVT engine will give a lower fuel consumption by 12% -14%.

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The car will be able to achieve 5.4L/100km compared with 6.0L/100km previously on the MT variant and 5.6L/100km compared with 6.3L/100km previously on the CVT variant, when driven at 90 km/h. The New Saga is also fitted with an Eco-Drive Assist, to guide drivers to maintain an economical driving pattern.

In terms of dynamic performance, the new engine can achieve better acceleration for 0-100kph for the MT variant at 12.2 seconds (0.8 seconds quicker) and 13.1 seconds (1.4 seconds quicker) for the CVT variant respectively.

Owners of the New Saga will also experience a quieter cabin as the change to the 3-point engine mounting has resulted in a reduction of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels.

The New Saga is also longer and wider at 4331mm or 74mm longer in terms of length and at 1689mm or 9mm wider in terms of width respectively which provides longer legroom and wider rear seats to provide more superior cabin comfort than its predecessor. The car also provides larger luggage space of 420L compared with 413L previously which can easily fit in two medium-sized and two small-sized luggage.

As an entry level car, the New Saga has also achieved many other improvements to provide more comfort and convenience to the customers. It is fitted with 2 rear USB chargers, radio/CD/MP3, Bluetooth connectivity, 10 compartments, 2 cup holders, 4 bottle holders, driver seat height adjuster, tilt steering adjuster, foldable rear seat for all the variants. For style, the new Saga is fitted with 2-piece rear combi lamp and rear fog lamp and for the Executive and Premium variants they are fitted with more sporty features such as spoilers and alloy wheels.

Consistent with PROTON’s drive to provide a safer car to its customers, the New Saga achieved an improved rating of 4-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating across all its variants compared with 3-stars rating previously. The Premium variant is further enhanced with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TC), Hill-Hold Assist (HHA) as well as the reverse camera.

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