Proton brings forward release of Australia’s cheapest sedan
July 7, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Proton has confirmed the release of Australia’s lowest priced sedan for October this year to coincide with its new lower cost entry variants across the entire Proton passenger car range.
The new low-cost sedan was originally slated for early 2010 but will now be brought to market four months early as part of a cost efficiency onslaught from the Malaysian car maker.
The new car, based on the Malaysian Saga sedan, will have an all new name for the Australian market – yet to be announced – and will come to market with a sub-$13,000 price tag.
Available at first with Proton’s 1.6-litre Campro engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox it will be offered in standard automatic guise, albeit with a smaller engine option, from February 2010.
The rest of the new lower cost Proton models will be introduced during November 2009 and will position Proton as an economy leader in the new car market.
“Along with our new price leading sedan, economy car buyers will be able to take advantage of Proton’s trademark Lotus engineered handling as well as our acknowledged reliability along with lower prices right across the range,” said John Startari, Managing Director of Proton Cars Australia. “Our plan is to champion the value proposition without sacrificing safety, quality and reliability and that has been particularly attractive to the new dealers who we have been recruiting.
“Clearly there will be new low cost brands entering the market in the coming months, however Proton’s strength is that it has been in this market for close to 15 years and is a factory owned operation with the full backing of our parent company in Malaysia. Product, pricing and marketing support have received major boosts from our parent company to ensure that we have the tools to expand our market share in this country.
“With a lower cost sporty Satria Neo, Gen2 and Persona as well as the entry level sedan, Proton will have a very structured range of cars with more variants covering the market from sub $13,000 to a shade over $20,000.
“Proton has already recruited a number of new dealers and they have told us that they had considered taking on other low cost brands but did not want to take the risk with brands that do not have an established record in Australia. There are more than 25,000 Protons on Australian roads and we believe we can now take the brand to a higher level.”
Proton was established in 1983, and is Malaysia’s largest car manufacturer. With operations in key markets including the UK, Western Europe, the Middle East and across South-East Asia and Australasia, Proton produces a range of cars from versatile and reliable four-door family sedans to sporty three-door hatchbacks and utilities, and is also the parent company of world-renowned sports car maker, Lotus.
Proton’s promise is to be a marque which builds cars with passion and soul which are a delight to drive and a pleasure to own.
To read about our long term Proton, click here.
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Theres a reason its Australia’s cheapest, is because it doesnt have much kit. Although the boys on Top Gear Oz seem to be pleased with their proton.
Cheap and good or cheap and nasty?
Is this based on an ancient Lancer again?
People will buy this based on price alone.
I’d rather see more of these on the road than really old smoky Excels, Lancers or Lasers
Hmmmm. If there is a car that wants to make the Honda City look like a mega rip off then this would be it. AAA has hit the nail on the head though is it cheap and nasty or cheap and cheerful…? 13k is a long way from 25k for a City…
Kinda makes it hard for the Chinese. Protons have never been “Bad” cars (apart from rusty turrets on persona / wira) just old designs and previously over priced and under engined. If they fix those two factors then they deserve a second look.
Wira’s were a good drive, just not quick. Satria GTi’s screamed out foe over 120kw’s and the 1.5 engined Persona was a laugh for the dollars, but drove nicely in a very sedate way.
Must be real frightened of the soon to arrive Chinese, and gut feeling last attempt at Aussie market.
Their is cheap and their is value, 2 different things.
Under $10k is where it needs to be.
Whats the bet it still sells in tiny numbers?
The ONLY solution i see is ditch Proton and slap on Lotus badge, bit dratic but could turn it around….
Cheers
F-0
F-O that would actually work, but then they would have reason to price it over 30 000 and just slap on a badge saying handling by Lotus.
I think the Saga is a direct desendant of a late 80’s Mits Colt as the Jumbuck is desended from a Mits Lancer.
Could be interesting with a sub $13,000 price tag, you could buy a Honda City, or two Proton (Saga?)’s for the same money. It may be possible the car may be light enough to make the 1.6 motor a reasonable performer.
Many of the intellegencia who judge products by how cutting edge they are in design and tech will sneer at this cars old tech and obsolete styling. I suspect that a great portion of the “non-beautiful people” will see this as a cheap traditionally shaped car. Also a great price for a students car.
Like the Hyundai Excell of the mid 90’s this car could put a lot of drivers of 15 plus year old cars behind the wheel of a new car. While its safety rating will probably be low, It would be safer and more reliable than a 20 year old burnt out H.O.S.
