EXORA Bold Premium And EXORA Prime For Greater Exclusivity And Performance

SUBANG JAYA, 15 December 2011 – PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced the availability of two new variants of Malaysia’s first MPV, the Exora which features an all-new 1.6-litre Campro Charge Fuel Efficiency (CFE) engine with performance comparable to that of a 2-litre engine.

The CFE engine is available in the new Exora Bold Premium and the top-of-the-line Exora Prime model that comes equipped with a CVT transmission. 

“The combination of the Campro CFE engine and CVT transmission not only gives the Exora Bold Premium and Exora Prime greater efficiency and fuel economy,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

He added that CFE uses the force induction technology which provides maximum power at lower RPM. “Boosted with the more efficient 1.6L engine, customers will experience powerful performance which is comparable to a 2.0L engine, with much lower fuel consumption. The additional power kicks in to provide more pulling power when accelerating or overtaking. In short, it’s what you can aptly describe as a “pay-as-you-go” engine, which gives you more “vroom” for every litre of petrol used.”

The benefits of the CVT transmission include the intelligence of selecting the best ratio that would suit a particular driving condition thus allowing the Exora to become extremely fuel efficient, and what is known as “steepless” smooth acceleration due to its discreet gear changing for best comfort.

The Exora Bold is also being offered in executive trim powered by a 1.6-litre Campro CPS engine available in both manual and automatic transmissions. PROTON is also offering a 1.6 standard trim which is powered by the same engine and a manual transmission.

The exclusive, six-seater Exora Prime features a number of enhancements. The exterior upgrades include an all-new front and rear bumper design; electric folding door mirrors; rear disc brakes; blacked-out headlamps; smoked rear combi lights; 16” inch gold-finished alloys; a rear garnish finishing; and available in a newly-introduced colour which is Absolute Brown.

An all-new leather interior is complemented by the walnut centre panel finishing, gear panel bezel, air-conditioning vent outlets and metallic beige door switch covers and inner door handles. The Exora Prime is also equipped with a second row Captain Seat, head rest monitors and an audio system incorporating navigation and a reverse camera.

The Exora Bold Premium meanwhile, also sports electric folding door mirrors, rear disc brakes, 16” inch alloys, and a new front and rear bumper design. The interior however, benefits from a sportier treatment in the form of a dual-tone combination leather seats with liquid silver appointments to its gear panel bezel, door switch cover, air-conditioning vent outlets and inner door handles. The vehicle is also equipped with a reverse camera and rear view mirror with LCD.

“The Exora Bold Premium and Exora Prime offer consumers exclusive and elegant styling combined with Lotus Ride and Handling for excellent grip, stability, response and safety, all, at an affordable price and the best value for money for a vehicle in its class, in line with our brand promise of ‘Committed to be Better’,” said Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin.

Since it was first launched in April 2009, a total of 65,049 units of the Exora have already been registered with PROTON receiving some 82,854 bookings. The Exora has a monthly sales average of 1,800 units and with the introduction of Exora Bold Premium and Exora Prime, the company is optimistic of securing a monthly sales volume of 2,000 units.

With buyers opting for the Exora because of its interior spaciousness, exterior styling, features and reasonable pricing, it has also won numerous awards which include being named Midi MPV of the year at the NST/Maybank Car of the Year Awards in 2009; Best Local Assembled MPV at the Asian Auto-VCA Awards in 2009; and Small/Mid-size MPV of the year at the Autocar Asean Car of the Year Awards in 2009. The Exora also received the Frost & Sullivan 2010 Malaysia Excellence Awards for Best Automotive Debut Model of the Year in 2010.

The popularity of Exora is also evident in other Proton markets. Last year, the Exora was the only MPV named as one of the top ten cars in Thailand by a renowned English newspaper in Bangkok. And more recently this year, the Exora Star won two separate awards in Indonesia; the “Best Budget MPV 2011” at the Indonesian Automotive Awards and MobilMotor magazine’s ICOTY (Indonesian Car of the Year) Best Small MPV 2011.

The Exora Bold Premium and Exora Prime models will only be available for registration by the second week of January 2012.

