Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is the first car produced by Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton. Originally based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fore to avoid R&D costs, the Saga first debuted in September 1985 and retained its core Fiore design for two decades, before a long overdue successor designed in-house by Proton was launched to replace the aging platform in 2008.
Since 1985, the Proton Saga and its variants contribute to most of Proton's sales and revenues. The Saga is also the longest surviving model produced by Proton, soldiering on for nearly 22 years, ahead of Proton's mid size car, the Proton Perdana.
Engine and performance
The new Saga is powered by the same 1.3-litre Campro engine (which was co-designed with Lotus) that is fitted to entry-level Gen-2s. Besides the 1.3L engine option, the 1.6-liter version is also available as an exclusive engine option for taxi operators before being offered to regular customers. Like other Proton models powered by Proton's own Campro engines, the 1.3-liter engine is rated at 94 hp (70 kW; 95 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 120 N·m (89 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm, while the 1.6-liter version (not including the Campro CPS engine which is not being used in the Saga) produces 110 hp (82 kW; 110 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 148 N·m (109 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm. Both engines feature the new Integrated Air-Fuel Module (IAFM) which varies the airflow into the engine to improve efficiency, smoothening out the problematic dip in the torque curve in the lower and middle rev ranges. Its output matches that of a 1.3-litre in the Satria Neo. Power delivery characteristics in both cars are remarkably different. The torque could be felt after 2,500 rpm, all the way to 4,000 rpm, where it drops off rapidly. The car feels cheap to drive and acceleration to highway speeds is good. The 5-speed manual from Aichi Kikai is not geared towards the ultimate refinement at cruising speeds, but it does offer a good spread of torque everywhere, not to mention good overtaking power anywhere from 80-120 km/h. Suspension setup consists of MacPherson strutsand a stabilizer bar up front with a torsion beam in the rear. Its Lotus designed torsion beam suspension enables it to turn in sharply, hold its stance sideways through corners, understeering to a sizeable extent. Fuel economy is very good, ranging from approximately 6 L/100 km (47 mpg-imp; 39 mpg-US) for the manual transmission to 6.2 L/100 km (46 mpg-imp; 38 mpg-US) . for the auto and is considerably less when traveling at 80 km/h (50 mph) in fifth. Top speed is around 160 km/h (99 mph) (the owners manual doesn't recommed exceeding 120kmh) and 0-100 km/h time is about 16 seconds. The electrical system has also been updated with coil-on-plugs instead of the traditional ignition cable system, eliminating power loss
