About Proton Saga

The Proton Saga is a subcompact car, formerly a compact car manufactured by Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton since September 1985. The name "Saga" was chosen from the winner of the contest which was held to choose the first car's name, Ismail Jaafar,[1] a retired military soldier. This name was derived from "saga" (Abrus precatorius), which is a type of soft, fragile, oily, highly combustible but productive seed commonly found in Malaysia, and incidentally, the Proton Saga 1.3 litre engine "is as strong as the saga seed".

The Saga and its variants contribute to most of Proton's sales and revenues since its introduction. For nearly 22 years, the first-generation Saga is the longest surviving Proton model to date, ahead of its mid size car, the Proton Perdana. The original Saga model was originally based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore to avoid R&D costs, and retained it throughout its production lifespan. In 2008, a long overdue successor designed in-house by Proton was launched to conceal the aging platform. In August of that year, the 3 millionth car produced by Proton was a second generation Proton Saga.

Engine and Performance

The new Saga is powered by the same 1.3-litre Cam pro engine (which was co-designed with Lotus) that is fitted to entry-level Gen-2s. Like other Proton models powered by Proton's own Cam pro 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.[5] The engines feature the new Integrated Air-Fuel Module (IAFM) which varies the airflow into the engine to improve efficiency, smartening out the problematic dip in the torque curve in the lower and middle rev ranges. The ignition system has also been updated with coil-on-plugs instead of the traditional ignition cable system, eliminating power loss. Compared to the (non-IAFM) 1.3-litre in the Satria Neo, power delivery characteristics are remarkably different. Noticeable torque is felt after 2,500 rpm all the way to 4,000 rpm.[5] The acceleration to highway speeds is good. The 5-speed manual from Aichi Kikai is not 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.[5] 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 and hold its stance through corners without much under steering.[5] Fuel economy is even better, approximately 6 L/100 km (47 mpg-imp; 39 mpg-US) for the manual transmission.[5]

Besides the 1.3L engine option, the 1.6-liter Cam pro version is also available as an exclusive engine option for taxi operators. It also features IAFM and produces 114 hp (85 kW; 116 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 148 N·m (109 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm. 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. However, the car is not equipped with ABS.