In the meantime, customers are invited to test drive the Exora Bold Premium with CVT transmission at the nearest PROTON showroom. In conjunction with the launch of the new variants, PROTON is also organising a Proton 4 U Day from 16-18 December at all Proton sales outlets nationwide. Door gifts are being offered to those who test drive the Exora. The Exora Prime however, will not be available for test drive and can only be viewed at these selected outlets: Crystal Showroom, Juru Branch, Plentong Branch and Mutiara Damansara. 

Variant Tentative OTR

1.6 Standard MT RM 59,998

Bold 1.6 Executive MT RM 70,998

Bold 1.6 Executive AT RM 74,998

Bold 1.6 Premium CVT RM 79,998

Prime 1.6 Premium RM 88,998

APRC Champions Showcased Their Cars And Speed In PROTON

PROTON APRC Rally Champion Alister McRae and Bill Hayes took some time off from their schedule to demonstrate their prowess around PROTON plant for a staff engagement activity organised by the motorsports division and Group Branding, Marketing and Motorsports.

Joining in this 'celebration for commitment to win' event was the R3 team of Faidzil Alang and Syafiq Ali. Fresh from a 4th placing position in the just completed Sepang 1000KM Endurance race, the team paraded their Satria Neo and Gen-2 for the benefit of about 1000 over PROTON staffs.

Not forgetting the PROTON-CUSCO 2WD champion - Karamjit Singh also came for this event to further sign autographs and do photography for the PROTON staffs and members of the media.

Director of Group Branding, Marketing and Motorsports John D. Chacko took a spin in one of the cars which showcased their manouevres said, "Its my first taxi-ride in the rally cars and i must say it knocked the wind out of me."

On maintaining the titles John said, "Being committed to winning is what PR0TON and the rally cars do so we will definitely want to continue this pace and defend our titles for next year.'

Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood, Head of Motorsports said, "I am happy to see most of the PROTON staffs being here today to witness first-hand how a rally with our cars run and with our 8 titles this year - its only good to continue this pace into next year to secure and further clinch these titles in 2012."

"I am looking forward to next year's 1st race in New Zealand in April and will announce our drivers and plans for next year soon."

Some of the team who were at this engagement event was Alister Mcrae, Bill Hayes, Karamjit Singh, Faidzil Alan, Syafiq Ali, Shahruddin Hamid (chief engineer for R3 motorsports team) and Team Principal Chris Mellors.

Chris's son Ollie Mellors took to the demo in the 2nd car of Chris Atkinson and showed that he may just be a force to be reckoned with in the junior championships.

The team will head to PROTON Tanjung Malim for their demonstration show for the benefit of the staffs in the northern region on Thursday 8/12.

PROTON Finishes Gruelling Sepang 1000KM Race In 4th

TEAM R3 PROTON finishes 4th overall and 4th in Class 2 in the Sepang 1000km (S1K) with the pair of Syafiq Ali and Syahrizal Jamaludin with a time of 8 hours and 50 minutes. This is the 3rd edition of the S1K with 28 competitors starting the race on a hot afternoon. The S1K is an event specially catered for cars up to 1600cc(Class 2), and up to 1900cc(Class1).

Conditions were extremely hot as the drivers lined up on the grid for the start.There was no relief from the heat as the expected rain stayed away for the duration of the race. Not just a test of machinery, drivers not only had to battle with in-car temperatures hovering around 50 degress celcius but with other competitors as well. Although an endurance race, there were many pitched battles right from the start resembling a sprint race as drivers fought hard for track position.

It was an especially satisfying result for Syafiq and Syahrizal as brake problems early on in the race meant an extra long pitstop to fix the problem and seeing them drop down the order to 7th and 2 laps behind the leader.

For R3's other pair of Faidzil Alang and James Veerapen who started in pole position, luck was not on their side as they were forced into retirement with mechanical problems after 4 hours and 30 minutes of racing on lap 96. Fadizil Alang, the newly crowned Malaysian Super Series Champion was one of the favourites to win this event and was leading the race by 1 lap over its nearest rival before retiring.

The tough conditions during the race eventually saw more than a quarter of the competitors who started, retire during the course of the event.