The new saga was engineered from the ground up from scratch. The only part with non-proton input was the gearbox (it’s some reliable japanese one).
Many would definitely buy and interested in this car because of its price tag. Well that’s understandable due to economy nowadays…still even if its cheap, surely it’s a good car.
This will be a good little car for the price. This model has been evolving for over ten odd years. This would be a better buy than any rebadged /recycled Daewoo. Badge snobs can go pay twice the price for other similar sized cars that do the same job.
I reckon bring back a basic car with electric mirrors and leave the excess crap for other models. Drivers with spindly arms can buy versions with electric motors to wind their windows and adjust their seats among other things.
My advise is not to buy this $13000 junk. this car might look slightly better compared to chinese products.
It is based on ugly Proton Savvy’s chassis.
The quality of Proton’s cars is far behind Korean. Check out how Jeremy Clarkson comments on Proton cars in TOP GEAR UK.
Proton can survive in Malaysia is because the goverment put on 100 – 300% taxes on all imported cars in Malaysia.
Proton cars should be more expensive in Australia if you consider all the import fees. Apparently the price of all proton cars are more expensive in Malaysia.
The funny thing is the dumb Malaysian goverment still backing up this stupid manufacturer by setting quotas and taxes for all imported cars in Malaysia.
Check the link below for the prices in Malaysia
http://www.proton.com.my/
Dear Australian Readers: Please excuse this deluded malaysian poster. He probably think that you could buy a Honda City for the price of a Saga in malaysia if proton didnt exist. He is deluded.
Proton cars have no tax advantage in thailand/indonesia, and are more expensive in thailand/indonesia than in malaysia…yet they are still cheaper than all the japanese and continental cars.
Proton cars have always been more expensive overseas. The malaysian govt does tax foreign cars, but at the end of the day, the price of the hondas, toyotas and continentals are still more expensive in our two neighbours (thailand / singapore) compared to malaysia.
Note that australian prices you see online DOES NOT INCLUDE OTR costs. A 17k Jazz ends up being about $22-23k OTR with insurance, rego, plates and shipping.
Proton has become substantially more reliable since a new CEO took over, and their new models seem promising. Dont discount them just yet.
And suddenly Holden’s Barina seems like a good proposition.
cheap yes, good-i’m not so sure. For many years, Malaysian consumers have put up with poorly made cars such as wira, savvy, tiara, gen2 and perdana. the waja was decent and now the new saga. i’m told it’s decent to drive around. A quick look inside will tell you the interior is made of poor quality plastics.
So, sub $13,000 for 1.6 campro in Oz is cheaper than in homeland and surely is a bargain on face value. While the campro engine has been generally well received, the gearbox has had its fair share of problems- most breakdowns occuring after 3-4 years. Apart from waja, the rest of proton’s line up have poor safety record. Given the condition of proton cars involved in accidents, it will perform poorly in crash testing. To put in proper perspective, most protons sold locally do not have airbags nor abs. None of proton’s cars have traction control nor esp.
$13k probably doesnt include OTR costs. A $17.5k Jazz ends up being $22k OTR with insurance. So please dont harp on the $13k figure just yet. Im betting it will be closer to the indonesian price of AUD$16k.
If i ahd to choose between this and the Daewoo\Holden Barina………..i wouldnt buy either one as I value mine and my families lives too much!! Another cheap and nasty death trap on our roads. Why do the Government let crap like this into the country?
Again for all of you who talk abotu how many stars this will get in ANCAP, heed my next sentence!!!!!!
IT IS A SMALL CAR! IF IT IS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AGAINST A BIGGER CAR THE NUMBER OF STARS WILL NOT HELP YOU!
If you dont believe me google the following headline
[" IIHS Small Car Test: Three Gruesome Slow-Motion Crash Videos " ]
This car will have it’s place, much like the original X3 Excel did when it was selling for $14990 with $2000 cash back. Not great cars but they have their place in the big scheme of things.
i see some disgrace malaysian gave a sshit comment here. Hey malaysian, i think australian ppl here have their own opinion and brain , thought and consideration of things. They dont need ur shits here. Let they see the car and let them alone decide if the car worth their money or not. I dont know why some malaysians like to bullshit their own country??
btw about Saga, the wannabe cheapest sedan in australia, actually it has just won a 2009 Frost&sullivan award for best model of the year ( in small sedan segment i guess ).
