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NEWS
SPY PICS: Savvy successor spotted in Sweden
Proton's Global Small Car found far from home undergoing cold-climate testingAutomedia's spy photographers have once again snapped Proton's Global Small Car (GSC) – but this time in Sweden for what they believe is stability control calibration at Continental.
Such testing indicates the Malaysian manufacturer is very serious about large-scale exports for the new car (and the 'Global' in GSC is a bit of a give-away too). Significantly, for local consumers, it would make the GSC compliant with Victorian legislation that has been the undoing of other Asian makers in the past.
According to Automedia, Proton plans for the new car's worldwide launch to take place perhaps as early as the first half of this year. A name for the new car has already been decided, based on a competition held in the company's homeland – the winner securing a premium variant of the new hatch.
The photos suggest GSC may be slightly larger than the Savvy. Automedia describes the new model as a 'B segment' contender for other markets. So GSC will likely remain a light segment passenger car in Australia, just like the Savvy. But it won't necessarily face the smaller rivals in the segment as the Savvy once did – vehicles like the Holden Barina Spark for instance, or the Hyundai i10 if it makes it here. Instead, there is a chance the GSC will be positioned further upmarket, against larger, mainstream models in the segment.
In contrast with the Savvy, the GSC has what looks to be more of a pedestrian-friendly nose, but does offer a shout-out to the clamshell bonnet styling of the earlier car. Expect the GSC to follow the modern, but more conservative corporate look of the Preve and Suprima S.
No word as yet on NCAP safety rating, but if it follows in the footsteps of the small cars in the Proton stable, it should achieve a score comparable with others in its class – possibly five stars, but more likely four. And as is the case with other Protons, it should also offer decent cornering, courtesy of Lotus.
In short, it could be a dark horse if it makes it here.
– with Automedia
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