2007 Proton Satria Neo

If your going to the Brisbane Motor Show, make sure you check out the new 2007 Proton Satria Neo three door hatch. The second generation Satria will be launched onto the Australian market in February alongside the Brisbane Motorshow.

“Brisbane is and has always been our strongest market and we are always enthusiastic about being at the Brisbane Motor Show, we launched the popular Jumbuck Ute at the Brisbane Show four years ago with fantastic results and we are looking forward to showcasing the new Satria Neo this year,” said John Startari.

The Malaysian government owned Proton (who also own Lotus) have put the starting price for the Satria Neo will hit at $18,990 drive away. The Satria Neo will be powered by Proton’s 1.6-litre Campro twin cam multi-valve engine with 82kw of power.

So whats the verdict? Ugly? Hmm hard to say yet, I am definitely not a fan of those alloys, but apart from that, the headlights that project the company’s ‘tiger eye’ family design are starting to grow on me. Of course Proton are calling it the best and prettiest car they’ve ever built.

“Satria Neo will be entering the small three door hatch sector of the market which is a niche that is under contested in the Australian market, we have formulated pricing to be in line with Proton’s policy of providing value for money, fully equipped cars at strong pricing levels,” he said.

It will mean the new Satria will be packed with standard equipment and will be pitched with a starting price of $18,990 driveaway, the previous Satria provided both our price leader and also our premium product with the GTi so we had a broad spread of buyers, however the new car’s sporty looks and handling will mean that a high proportion purchased will be by young male buyers.

“The Satria Neo will be sold fully equipped with extras such as reverse sensors and ABS brakes standard across the range. Proton Cars Australia managing director, Mr John Startari

Standard equipment will include

• twin airbags,
• air-conditioning,
• electric windows,
• central locking
• power mirrors,

The car will be available with a choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The Satria is still front wheel drive. The new hatch sits on a 2440mm wheelbase with a 1470mm front and rear track while its exterior dimensions feature an overall length of 3905mm, height of 1420mm and width of 1710mm.

There are two types of Satrias. The Satria Neo GX and The Satria Neo GXR. The high end model GXR will feature 16-inch alloy wheels and ride on 195/50/R16 88V Continental SportContact-2 tyres. Satria Neo’s front suspension features MacPherson struts while there is a multi-link configuration with anti-sway bar at the rear.

For a car costing less than 20,000, this is a pretty decent deal! Of course It all comes down to how it drives, but at least on paper, with safety features such as

• ABS anti lock brakes featuring large front ventilated discs and solid rear discs
• electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
• SRS airbags
• seat belt pre-tensioners

It seems like Proton has picked up the slack a little bit. Proton are happy to admit that the Satria not only meets the current ADR crash test standards but also exceeds it. Proton says that the body of the new car is nearly twice as strong as the previous Satria and has a torsion rigidity of 13,300Nm per degree and a bending rigidity of 14,000Nm per millimetre. What does that really mean? Much better safety incase of an impact and less body roll.

In terms of Stereo equipment, the satria will come standard with a Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD/ MP3 audio system, which interfaces with a CD changer or iPod and is fully integrated into the Satria’s dash.