Yeah, its not the best car, but its not bad at all, i would say it is just a decent car with cheap price. You get what you paid.
and yes its from savvy chasis, no japanese related chasis at all.
wait for it, see it, try it, then take it or throw it, just dont hear to any malaysian who talk shit about proton, because they are sick ppl who cant afford luxurios car then they blame Proton about it.
okey good luck
Hi Disgrace
Have you ever driven a Proton? Look mate, I don’t give shit about Proton for no reason. Apart from other cars, me, my family and close friends have all driven Protons. I now drive a Lexus RX350 after owing a Volvo S80 T6, S70 and so on. See, your comment that we condemn Proton because we cannot afford better cars is NOT TRUE.
Try driving a Savvy. My sister-in-law owns one & I can tell you it is absolute trash. The transmission is so poorly tuned to the engine that it jerks when the car is on low gear. Have you heard of the infamous national joke about power windows of Proton. It never fails to fail. Have you heard about Proton bumpers. My wife’s Renault was rammed from behind by a Proton Tiara. The Proton bumper fell off, head light smashed and the bonnet folded. What happened to the Renault? Yes, you guessed right. Only scratches.
One of my staff had to leave his Gen2 in the repair yard as the gearbox broke down during the 3rd year with 60,000km on the clock. Stories about Proton Perdana crashed gearbox is common. I too used to drive a company Proton Perdana. Despite being new, 2nd and 3rd gear slips occassionally. Send it to Proton and they tell you it’s normal.
No. I’m not forcing down my opinion. Just sharing my ownership experience.
Moral of the story : Don’t jump to conclusion.
Accidents are really quite unfortunate.
I’ve been involved in an accident myself. I rammed a larger car (2.4L sedan) with my small car (1.5L hatch). My car only had to have the front bumper and a few panels/headlamps replaced. The larger sedan, costing about $26k (insurance compensated thankfully) was sent to the scrap yard.
Lesson: Accidents are a really poor judge of quality. Some parts of cars are designed to come off and absorb crash impact. The type of accident also matters. I hit the large sedan on the front axel at 90 degrees. It ruined it’s drivetrain and engine mount etc.
But i’ll agree with you though: The Tiara was a crappy car. It’s not even really a proton, just some rebadged continetal budget car.
My family’s experience with proton has been completely different from yours. So far, our proton sedan has been far cheaper to maintain than the japanese and continental makes we have recently owned. Say what you want about gearboxes failing. Ours died at around 300,000km…and a (recond) replacement only cost AUD$2k, and the car is running like new. The continental car we owned cost four to five times more to repair/maintain over the same period of time / mileage.
Built down to a price, not up to a standard.
Milkyway – I think you should judge the merits of any car based on the actual car, not by its badge. If THIS car drives well, reliable and cheap, why should it be not considered?
I mean I would avoid the last gen of Hyundai or Kia cars, but what a difference half a decade has made! Perhaps Proton is about to make the same leap — unlikely but still I wouldn’t judge a book by the cover.
The thing is if Proton doesn’t make it now, it won’t have another chance with all Chinese cars coming over here, but desperation can do wonders sometimes.
PS: Proton should offer 7 year warranty to move some units in this uncertain economic times.
Guys, you guys deserve better than this. There are many sedans in Australia that you can choose from.
The only good thing I can say about the Saga is that it is a spacious car for its size. Everything else about it is just cheap and nasty.
I say at least try the car first. $13k. Why not?
The other sedans in australia cost at least $20k on the road for basic manual versions.
Malaysians are a deluded bunch, they all think that a City/Yaris would cost the same as a Saga in malaysia if proton didnt exist. How s7upid. Proton has always made cheap cars. Even without any government protection a City/Yaris will still be significantly more expensive… as in the case with Thailand/Indonesia/Australia/Britain/etc.
Hi Disgrace,
Go for a test drive, TRY IT YOURSELF!!!
Looking forward to hear from you.
Yeah, you can see how some malaysians poop shits everywhere, Please go shit in malaysian forum.
Let australian ppl alone see the thing with their eyes and touch the cheap junk car with their own hands. Its better to them to judge the car by theirself and then hate it and scrap it by theirself.
Malaysian pls STFU and if u dont satisfy with ur own country and proton, just shout at them and not here! Got it?
It is plain obvious that Disgrace here is a Malaysian who is not too pleased that the national car project, Proton, attracts so much negativity in Australia.
I am Malaysian too and I apologise to the uncouth language he/she uses and the painfully inadequate grammar skills that readers here have to put up with. Sad to say, just like our beloved Proton, we do have a large proportion of cheap and nasty people with cheap and nasty English to go with our cheap and nasty cars!
