Proton Saga Plus – The Good and Bad side

Kuala Lumpur: Proton stormed the Malaysian auto market two weeks ago revealing their all new trim level Saga Plus. This much-anticipated car was welcomed with massive appreciation among the car enthusiasts. Proton Saga Plus is an all new variant that replaces all previous Saga FLX models, loaded with the features of Saga Executive while retaining the price tag of Saga SV. This car is officially available at all the Proton showrooms across the country. So, we decided to craft a basic idea around the car, to see what exactly Proton is offering in Saga Plus for the same money as the old SV.

Proton Saga Plus is basically an entry level sedan in the body of an SV while features like a bootlid spoiler, body-coloured bodykit and 14-inch six-spoke alloy wheels of the Executive range of Saga. So, Proton here is trying to sell a cheap replacement of its higher end executive range models like the Executive and SE.

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Well, the features are highly compromised with this price tag. This Saga no longer features the fog lights or exhaust pipe finisher, also the door mirrors come with manual adjustment so no electric adjustment or any kind of internal stalks to adjust it. The door handles remain unpainted and overall interior looks more plastic than any other element.

Saga Plus also lacks the leather upholstery, silver-painted internal door pulls and reduced ergonomics like Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel controls, which were available in its pricier sibling executive. The thrifty price tag took away a bit from the car's safety too, as there is no ABS, although three-point seatbelts and dual airbags are still a standard addition to the car.

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Proton's latest offering is similarly powered by the 1.3 litres Campro IAFM four-cylinder engine producing 94 hp and 120 Nm, coupled with a choice of transmission remaining five-speed manual transmission or a Punch-sourced CVT automatic. But, the Saga lost its 1.5 litre FLX variant which was popular among those who needed more power in their sedan.

As we have mentioned earlier, the prices for the new variant are same as of the Saga SV, the manual transmission goes for RM33,242 (solid) and RM33,719 (metallic), while the CVT transmission can be owned by shelling out RM36,099 for solid colour and RM36,576 for metallic, OTR with insurance. Proton Saga Plus comes with a three-year/100,000 km warranty(whatever comes first).