Commenting on the race, the Head of PROTON Motorsports Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood said,”We are happy with the 4th place result in what was a very challenging race. i would like to congratulate our R3 team for their tenacity and drive in their commitment to win and dedication for this race.”

“We are of course disappointed with the retirement of one of our cars, but racing is an unpredictable sport with many variables that can change the outcome of a race. Overall, we ran a good strong race and will take back with us plenty of new technical data to prepare for the race season in 2012."

"A strong 4th place finish in an endurance race such is still a great result, as just finishing the event is considered a victory for everyone." said John Chacko, Director of PROTON Group Marketing, Branding and Motorsports.

"We were also very encouraged as more than half of the competitors were participating in Proton cars which is testament to not only the sporty nature but durability of our cars."

"We will be back in the national race series next year and will always be committed to winning all our races" he added.

Three-way fight for Proton stake shaping up – DRB-Hicom, Naza and Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi involved?

The marketplace is buzzing with news of a three-way tussle for a stake in Proton that’s currently owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The three parties are said to be DRB-Hicom, which is controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, parties linked to the Naza Group and a management buyout lead by Proton Chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh. All three parties have been previously linked with the national carmaker.

Currently, Khazanah has a 42.7% stake in Proton, and should a party succeed in buying over the Government’s stake, it will trigger a general offer. Business Times quotes a source involved in the bidding process as saying that the bids were in the range of between RM6 and RM7 per share. The same source added that “whoever is buying Proton is getting the company on the cheap” based on Proton’s March 2011 book value per share of RM9.84.

This development is drawing in the speculators, and Proton’s share price went up by another 89 sen yesterday to close at RM4.50, with over 20 million shares changing hands. DRB-Hicom, thought to be the front runner in the bid, also saw its shares rise. The counter gained 20 sen to end the day at RM2.20, the highest point since August. DRB-Hicom is of course the company that is assembling Volkswagen cars at its Pekan plant.

Proton’s share price might still rise, since OSK Holdings Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd have upgraded the stock to a “buy” with a fair value of RM5 per share. It will be interesting to know more about the plans each of the bidders have for Proton. Nothing is out at the moment, but we will keep tabs on this.

Proton ups power of new Saga

SUBANG JAYA: Proton today introduced a new Saga powered by a 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine.

The Saga FLX SE is available only with a CVT automatic transmission and is priced from RM49,449.

The car will be available at all Proton showrooms from tomorrow. 

The Saga FLX SE expands the range of the Saga model by providing customers with a vehicle that has a higher engine capacity while reaffirming the Saga as the people’s car given its affordability and better fuel economy, said Proton group managing director Datuk Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir. 

Proton says the engine-CVT transmission combo delivers better torque, 4% better acceleration, and cut fuel consumption by an additional 4% compared to the current 1.6-litre Saga.

Priced RM2,900 above the current selling 1.6-litre automatic Saga FL, the Saga FLX SE features numerous changes. 

The car is fitted with 15” inch alloy wheels, full body kit, fog lamps and smoked finishing rear lights. The cabin is trimmed in leather which comprises the seats, steering wheel, door ornament, parking brake and gearshift lever.

Available in two colour choices - Solid White and Fire Red - the Saga FLX SE comes with a three-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first). 

Customers who have ordered a Saga and are still waiting for their car to be delivered can opt to change their booking to the Saga FLX SE at the respective showroom in which the booking was originally made.

Proton expects to sell 500 units per month of the new variant. It targets to sell some 78,752 units of the Saga in its current 2011/12 financial year.

Since the new-generation Saga was launched in January 2008, a total of 274,469 units of the company's bestseller have been put on the road

‘Power Window Promise’ Offers Lifetime Power Window Warranty For PROTON Cars

SUBANG JAYA - Stamping its assurance on quality and reinforcing its pledge of being ‘Committed to be Better’, national car manufacturer PROTON Holdings Berhad today launched its ‘Power Window Promise’ - a Power Window Lifetime Warranty that is applicable for all new Proton models registered from 1 September 2011 onwards and current Proton models that were still under manufacturer’s warranty as at 1 September 2011.

