2019 Proton Saga - Top alternative

Proton is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in Malaysia. It has been around for many years now and knows the market inside out. It is known for providing value-for-money cars and one such product is the 2019 Saga. It is one of the most affordable sedans that you can buy in the country right now.

Proton worked very hard for many years to update its Saga. And once it had all the information it needed, it launched the new 2019 Saga with new features at very tempting and aggressive pricing.

The 2019 Proton Saga price starts at RM 32,800 for its Standard MT variant. Even its range-topping Premium AT variant retails at RM 39,800. These are unbelievable prices and when you bring the features into the picture, things become even more interesting.

And at these prices, the Proton Saga doesn’t actually face direct heat from other cars, however, the Perodua Brezza can be considered as a good alternative.

Dimensions

Measurements	2019 Proton Saga	Perodua Bezza
Length	4331 mm	4150 mm
Width	1689 mm	1620 mm
Height	1491 mm	1510 mm
Wheelbase	2465 mm	2455 mm

The Saga is longer and wider than the Bezza. It also has a longer wheelbase. This means that the interior space in the Saga should be better than that of the Bezza. Even though both the cars are 5-seaters, it should be the Proton Saga that would be slightly more comfortable for seating three people at the back.

Exterior

Is Proton Saga a better-looking car when compared to the Perodua Bezza?

Ans. We would like to leave this to you to decide. However, we would like to add that none of the two cars looks like an entry-level sedan. Features like a chrome grille, fog lamps, chrome door handle, LED turn signals, etc., can be found in these cars.

Exterior Features	2019 Proton Saga	Perodua Bezza
Headlamps	Halogen	Halogen with auto-off
LED DRLs	Y	N
Electric door mirrors	Manual fold w/ LED signals	Retractable w/ turn signals
Rear spoiler	Y	N
Side skirting	N	Y
Wheels	15-in	14-in

Interior

One of the biggest interior changes that the new 2019 Proton Saga has received is the new 7-in touch screen floating display which supports Bluetooth connectivity and has 16 GB of internal storage. It also has steering-mounted controls and a reverse camera.

In the Bezza, there’s a multimedia system with navigation and GPS options along with the “Smart Link’ feature that allows you to connect your Android smartphone with the system.

Interior Features	2019 Proton Saga	Perodua Bezza
Steering wheel w/ audio switches	Y	Y
MID	LCD	Y
Eco-drive assist	Y	Y
No of speakers	4	4
Seat material	Fabric	Leather
Power windows	Y	Y

Engine

What remains the same in the 2019 Proton Saga specs sheet is its engine. The sedan continues to draw power from the same 1.3-litre naturally aspirated engine which produces 95 hp of max power and 120 Nm of peak torque. Proton replaced its CVT unit with the new Hyundai-sourced 4-speed torque converter.

On the other hand, the Perodua Bezza specs list two engine options - 1.0-litre with 67 hp and 91 Nm of torque, and a more powerful 1.3-litre engine with 90 hp and 121 Nm of torque. The latter one competes with the Saga’s 1.3-litre engine.

	2019 Proton Saga	Perodua Bezza 1.0	Perodua Bezza 1.3
Engine displacement	1332 cc	998 cc	1329 cc
Max power	95 PS at 5750	67 hp at 6000 rpm	95 hp at 6000 rpm
Max torque	120 Nm at 4000  rpm	91 Nm 4400 rpm	121 Nm at 4000 rpm
Transmission	5 MT / 4 AT	5 MT / 4 E-AT	5 MT / 4 E-AT

Safety

When it comes to safety, don’t expect any of the two cars to feature high-end or advanced safety features. But they do get the necessary ones like ABS, EBD, traction control, airbags, etc. And these safety nets were more than enough to get a 4-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating to the Saga and a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating to Bezza.

Safety Features	2019 Proton Saga	Perodua Bezza
Front SRS airbags	Y	Y
ABS	Y	Y
EBD	Y	Y
BA	Y	Y
Stability control	Y	Y
Traction control	Y	Y

The Perodua Bezza gives a tough competition to the latest Proton Saga. However, the latter offers almost the same features at a lesser price as the Bezza price starts at RM 34,490. Talking about price, if you can spend a bit more then you can even consider the Proton Persona.

Also read: Proton announces sales performance for September 2019