Proton Satria Reviews

Proton is jumping on the popular light-car segment in Australia by reintroducing the Satria after a two-year absence. The Satria (which means warrior), joins Proton's other small cars, the Saavy and Gen-2. While the new model may not exactly be up to Braveheart "warrior" standard, it is up to the benchmark of other cars in its class.The Satria Neo, as it is now called, is available in two specification levels: the GX, starting at $18,990 and the GXR at $20,990, both drive-away prices. That's dearer than the likes of Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Getz but Proton is pitching the Satria further up the ladder, against the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta.The three-door hatch features a revised and redeveloped 1.6-litre, four-cylinder CamPro engine, with 82kW of power at 6000rpm and 148Nm of torque at 4000rpm. Don't expect a thrilling ride, but for a car priced under $20,000, it's not bad, either. This is only the third car the Malaysian brand has fully developed using its own engineering and design team, as well as drawing on the expertise of connected brand, Lotus.The Satria Neo is attractive. It incorporates its own design mixed with some familiar elements from other small cars. Proton claims a European influence in the styling.Both models have a similar exterior, but for an extra $2000 for the GXR, you feel a bit short changed. You want something that advertises your superior status, apart from the rear spoiler. Alloy wheels are the only other physical difference, although even these aren't very different in design.The exhaust, on the other hand, is a real stand-out, with the single-mounted chrome tail pipe located smack bang in the middle of the Satria's posterior.On the inside, it feels a bit small, especially in the back seats. It has one of the tiniest gloveboxes so you can forget about storing accessories (although, I guess, it would fit a pair of gloves). Further storage is a stretch, with only cup holders in the middle and no real area to store wallets or mobile phones.The layout of the centre console is simple, but it seems to work. Proton claims it has gone with the Lotus minimalist concept on the interior. The airconditioning is basic and, in the GX model, struggles on a typical Australian summer day.The boot continues the minimal storage theme, and a relatively low roof means reduced interior space. So no, it's not a great car for a tall person.In terms of handling and ride comfort, the Satria is impressive for a small car. This is largely because of its Lotus DNA. It wears a small badge on the back advertising this.The new Proton boasts an entirely new, stronger platform and is an evolution from the previous best-selling Satria GTi, the performance model.On the road, the Satria Neo grips well and takes corners at faster speeds soundly.The five-speed manual transmission is smooth with a high gear ratio.Both specifications are also available in a four-speed auto for an extra $1000, which has been improved with smoother shifting and a more even power distribution.Taking into account the type of car this is, its performance is certainly reasonable. But you do notice it's just missing that extra bit of life to make it a truly enjoyable ride. The car hits peak power at 6000rpm, which takes a while to get to, especially on slight inclines.There's a fair bit of road noise, especially on the entry-level model GX, with the inferior tyres. The Continental SportContact-2 tyres on the GXR are slightly better.The Satria also uses new materials to reduce noise levels in the cabin.The equipment list is impressive, with ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, dual front airbags, airconditioning, electric windows, power steering, rear sensors and a CD player all standard.The GXR adds a rear spoiler, front integrated fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels, as well as cruise control on the auto only.It has a claimed 7.2-litres per 100km for the manual, 7.6-litres for the auto, although our test on winding roads, mixed with some quiet town driving, saw a reading of 8.6-litres per 100km, and 8.2-litres on the return highway, combined city trip. That extra power may not be far off, with a new GTi model a possibility for the near future. Proton is forecasting 600 sales for the year.While Satria Neo has given off a decent first impression, although a little pricey, only time will tell if this Malaysian trouper has the durability and tenacity of a real warrior.

The Malaysian hatchback, five-doors in a compact package, has some perky style, a peaky 1.6-litre engine and well-behaved chassis.Prices start at $17,990, top of the tree is the H-Line version with auto and a $22,990 tag.There are some good parts and some ordinary parts to the Proton Gen 2. The style is neat and clean; there's a cool, straightforward stance to the front end and a little rise in the profile to that high rump. Inside, it has a fresh and simple, uncluttered approach to dashboard style and layout. The stereo (with tiny controls) is integrated into the dash, the airconditioning controls sit below.There is a deal of plastic here. Some is acceptable, some bits such as those inside door handles are tacky and feel a tad fragile.While on doors, this M-Line version of the Gen 2 Proton had sticking doors all round. All shut with a decent sound but all were reluctant to open clean.The design, inside and out, is good but loses something in the execution. Taller drivers will find the cute sports steering wheel set too low and the seat too high; some of the materials and some of the fit and finish could do with extra polish.The Gen 2 Proton arrives in three trim levels, all with a fair amount of gear.An entry level L-Line, from $17,990, is packed with airconditioning, power windows and mirrors, driver and passenger side SRS airbags, remote keyless entry, CD player and trip computer.The M-Line Proton at $19,500 adds ABS brakes, alloy wheels plus cruise control on the auto. The H-Line from $20,990 adds side SRS airbags, climate-control airconditioning, electronic reversing sensor, front and rear fog lights, rear spoiler and mobile phone holder.Out and about the 1.6 litres and its 82kW is adequate. There is enough power for most drivers, although it can struggle down low in the rev range and others in this class have more refinement.There is little argument with the five-speed manual gearbox, the ride or the handling of the front-drive Gen 2.Perhaps the steering could be sharper but the Proton is quite willing to be pushed along without too much front-wheel fight or understeer. It follows through with suppleness and a decent amount of grip.This Gen 2 shows some promise as a handsome and handy hatchback.The road manners are good, the style is cute. There remains room for improvement in build quality (check it against a Honda Jazz or Mitsubishi Colt) and in some of the cabin's ergonomics, particularly the driver's seat-steering wheel relationship.But if the Gen 2 is evidence of future Proton products, the brand is steadily moving on.