The warranty is applicable only to all Proton car models sold in the domestic market, covering models that include the Exora, Inspira, Saga BLM, Satria Neo, Persona, Perdana, Waja, Gen.2, Wira, Iswara and Savvy; and is applicable to both private and fleet owners. It covers four main components related to the vehicle’s power window mechanism: the power window regulator, power window motor, power window switches and power window run channel. Upon claim by eligible customers and subject to compliance with Proton’s terms and conditions of the Power Window Lifetime Warranty, the warranty will be undertaken by PROTON at no charge, including all labour and part costs for the power window components.

“At PROTON, quality and customer satisfaction are our priority and we are continuously improving and enhancing our customers’ driving experience as part of our never ending commitment to be better. Our ‘Power Window Promise’ is one of the many initiatives that we are doing to fulfil this commitment. It is also one of our most significant initiatives yet, as it truly symbolises a departure from our past shortcoming and the confidence we have in our products today,” said PROTON Group Managing Director, Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

To be eligible to claim the warranty, owners of Proton cars that were registered before 31 August 2011 and still under manufacturer’s warranty as at 1 September 2011 will need to claim their Power Window System Warranty Registration certificate from any PROTON authorised service centres, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd and EON service branches, as well as at authorized dealer outlets nationwide. A prior appointment must be made before they can collect the certificate from the respective service centres. The warranty certificate, however, will not be necessary for owners of Proton cars registered from 1 September 2011 onwards as the ‘Power Window Promise’ is already included in PROTON’s new Service Booklet.

Consistent with global automotive standards, the warranty is limited to 250,000km or 10 years from the date of the vehicle registration (whichever occurs first). The eligibility for the warranty is also subject to PROTON’s terms and conditions of the Power Window Lifetime Warranty which include full compliance of the recommended periodical service maintenance, as specified in the Service Booklet, at PROTON authorized service centres. Proton cars with expired manufacturer’s warranty will not be eligible for the Lifetime Warranty but may still benefit from the normal PROTON parts warranty cover.

While PROTON has made tremendous and significant improvements in terms of quality which is reflected in its new generation of vehicles, Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin said some negative perception of the brand continues to exist today.

“Correcting this perception is a challenging but necessary task, and this Power Window Lifetime Warranty is one of the initiatives that is being undertaken to put to rest this particular stigma. It saddens us that our customers purchase Proton cars whilst questioning the quality of our power window, to the point that they refuse to utilise it for fear of damaging it. Hence, today we would like to put to rest that fear and provide peace of mind to our valued customers. Our message is simple: Should you buy a Proton car today, please know that the power windows are working, they are working well and you have our Power Window Promise to back you up.”

Proton offers storage facility to automakers in Thailand

SUBANG JAYA: Proton has offered its storage facility at its Tanjung Malim plant to automakers in Thailand affected by the flood crisis there.

"We are open for negotiations any time," its group managing director, Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, said Monday.

He was speaking at a press briefing on Proton's "Power Window Promise" here.

He said when the deadly tsunami struck Japan and jeopardised the auto industry, it prompted many automakers from the country to set up operations elsewhere.

"That is why we have joined hands with MMC Corporation Bhd to make us among the top destinations for storage," he added.

On Proton's operations in Thailand, Syed Zainal Abidin said the company's 34 sales outlets in the country were not badly affected.

"Thailand is a very important market for us and we are monitoring the situation closely. So far, the business there in terms of sales has not been disrupted," he added.

On Proton's "Power Window Promise", Syed Zainal Abidin said around 500,000 Proton cars are to benefit from the power window lifetime warranty.

He said the new warranty scheme was applicable to all new Proton models registered from Sept 1 onwards and current Proton models which were still under manufacturer's warranty as at the same date.

He said the warranty was applicable only to Proton car models sold in the domestic market and to both private and fleet owners.

"It covers four main components to the vehicle's power window mechanism, namely the power window regulator, power window motor, switches and run channel."
 -Bernama

Proton set to take on IRC champs Skoda in their home rally

The Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) resumes this weekend in the Czech Republic, and Proton will be there at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin with their yellow Neos piloted by two-time FIA Junior World Rally Champion P-G Andersson and double FIA European Rally Champion Giandomenico Basso. This is round seven of IRC 2011′s 11 races.

