Proton shake

As part of its push for greater local legitimacy, Proton Cars Australia has just announced it will be launching an as-yet unnamed version of its new Saga model next year as the cheapest sedan in the country.

The Proton is a new-generation light sedan based on a stretched Savvy hatch platform and will be powered by a 1.6-litre version of the "Campro" 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine employed in the Savvy.

The new car approximates cars such as the Toyota Yaris sedan in overall size and weight, and packs a decent boot capable of containing as much as 413 litres of luggage.

Specifications of the long-stroke, twin-cam 1.6-litre engine have not been announced for Australia but we would expect it to equate to the Gen.2 model in which it is also used. In that context, it produces 82kW and 148Nm of torque, which should be enough to briskly propel its light (not much more than one tonne) body.

The new car rides on the back of Lotus involvement (Proton owns the British-based company) in suspension development but the setup is pretty basic with MacPherson struts at the front and a beam axle at the rear.

According to Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari, the new Proton will be equipped competitively despite its bottom-of-the-ladder pricing and will form part of a restructured model range.

That said, the Saga as offered at present is pretty minimalistic with only a driver's airbag and no sign of ABS for its disc-drum braking system. That could well change in increasingly safety conscious Australia, as hinted by John Startari when announcing Proton's intentions.

"We will launch a revitalised range with the low cost sedan at a price and specification level that will make it hard to ignore in the market," he said.

Looking at Proton's Saga brochure, it is clear there is provision for at least a front passenger's airbag to supplement the driver's side bag.

The new car is hoped to be a major focus for the company's local operations.

According to John Startari, "Australia's lowest cost sedan will be the cornerstone of our range and Proton will present a value for money proposition from the entry level model to the sporty Satria. We will launch a revitalised range with the low cost sedan at a price and specification level that will make it hard to ignore in the market."

Proton is currently in the process of scything through its local dealer network with "almost half" of its existing outlets axed to make way for what it hopes is a new generation of fired-up operators.

The Malaysian brand, which was established in its home country in 1983, was once heavily reliant on renamed Mitsubishi-based product. Proton has been in Australia for 14 years and claims a local car park of about 25,000 vehicles.

The current model lineup includes the Satria Neo three-door light hatch, Savvy five-door light hatch, Persona small sedan, Gen 2 small sedan and the surprisingly popular Jumbuck ute.

Proton sales this year are more than 38 per cent down on 2008, when it sold 1856 vehicles. Its best year was 3182 sales in 1998, after which it went into decline until picking up again to its most recent peak of 2336 sales in 2007.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi