Review: Proton Saga Premium – setting a higher standard for budget cars

In Malaysia, the A-segment car market is currently dominated by our very own local car brands, Proton and Perodua. Foreign brands, such as Hyundai and Kia, the i10 and the Picanto, have shot their shot at competing in the segment but have since disappeared, crushed by much more affordable compact city cars like the Proton Saga, the Perodua Bezza, and the Perodua Axia.

In recent times, the Perodua Bezza has been the de facto choice of an affordable sedan for Malaysians, but the Proton Saga MC3 might change that. It comes in three variants, with a starting price of RM 38,990 (OTR without insurance), excluding insurance. The Premium variant, which is the highest variant, brought an abundance of car features that have never been seen among its competition. Naturally, it costs more at RM 49,990. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Proton Saga Premium.

The Proton Saga Premium at a glance:

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder DVVT (i-GT)
Transmission: Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT)
Max. Power: 120 PS
Max. Torque: 150 Nm
Drivetrain: Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
Price: RM 49,990

Proton Saga Premium exterior - New design on a proven chassis

It is no secret that most recent Proton models are rebadged Geely models with a few changes here and there to better suit Malaysian roads and well, Malaysians. However, with the Proton Saga Premium, a rebadged Geely, it is not. It is built on the Advanced Modular Architecture (AMA platform), which is an evolution of the platform that underpins the previous Proton Sagas. Basically, it has the same hardpoints, the same wheelbase, and roof line as the Proton Saga BLM from 2008. In fact, the platform originates from an elongated Proton Savvy.

Focusing back on the Proton Saga Premium, the front exterior features a ‘Sulaman Songket’ grille design, paired with a set of bright Auto LED projector headlamps with daytime running lights. The projector headlamps’ level can also be adjusted from the inside. At the rear, a full-width LED taillight bar instantly catches people’s attention, especially when illuminated at night. The premium exterior goodies also include features like Follow Me Home lights and auto-folding door mirrors.

The bold front and rear design of the Proton Saga Premium does take a bit of time to get used to. It is certainly a neck breaker, but looking from the side, it’s a bit flawed. Since it was built on the same platform as the previous Proton Saga, albeit improved from before, the side profile tries very hard to blend new-age design with the old roof line.

Proton Saga Premium interior - Complete in its class

Here’s the thing with A-segment cars: cramped interiors. However, that is not a flaw per se because it’s a compact city car. Stepping inside, a huge 16-inch integrated dual screen instantly catches your eyes. It houses the 9-inch head unit display and the 7-inch meter cluster display. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity available.

A revamped cabin design features a wave pattern design on the door cards and instrument panel, and a ‘Congkak’ motif air vent design. The flat-bottomed leatherette wrapped steering wheel taken from the Proton X50 gives a sporty addition, with adaptive cruise control buttons missing. Push start button are on the right-hand side, lined together with the door mirrors adjuster and headlamps levelling for easy access. There is a USB port situated on the lower dashboard, which is not ideal as the cable can get tangled with your knee.

The leatherette seats are decent, but one thing to note is that you will sit quite high on these. From my experience, you can feel that you are looking down on the meter cluster, even with the seat adjusted at its lowest height. The driver’s seat is manually adjustable in six ways. Height adjustment is with a lever instead of the dreadful rotating knob, exclusive to the Premium variant.

The rear cabin feels more spacious than expected, and the rear seats are quite comfortable and can be folded down in one piece. The rear seats also come with adjustable headrests, a commodity for full-spec A-segment cars nowadays. A slight nitpick is the absence of an air conditioner blower for the rear passengers, but this is common for A-segment cars. The rear boot space is decently spacious at 420 litres, equipped with a luggage lamp. The rear boot itself has an upward lip design incorporated into it and features a release button (for Premium variant) between the number plate lights. However, the boot does not open high or wide enough, so be aware not to hit your head when reaching your luggage.

Proton Saga Premium driving experience - A secured driving experience for a small car

An A-segment city car should be the easiest car to drive in an urban environment, and the Proton Saga Premium does not disappoint. The driving experience is nimble and concise due to its relatively light body weight paired with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine. Road noise was surprisingly good for a small car, despite being equipped with the 185/55 R15-sized Linglong Atlas AS380 tyres.

The steering wheel is now electrically assisted, useful when making a tight three-point turn in a city environment. The CVT gearbox is adequate, able to get the Proton Saga Premium up to speed when cruising on the highway or when going uphill. However, the throttle response feels delayed, especially when moving from a stationary position. It will take some time for you to get used to it, but the assumption is that the tuning was done to reduce jerkiness.

One of the highlights for the Proton Saga Premium is the inclusion of the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), which consists of a few safety features that you wouldn’t normally get with other A-segment vehicles. Despite the warning sounds being loud and annoying, it’s still a surreal feeling given that its direct competitor still doesn’t give these things.

Here are the safety features equipped with the Proton Saga Premium:

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
Front Departure Alert (FDA)
Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Lane Change Assist (LCA)
Rear Collision Warning (RCW)
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Door Opening Warning (DOW)
6 SRS Airbags

Proton Saga Premium fuel consumption - 7.11 l/100km

We drove the Proton Saga Premium from a full tank to an almost empty tank, and we managed to drive it for 453 km. Refuelling it back to a full tank suggested we used 32.254 litres of fuel, which costs RM 64.19 with subsidised RON95. This means we managed a fuel consumption rate of 7.11 l/100km.

Verdict

The Proton Saga Premium provides an elevated A-segment vehicle experience, with its ADAS safety features and enough maximum power for long-distance driving. Granted, these premium features are exclusive to the top-spec Premium variant; the lower variants do not receive ADAS, only 2 airbags, no auto-folding door mirrors, and are equipped with a 4-speed automatic, among others.