Based in the south-east of the Czech Republic, some 300 km east from capital Prague and about 200 km north from the Austrian capital of Vienna, the 41st edition of the Zlin Rally will be contested through the forests close to the city of Zlin. The event will consist of 15 special stages with a combined competitive distance of 248.48 km. High-speed and tricky asphalt roads will be waiting for the drivers.

Rallying begins with a 9.36 km test along a super special stage in the town centre which will be run in the dark before day two takes teams through another nine SS totaling 133.4 km. The third and final day will feature six special stages with a distance of 115 km. The event will see 29 S2000 cars battle, 14 of which are Skoda Fabia S2000s, from a total of 123 registered entries. This is the home race for Skoda, the IRC champions.

“The roads on this rally can be quite bumpy with some broken tarmac, which is good for me – this kind of condition suits me quite well. I haven’t competed in Zlin before, but I have heard a lot about the rally. I’m looking forward to getting out there and driving again to chase a good result,” said ex-Suzuki man Andersson.

“The most important thing is to find a good confidence in the car on the bumpy surface. Barum is not like a normal tarmac rally, it is very specific. The bumps make finding the right set-up complicated so there is a lot of work to do with the dampers. The roads in Zlin can be especially difficult when there is rain,” said the experienced Italian Basso.

I went to the official Czech Rally website, and guess what greeted me? Hint, it’s not a Skoda!

Technician Is First Recipient In My PROTON Makeover Programme

SUBANG JAYA – PROTON Holdings Berhad revealed today, the first recipient of its “My PROTON Makeover” programme, targeted at rewarding PROTON car owners who have loyally supported the brand over the years. Fadly Hisham Roplay, 33, will have his 1992 Proton Saga completely reworked by the R3 unit of PROTON Motorsports Division.

“Fadly’s story about how his Proton Saga has impacted his life was quite an inspiration to us all,” said PROTON Group Managing Director, Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir who launched the “My PROTON Makeover” contest at the announcement of PROTON’s “Committed to be Better” programme in July. The contest is part of PROTON’s programme to acknowledge and reward faithful customers of PROTON who have fervently supported the national car maker over the last 26 years. “My PROTON Makeover” requires entrants to submit their story involving themselves and their PROTON car. PROTON will then identify the best stories or most heart-warming and reward five other winners with a complete car makeover. Entries for the contest will close on 28 December 2011.

“When we kicked off this initiative, Fadly’s name came up as a model example. The story of him and his Proton Saga was lighthearted and entertaining. But more importantly, it was really heartwarming to hear about much he loves his car and the memories that his family and him share with the car. For this, we truly felt that he and his car deserved a big ‘Thank You’ and reward,” Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal said.

Purchasing his Proton Saga in 1999 from its original owner in Kuala Lumpur, Fadly, a technician with an international electronics manufacturer, drove it back immediately to his home town, where upon arriving at the Sultan Azlan Syah bridge in Perak, shouted out “Welcome to Kuala Kangsar!” to the car, as described by his mother who was travelling with him.

“He has such an attachment to the car that only he can describe best,” said his mother, Puan Hamiah Abdullah. “He once brought us down to shop in KL, and had his car towed by the traffic police as it was parked illegally. After frantically rushing to the impound and paying the fine, he ran over and hugged the car! We couldn’t help but watch and laugh!” she added.

When asked, Fadly expressed great sentiments of the car. “One of my most memorable moments, or rather nightmare involving the car was when I drove my mother over to my girlfriend’s house for her to convey the proposal of marriage to my girlfriend’s parents. I was sitting in this car, outside the house, trembling!” he recalled. His car has played a major facet in his personal story, being the vehicle used on his first date with his then girlfriend, who has since become his wife and mother to his two children.

“This car and I have shared many stories together. We have been the brunt of jokes by my family and friends. My father-in-law has even offered to pay the down payment for a new car, but I politely declined,” said Fadly. “It is a bit of a relationship, where my car keeps me going and I also keep her going,” he laughed after revealing that thousands of ringgits have been well spent over the years to keep the car as road-worthy as possible and for the regular service maintenance.

