Proton Saga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Proton Saga | |
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| Manufacturer | Proton |
| Also called | Proton MPI |
| Production | 1985–present |
| Predecessor | none |
| Successor | Proton Wira |
| Class | Compact |
| Body style | 4-door saloon 5-door hatchback |
| Platform | FF |
| Engine | 1.3 L 4G13 I4 1.5 L 4G15 I4 |
| Related | 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer |
The Proton Saga is the first car produced by Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton, based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore. It first debuted in September 1985. The first Proton Saga that rolled off the production line was presented to the Malaysian National Museum as a symbol of the beginning of the Malaysian automotive industry. Since then, the Proton Saga and its variants contributed to most of Proton's sales and revenues. The Saga variants are also popular among taxi drivers and operator who need cars with good fuel economy and low maintenance costs.
On 5 March 2007, Proton had launced the 50th Merdeka Anniversary Promotion in Malaysia, where the announced new price of the Proton Saga is now RM26,999. The promotion was made as a support to Malaysia's 50th Merdeka Day and also to thank Proton's customers for their support since Proton Saga was first launched. [1]
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[edit] History
The Proton Saga was launched in September 1985 by Malaysia's Prime Minister at that time, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad. Before the production of Proton Saga, a contest was held to choose the name of the first national model, and the name Saga was chosen from the winner of the contest. It apparently seems that the winner of the contestant was a retired military soldier. When asked why he chose this particular name, he replied as "saga" is a type of seed commonly found in Malaysia.
To mark Malaysia's continuous success, Tun Dr. Mahathir used a Proton Saga to cross Penang Bridge during the opening ceremony of the bridge on 14 September 1985. Early Proton Saga models were powered by SOHC 8-valve 4-cylinder engines sourced from Mitsubishi. Two displacement options available were 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol. Both engines were available with a 5-speed manual transmission, but a 3-speed automatic was available with the 1.5-litre engine. At first, the Saga was a 4-door sedan, but in 1987 a hatchback variant was introduced known as the Saga Aeroback.
In 1989, Proton started to export the Saga to the United Kingdom with the slogan Japanese Technology, Malaysian Style. Since then, United Kingdom contributes most of Proton's export production. The Saga name was not used and it was simply known as the Proton 1.3 or 1.5. The UK models reverted to the dashboard used in the Mitsubishi Lancer.
In 1990, the existing engines were revised with 12-valves, which increased power ratings to 75 bhp for the 1.3 L engine, and 90 bhp for the 1.5 L engine. On domestic models, the 'Megavalve' name was also used. Minor exterior modifications were made including flush headlights, more aggressive grill, additional side mirror on the passenger side(previous model only comes with one side mirror on the driver's side), and wraparound bumper knock strips. In addition, rear seat belts and the third brake light were also installed.
For the United Kingdom, trim levels were GL, GLS, SL and SE.
[edit] Proton Iswara
In 1992, the Saga was facelifted and renamed the Proton Saga Iswara, or Proton Iswara, after a species of butterfly in Sarawak. Modifications included slimmer headlights, plastic bumpers, side mouldings, coloured door handles, grooved taillight clusters and rear number plate repositioned to the bumper. This particular model is used as taxis in Malaysia and some are converted to NGV. Due to the modification, boot space has to be sacrificed by almost half to accommodate the NGV tank and there are only a few petrol stations by Malaysian oil-giant Petronas in the Klang Valley that sell natural gas, although there are plans underway to increase the number of stations selling it at various locations around Kuala Lumpur.
Models exported to Singapore and the United Kingdom were available with multi-point fuel injection and catalytic converters to meet Euro I emissions standards. This model was known as the Proton MPi in the UK.
In the United Kingdom, the introduction of the Proton Persona in 1993 replaced the corresponding models in the Saga range and this continued until the entire range was replaced in 1996.
[edit] The return of the Saga
In 2003, to regain sales, Proton redesigned the interior of the Iswara, made small changes to the exterior, and renamed the model as Proton Saga. The interior has a digital instrument panel consisting of an odometer, a fuel gauge and a temperature gauge. In addition, Proton retuned the 1.3 L carberettor engine, with only manual transmission with no standard safety features like ABS,EBD,airbag and increasing its power rating to 83 bhp, a little bit higher than some fuel-injected rivals of the 1970s.
[edit] Proton cars in popular culture
In the episode "Tee Off, Mr. Bean" from the British comedy show Mr. Bean, Bean's golf ball was stuck in the exhaust pipe of a Proton Iswara. When the car owner tried to start the car, the car engine exploded and released black smoke from under the hood of the car. The ball subsequently plopped into a nearby drain.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Proton Saga RM26,999 sempena 50 tahun merdeka - Utusan Malaysia, 5 March 2007.
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