But that's exactly what Malaysian carmaker Proton is doing with the Gen 2.A four-door with a hatchback, the Gen 2 has been built with the help of Lotus Design Studio in the UK – owned by Proton – which gives it some styling and performance kudos.Proton is marketing the Gen 2 with the slogan "a new generation begins".This model is crucial to Proton's transition from a manufacturer using parts from other marques, such as Mitsubishi, to a stand-alone company.It also heralds the rebirth of Proton as a player in Australia, where it hopes to build to a yearly sales base of 5000.It plans to do this through a revitalised dealer network and a range of new models.As a first attempt, the Gen 2 is pretty good.The interior looks very stylish in the brochures.But slip into the real thing and the amount of plastic and faux aluminium threatens to overpower the clean, minimalist, sporting design.For example, the butch-looking ring on the steering wheel is a piece of moulded plastic posing as brushed aluminium.What looks like the hilt of Excalibur's broadsword is the handbrake lever.The interior is roomy and I liked the high position of the driver's seat with its excellent lumbar support.The boot is also very roomy and one or both of the rear seats can fold down for longer items.The 1.6-litre, DOHC, 16-valve engine fires up readily but you need 2000rpm on the tacho to take off smoothly.Proton claims peak power of 82kW and torque of 148Nm.Maximum power arrives at 6000rpm and torque at 4000rpm.Below 3000rpm the motor is sluggish.Turn on the airconditioner and you have to drop two gears from top to overtake cleanly on the freeway.The Gen 2 redeemed itself on my favourite set of corners in the Hills.The rain-slick road was empty and it coiled tantalisingly up through a small valley of trees.Changing up at 5500rpm in the lower gears of the five-speed gearbox (the engine revs out to around 7000rpm), I made brisk and exhilarating progress.The revs never dropped below 4000rpm, indicating a reasonably close-ratio gearbox.The Lotus-designed suspension kept the Gen 2 pinned to the greasy surface with no bodyroll.It tracked surprisingly well around the corners with very predictable feedback through the power steering.Even on a couple of switchback, uphill hairpins, there was no scrabbling for grip from the front-wheel drive.I reckon the Gen 2 would give its more fancied rivals a real shock in the handling stakes.The question is, how many owners are going to drive the car in this manner? There are quite a few young hotrodders out there looking for a nimble hatchback but the typical buyer of cars like the Gen 2 are commuters, not funseekers.Perhaps a simple remapping of the engine management would bring more usable power and torque lower back down the rev range.Around town, the Gen 2 is easy to manoeuvre, with good all-round vision, slick gearchange and light clutch action.The large marker on the speedo at the 50km/h calibration is a useful speed reminder.Out on the freeway at the legal limit there is too much wind noise from the window seals.Change down to keep the speed up and the engine is loud and harsh compared with many of its rivals in this price bracket.On rough roads, the test car exhibited some vibratory-type rattles.Turning at slow speed in a multi-storey carpark revealed an occasional clicking sound from the front of the car.However, it should be stressed that the Gen 2 on test was a fleet launch car nearing the end of a rugged test cycle.Production cars should be better.One area the Gen 2 received constant praise in was its appearance.A worker at a drive-in bottleshop thought it was an Alfa Romeo.I liked the swooping lines, aggressive-looking headlights and cleanly-cut rear but thought the wheels looked too small for the body size.Priced from $17,990 and optioned up to $22,990, Proton's Gen 2 is a brave attempt to take on the predators in the shark pool of compact cars.