Fadly’s 19 year-old Proton Saga will now be in the R3 workshop for four weeks, for a full rework, from top to bottom, front to back and inside out. Speaking on behalf of the R3 unit of PROTON Motorsports Division, Head of Engineering, Tengku Djan Ley bin Tengku Mahaleel said that the department is very excited about the project. “It’s not often that we are given freerein to do up a car like this. Considering the background of the situation, we’re really looking forward to giving the car an outstanding makeover as a gift for Fadly.” 

The fully reworked Proton Saga will be unveiled in September.

“My PROTON Makeover” is part of PROTON’s “Commitment to be Better” programme. For more information, visit www.protonVIP.com.

PROTON Offers Customers A ‘Money Can’t Buy’ Experience With The Transporter Contest

SUBANG JAYA - There are some things in life that money just can’t buy, and now, PROTON is offering its customers an exciting experience through The Transporter contest, which will see the Grand Prize winner “transporting” three of Malaysia’s hottest celebrities all the way to Singapore to enjoy the exhilarating 2011 Formula One Singapore Night Race together with them.

Launched last week, the contest will run till 24th August 2011, and the winner of this online competition will win an exciting 4 day/3 night all-expense-paid trip to watch the Formula One race in Singapore on 25th September 2011. As an added bonus, the winner will be tasked to accompany Malaysian celebrities Yasmin Hani, Jojo Struys and Diana Danielle.

Entering the contest is easy. Lucky customers who purchase a new Proton car or service their existing Proton vehicles during the contest period will be eligible to participate in the online contest by logging on to the contest website at www.protontransporter.com. All customers need to do is to fill in their details at the website and complete a slogan on why they should be The Transporter. The customer who fulfils the contest criteria, and produces the most creative slogan will be chosen as The Transporter.

Ten consolation prize winners will also win themselves exclusive Lotus-Renault Grand Prix merchandise and a pair of tickets to watch the 2011 Formula One Singapore Night Race.

The contest signifies PROTON’s collaboration with the Lotus Renault Grand Prix (LRGP) team which is competing in the current season of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Iconic sports car manufacturer Lotus, which is wholly-owned by PROTON, is the title sponsor of the team. The contest is also a part of PROTON’s many customer hospitality programmes planned during the Formula One season in support of Group Lotus.

“Through this campaign, we hope to support Group Lotus in its sponsorship and involvement in Formula One, and at the same time our priority is to provide our customers with a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of the F1 fever, something which money just can’t buy. It’s also our way of thanking our customers for their support and loyalty towards PROTON.” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

LRGP is currently fifth in the Constructor Standings of the 2011 Formula One season.

Interested parties can log on now to www.protontransporter.com for the chance to witness the exciting 2011 Formula One Singapore Night Race while being in the company of celebrities!

Best Selling SAGA Now Even Better - New Proton SAGA FLX 1.3L To Provide Greater Fuel Efficiency With CVT

SUBANG JAYA  – PROTON Holdings Berhad launched the new Proton Saga FLX 1.3L today; a new model enhancement to its Proton Saga model, which provides consumers with greater savings on fuel consumption and smoother drive with the use of Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) technology.

The Proton Saga is the best selling model in Malaysia from January to June 2011, contributing towards making PROTON the overall market leader in Malaysia in the first half of 2011. Since its introduction, the new generation Proton Saga has been well received by the public, winning Frost & Sullivan’s Best Model of the Year 2009, Best Passenger Car of the Year 2010 and recently, Best People’s Car Award – the main award at the Asian Auto – Auto Industry Awards 2011. The car boasts an outstanding sales record, with over 250,000 units registered and over 300,000 units booked since its launch in January 2008 until June 2011.

Now, with the new Saga FLX 1.3L, the best selling model got even better. Following PROTON’s earlier announcement in June declaring the successful development and integration of the CVT technology with its CamPro engine, the automatic variant of the new Saga FLX 1.3L utilizes the CVT, as opposed to the conventional Automatic Transmission (AT) gear. 

