Top auto news of the week: 2022 Proton Saga, Lexus NX launched, 2022 Range Rover Sport revealed and more

This week, we enjoyed a quite busy momentum in the Malaysian automotive industry with two important launches; one falls in the affordable category while the other has all the luxuries to offer. At the same time, a few updated models were also revealed overseas. Here, we bring all the major happenings of the week that you may have missed out on:

2022 Proton Saga launched: Proton has finally introduced the latest version of the Saga compact sedan this week. It is the second facelift update for the third-generation Saga that adds a handful of new, modern features to the list. The latest Saga comes in 4 variants - Standard MT, Standard AT, Premium AT, and Premium S AT. The price starts at RM 34,400.

Also read: 2022 Proton Saga: Variants explained

2022 Lexus NX launched: After a long wait, Lexus’s compact luxury crossover NX also made its way to our shores this week. It is available in two variants - NX 250 Luxury and NX 350 F-Sport, priced at RM 370,888 and RM 389,888. It rivals the likes of the Mercedes GLC, Volvo XC60 and BMW X3.

Proton confirmed three new cars: Another major happening of the week was Proton’s confirmation of three all-new car launches in the next two years. Although, it did not unveil their names, here’s our guess on the matter.

Toyota & Proton sales report: The local automaker has also unveiled their April sales numbers. UMW Toyota witnessed a hike of 11% over April 2021 year-to-date figures while Proton saw a month-on-month dip of 32.3%. The latter was critically impacted with semiconductor chip shortage. 

Also read: Can the Malaysian auto industry survive the chip shortage?

Honda BR-V received an update: While we are eagerly waiting for the new Honda BR-V launch, the automaker gave a small update to the existing model. Two new shades are added to the SUV’s colour palette viz. Meteoroid Gray Metallic and Ignite Red Metallic.

Chery Tiggo 7 Pro launch confirmed: With the Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro already on the Chery upcoming cars list, we have now received the confirmation on the Tiggo 7 Pro launch in Malaysia. This mid-range SUV will rival the likes of the Proton X70 and Honda CR-V.

Harley Davidson online store: The premium motorcycle company, Harley Davidson, has started taking bookings on Lazada eCommerce platform. However, only two H-D bikes are listed on the platform currently, which are MY21 Sportster S and MY21 Pan America 1250 Standard.

MotoPlex Petaling Jaya store opened: A new motorcycle showroom has opened up at Petaling Jaya with bikes from four premium two-wheel brands on offer. These include Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Aprilia, and Vespa.

International updates

2022 Range Rover Sport revealed: The upgraded version of the agile and dynamic Ranger Rover Sport has revealed this week. The latest model sports a bolder style, a more opulent cabin, cleaner engines, better suspension and off-road cruise control. Land Rover has also confirmed the arrival of the Range Rover Sport EV in 2024.

Mazda MX-30 gets an update: The arrival of the Mazda MX-30 is earmarked for Malaysia, but while we are still waiting for it, the EV has received an update in the European market. The Europe-spec model gets a charging speed bump and a few other small revisions. 

Bentley Bentayga EWB revealed: Bentley has introduced a new iteration of its best-selling Bentayga, called Bentayga EWB (Extended Wheelbase). The wheelbase of the car measures 3,175 mm i.e. 180 mm longer than the standard model. Check out the other luxurious features of the Bentayga EWB here.

BMW iX1 undergoes final testing: This week, we also received an update on the development of the BMW iX1. The EV is now in the final stage of testing under extreme weather conditions. It will hit the roads shortly after the debut of the next-gen BMW X1 later this year.

That's all for the week. Stay tuned with us for all the latest auto updates.

Also read: 5 Most fuel-efficient cars in Malaysia today