In Malaysia, a 1.3 litre Saga retails are around RM35k without airbags and without ABS. A Hyundai Accent 1.5 retails at RM69k. A Suzuki Swift 1.5 sells at RM70k. A Honda Jazz 1.5 retails at RM101k. A Toyota Camry 2.0 retails at RM145k. So now we all know why Proton does so well in Malaysia.
Now, if Proton manages to sell the Saga at AUD13k, you only need to move up to AUD15k to get more options. Moving up to AUD17k or AUD20k gets you tonnes more cars to choose from.
Believe it or not, the swift and accent are pretty much the same price over here in australia once OTR costs are included.
Realistically, the next step up from $13k (likely $15k) would be $20k, the league of the three door manual Yaris. That’s still quite a hike.
Nope, i’m egyptian, we have proton here especially gen2 and waja,, Yes Proton not the best cars, but most of them are value for money and they keep growing on me now.
I think proton cars are great in it class. i’m happy with proton.
and i’ve said the rude things to some malaysians because i’ve seen them always cursing their country/ proton and urge other not to buy proton, what the hell was that?? show ur loyal to ur contry atleast. If you didnt happy with proton, just stop buying it and let others judge it by theirself but some of u are very sick, blame protons for tax and bla bla bla..Pls go check car price in singapore.. and come to egypt to see cars prices here and you will know u are very lucky in malaysia.
We here in egypt have about 16 automotive assemblers since 1960s .. but none of them able to make even a cars tyre until now !!
Just be gratefull my fellow malaysian and proud of ur struggle proton and country, it wont hurt u. if u are unable to support by buying their products, just shut up ur mouth. thats better. We have our thought and consideration of things too. we dont need ur statement and bashing to brainwash our mind.
Good Luck.
Disgrace,
I’m sorry to say you’re missing the point here. This site is for people to state their views so it’s okay to express your opinion and past experience. If everyone were to shut up, then we might as well live in North Korea where the radio & TV has only one button-on/off.
Yes, I agree with you that we should not run down a product, a country or a marque. But I think people must be allowed to express themselves so long as they stay within the topic. It’s just my point of view. Cheers.
Protons make good cars too. Me, my wife, my daughter and son drive Protons. All trouble free. The new Saga is partly made of High Tensile Steel, so it is quite a strong car. CPS technolgy si similar to the variocam in Porche. And all Proton cars use Lotus ride and handling, thus corners like they are on rails.
In Indonesia auto market, New Proton Saga sale at price Rp. 125 Mills (Manual)= AUD 16,250 and just launch on March 2009.
http://indonesia-cars.com/452/.....0-million/
I have uploaded some video of PROTON SAGA Electric Vehicle (EV) cars..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0N1Uzz53es
watch it on minute 2:25.. the prototype of PROTON SAGA EV
Malaysian, i mean a guy using this nickname,
U’RE SUCH A DISGRACE TO OUR MALAYSIANS COMMUNITY.. I DRIVE A PROTON, AND I HAPPY WITH IT…
LOL , had to laugh about the comment about poor quality plastics on dash boards earlier, milkyways obviously never had a look in an earlier 3 series BMW before, i just luv it when ppl talk about quality who have no F#&*@ ing clue what the word means and how it applies to such an item ! !
OH AND WHILE IM on the topic , 99% of ppl wouldnt know what a good quality plastic looks like on a dash board , but they will all tell you they do !
I think I’ve only ever felt “good” quality plastic (im not sure if it’s even plastic) on cars that cost upwards of $40k (RM120k). The plastic used in protons is similar to that used in the baseline trims of just about all cars of similar size (getz/yaris/barina/jazz).
My lil jazz’s dash started having a plastic “rubbing”/”creaking” sound at 7000km ~60kmph. Guess i was unlucky.
Its going to cost you around 3 plasma T.V’s Talk about value plus. For the mums and dads still carting their kids around in VN Commodores and EB Falcons this is probebly the first chance they have had to get into a NEW car.
I have 2 cars, a Honda Accord and a Proton saga( the new one). The Saga is quite good. I dont have any problem with it. I think it is value for money.
bought a proton not even three months old, power steering rack stuffed already yes it may be cheap but i guess as the old saying goes you get what you pay for…after sales service from ian boettcher motors crap it was there a whole day and they didnt even look at it dont even get a courtesy car to get to and from work both proton and ian boettcher will not be recomended by us!!!