“The new Proton Saga FLX is the product of PROTON’s continued commitment towards providing better performing cars to our consumers. This is yet another milestone in our quest to continuously improve our range of products to cater to the needs of today’s market,” said Dato' Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Group Managing Director of PROTON Holdings Berhad.

“Because of the lighter built of the engine, along with the ‘stepless’ gear transition that the CVT provides, the Saga FLX delivers a fuel consumption drop of four percent in an urban driving environment, with consumption dropping up to 10 percent when driven on highways,” said Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal. He added that this transmission change improves the drivability and responsiveness of the car without compromising its power.

“The utilisation of CVT technology has a far reaching impact to the consumer. Other than the fuel saving, the smoothness and reliability that CVT provides allows the engine to run at an optimum level, thus resulting in less engine fatigue and improving its long term durability.”

The Proton Saga FLX 1.3L Executive variant comes with a list of added features, notably driver and passenger air-bags along with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

“It is PROTON’s intention to provide not only an affordable car to consumers, but also one that possess the technological advancements and safety features that our customers will appreciate,” Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal expressed. “We are committed to providing our consumers with better driving satisfaction and safety confidence.”

The Proton Saga FLX is available in a new colour - Elegant Brown, in addition to the existing options of Tranquility Black, Genetic Silver, Solid White and Blue Rock. It is priced between RM 38,598 and RM 44,998 and is now available for bookings and can be viewed at all Proton showrooms nationwide. 

For further information, customers can visit, www.proton.com

MONTHLY PERFORMANCE OF THE PROTON SAGA - 2010/2011

COMPARISON BETWEEN CVT AND STANDARD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Proton R3 Satria Neo – short test drive impressions

We are back from a short test drive session of the Proton R3 Satria Neo, which happened at Proton’s testing ground in Shah Alam. Unlike the RM115k limited edition Lotus Racing Satria Neo (back when Proton and 1MRT were still on friendly terms), this version is much more accessible at RM79,797 but will still provide enthusiastic drivers with plenty of smiles.

To keep the price down, the R3 Neo doesn’t include the Lotus Racing Neo’s headline Ohlins suspension and AP Racing brakes, which were inspired by the real Lotus cars. The modded Campro CPS engine is the same. As we found out, the changes don’t detract from the fun factor and performance of the LR Neo, which makes it the better buy. There are even some improvements thrown in.

Continue reading the report after the jump.

This R3 Neo isn’t an afterthought or a development of the Lotus Racing Neo, although that limited edition came out first. On the contrary, development of this car started three months before the LR Neo was launched, which translates to early 2010, explains Tengku Djan, head of R3. After that, the idea of a Lotus Racing Neo came along, and R3 had to rush that car out within 6-7 weeks.

So we are actually looking at the final fruit of R3′s tweaking of the Satria Neo. In a nutshell, the R3 Neo is powered by the exact same engine as the LR Neo, which is the Campro CPS unit upgraded to make 145 hp at 7,000 rpm and 168 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. The stock engine makes 125 hp and 150 Nm. No Ohlins coilovers and mega AP brakes here; this car comes with R3 specified suspension and stoppers.

The S4PH powerplant has been given a host of upgrades to reach this state. Reprofiled camshafts that increase valve lift and overlap helps breathing, aided by a K&N filter in a carbon air box. Lightweight adjustable camshaft pulleys reduce inertia and enable fine tuning of valve timing.

To match all these is an R3 ECU calibrated with revised fuel maps and a focus on performance. There’s also a 4-2-1 R3 exhaust system similar in design to that found in the LR Neo, except that it’s in full stainless steel and without ceramic coating. Mated to the engine is a close ratio five-speed manual gearbox – there’s no auto option. 0-100 km/h is done in 9.2 seconds, top speed is 205 km/h.

For the suspension, R3 ordered a few settings from the OE manufacturer before finally deciding on this set. The springs are shorter and their rates firmer than the standard Neo CPS. As for what they were looking to achieve for the handling, drift master Tengku Djan said that R3 wanted to “bring back a bit of the old GTI feel”, referring to the old body Satria GTI and Satria R3. Ride height is 10 mm lower than the Neo CPS.