The Satria GTi was a good-looking, hot-to-trot little unit that talked the talk, but more importantly, walked the walk.Even the basic, garden-variety Satria had the looks and the value to make it an attractive option for young buyers.Build quality was a bit of an issue but the fun factor was high enough to put those concerns on the back burner.Since then Proton has had a couple of strikes. First with the Waja – an overpriced, under-performing sedan that was roundly shunned by the market – and the Jumbuck, a well-conceived small and affordable ute, which unfortunately was well down the scale for build quality.Enter the Gen.2, a small hatch with the mission of taking Proton into the realms of Hyundai and Kia as reliable, affordable small transport.With plenty of development input from Lotus, which is owned by Proton, it is no surprise that the Gen.2 is, dynamically, a compliant and composed little car.Body stiffness is reassuring and handling sure-footed with a comfortable ride quality – something of a surprise because anything wearing a Lotus badge, while it sticks like glue, usually requires a kidney belt as an accessory.A little disappointing was the steering, which can feel quite woolly, particularly at lower speeds.The 82kW 1.6-litre Campro engine – a Proton in-house development – is a lively unit when revved up towards the limit.Cruising, it feels sadly under-powered with little low-end pick-up. It also gets fairly coarse when at the business end of performance.The five-speed manual on the test car was light and easy to use without any particular precision to the gates. The ratios and the need to keep the revs high for any sort of urge meant plenty of changes.The exterior design is a clean-sheet effort from Proton's own people and while it shows some obvious "influenced by" cues (the Mercedes CLK tail-lights for one), the result is pleasing to the eye.That clean and fresh appearance carries over to the interior of the car, where the dash is stylish and individual.Materials are comparable with others in the same class but fit and finish is disappointing.Again, the badge is being let down by poor quality assurance on the build line.In the test car the electric windows did not work and the adjustment unit in the centre console came away in the hand.Close inspection of much of the fit and fitment for the trim showed evidence of either haste or poor practice.Rear leg space is adequate but headroom is restricted by the slope of the roof. The seats front and back are comfortable without being particularly supportive. Bolstering is moderate at best.The Gen.2, which comes in three specification levels, offers airconditioning, power steering and mirrors, driver and passenger airbags, seat-belt pretensioners, disc brakes, central locking, remote keyless entry, a CD player and a trip computer as standard on the base model.The M-Line, as tested, adds ABS brakes, alloys and cruise control on the auto.An extra $1490 will get you the H-Line trim with side airbags, climate-control airconditioning, an electronic reversing sensor, front and rear fog lights, a rear spoiler and a mobile phone holder.There is no doubt that the Gen.2 is a huge step forward in both value and package over the Waja.But there is certainly no time for the company to relax yet.It still trails its obvious rivals Toyota, Hyundai and Kia in key areas, particularly with build quality.

The car has been a long time in gestation but is a critical model for the Malaysian manufacturer as it moves away from using redundant designs from Mitsubishi for which it paid handsome royalties. The Gen.2 is just about all Proton in terms of body and powertrain. Only the optional four speed automatic transmission is from Mitsubishi.Gen.2 also marks the appearance of Proton's first in-house engine, the Campro 1.6-litre four cylinder. It is the advance guard for a range of new engines designed and built by Proton with considerable input by Proton-owned Lotus.Gen.2 itself heralds a complete range of new Proton models due for production in the next 18 months built on four different platforms. Most will come to Australia and the lineup includes a city car with a 1.2-litre engine, a new Satria and a revised Waja.Proton Australia also disclosed at the Gen.2 launch that it has taken control of national Lotus distribution.The Gen.2 comes out of a brand new, highly automated factory at Proton City near Kuala Lumpur.The plant features a raft of high tech facilities including a water-borne paint shop and the largest body press in south east Asia which is capable of stamping the whole side of a car body in one pass.Gen.2 will be sold here in three grades, L, M and H ranging in price from $17,990 through to $20,990. The base model car lacks nothing in feature terms except alloy wheels and ABS.Proton will focus on its high standard equipment levels in Gen.2 marketing, the main thrust of which is at young females.The all alloy Campro engine is a low emission unit with twin cams and 16 valves. It has been designed for smooth economical running and delivers 82kw/148Nm output. Variable valve timing with 100kW makes an appearance early next year.A five speed manual or optional four speed auto transmission is used.Weight is around 1200kg but the Gen.2 benefits from Lotus input in terms of ride and handling.Both are impressive in a car such as this which is comfortable and controlled over most roads.What makes Gen.2 stand out from the crowd is its styling – a super effort from the Malaysians and Lotus. The body has elements from Europe and Japan and does the trick in terms of "wow factor". Proton offers Gen.2 in a range of fairly staid colours except for a strident sky blue mica and a mica orange.Inside is just as good as the outside and owes nothing to any other style currently in vogue. It is refreshingly different albeit without a glove box, and comes in a two tone beige instead of boring old grey.The drive experience is not bad for what is essentially an economy model. It won't rock your socks off for pace but gets going if needed. The seats lack some lateral support cornering hard but plenty of room is available inside for five and the boot is large.A disappointing space saver spare lives under the boot floor.Petrol requirement is premium unleaded but we tried it on regular which made no difference. Fuel tank capacity is 50 litres giving the Gen.2 a good range especially with about 6.5l/100km economy easy to achieve.Proton is currently rebuilding its dealer network after some flew the coop in the past couple of years due in part to Proton's direct marketing activities and little in the way of new models.The Gen.2 could spark renewed interest in the Malaysian brand which has a reputation for reliability and good value for money in this country.It certainly deserves a look.