Brakes wise, the R3 Neo uses performance pads that have an operating temperature of up to 400 degrees C and increased fade resistance over the standard car. The calipers are stock.

The Satria Neo is already one of the most sporty three-door hatchback designs around, and the R3 Neo takes it a step further. Only available in “Fire Red” with a black roof and bronze accents, it looks fantastic in the sunlight. Not sure about you, but I never really liked the LR’s green and yellow theme – this looks much better in my opinion. Also nice are those six-spoke 16-inch R3 alloys in gunmetal.

Unlike the LR edition, the R3 Neo uses the standard Neo CPS bodywork, with additions such as a front splitter (reduces undercarriage turbulence and increases downforce, according to R3) and a new design spoiler, which is more subtle than the standard car’s and improves aerodynamics. There are R3 logos on the sides of the wing. The rear bumper is stock, although the trademark central exhaust tip is different.

I stepped in the car expecting the typical Neo reception of zero headroom (I’m not that tall at 175 cm, but we’re required to wear helmets when driving at Proton’s oval) and looking through the top quarter of the windscreen, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was room to spare.

I was then told that the seats are new – the rails are in the same place, but the seat base goes deeper now to free up some much needed headroom. You’ll also notice that the seat backs are more shapely compared to the old chairs – there’s added thigh, hip and shoulder support here.

The steering wheel is wrapped in “Trivel Fibre”, which is an Alcantara type material, and has a red centre marker, just like in Renault Sport cars. The panels around the audio buttons have the carbon fibre look. There are lots of panels in red to match the exterior and like in the LR Neo, the gear knob is a chromed ball. The aluminium pedals are identical as well.

We weren’t given much time behind the wheel, but enough for a good impression. Flex your right foot and the louder exhaust note is immediately noticeable. The R3 Neo pulls away cleanly and smoothly, without being bogged down by any holes and trenches in the torque delivery. But it’s not particularly strong below 4,000 rpm, which is the point the high lift cam profile comes into play.

As expected, from here, the engine gains a second wind as it charges towards redline, which is 7,500 rpm in the R3 Neo (cut off at 7,800), although the unchanged meter panel will show that you’re already swimming deep in the red sea. Once in the zone, the tacho needle gains urgency that’s previously unseen, and there’s no slowing down because the Variable Intake Manifold (VIM) changes to the short runner at 5,500 rpm.

The R3 Neo, like the standard car, is meant to be revved all out for enjoyment, and with the short ratio gearbox, it’s extremely effortless to get there – it’s time for the next gear before you know it. The sound is more towards boomy than VTEC screamy, but it’s fun nevertheless.

We also tried out the R3 Neo over a section of crests and dips to check out the primary ride, which it passed with admirable composure. Rolling over thin metal strips saw the Neo cushion away the impact instead of reacting with a bounce or shimmy. We’ll never know how it feels like on a poorly surfaced B-road with these examples, but I’m betting it’ll cope well.

Doing the slaloms at 70 km/h revealed a slightly different character from our limited Lotus Racing Neo experience (never got to drive it on public roads). While the green car gave hints that it likes to dance around the cones, rear end edging out a little, the R3 Neo felt less active at the back. More like a normal road car, in other words, albeit a grippy one that corners very flat. Turn in is sharp, and steering feel is good. Can’t wait to drive it on the road.

We did some braking tests as well, and while this car doesn’t have the stupendous stopping power of the LR Neo’s AP Racing brakes, it’s more than good enough, and there wasn’t any fade although I wasn’t the first to do the test. The LR edition is probably the most over braked car in the world, so we’re just reverting to the real world – no big loss.

The R3 Satria Neo serves up good looks and good vibes for the enthusiast driver. It’s quite good value too – 80k for 145 hp can’t be found elsewhere (correct us if we’re wrong, new cars only) – and has new features that the wider market appreciates such as a push start button and a 2-DIN touch screen ICE system with GPS.

It’s not perfect though – just as I was getting tempted, the Neo’s long and heavy free swinging door slammed on my hips upon exit, not for the first time.