Buried in Proton’s vendor collaboration press release yesterday were mentions of future products that will be launched starting this year, including the national carmaker’s new AMA platform for entry-level vehicles.
Most notable was the seemingly innocuous partnership struck between China’s Imotion Automotive Technology and Proton’s long-term vendor Delloyd Technology, which would enable the former to help “accelerate the development and adoption of ADAS [advanced driver assistance] systems for the AMA01.” In actual fact, the news is hugely significant because there is one AMA-based model that will be launching this year – the new Proton Saga.
This in itself is not a massive surprise – after all, we’ve seen several camouflaged prototypes fitted with an ADAS camera at the top of the windscreen. But this tacit admission from the company itself is still big news and means that prospective customers can look forward to driver assistance systems finally coming to the budget sedan this year.
It remains to be seen whether the Saga will get the full suite of features that we’ve come to expect from larger and more expensive Protons. Given the car’s remit of providing the most bang for your buck, full Level 2 semi-autonomous driving systems such as adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist are probably a bridge too far, as they generally require higher-definition cameras and a front radar, both of which add cost.
That’s no big loss – just adding autonomous emergency braking alone would be a huge improvement over the outgoing model and put it on par with its biggest rival, the Perodua Bezza. We should point out, however, that there are cars out there, such as the Honda Civic, that provide Level 2 semi-autonomy using a purely camera-based system, so we can’t rule those features out just yet.
We’ll also have to wait to find out whether Proton will offer some or all of these features as standard (unlikely, again due to cost) and if it has addressed the Saga’s other safety issue – just two airbags across the range. Hopefully, the redesign has allowed the fitment of at least six airbags, which would give the car an edge over the aforementioned Bezza.
The new safety systems will join a heavily revised exterior design, still based on the outgoing Saga – itself tracing its lineage back to the 2008 “BLM” model. Leaked internal images purportedly show the new car with projector headlights, a full-width grille with the Ethereal Bow chrome bar and a new bumper design.
Inside, the changes are even more stark, with an all-new dashboard housing a widescreen display panel with instrument and infotainment screens, pill-shaped air vents and redesigned air-con switchgear. There’s also a new three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel lifted from the X50.
As for what’s under the bonnet, the Saga could be the recipient of a new Geely-sourced engine, perhaps related to the new 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine rumoured for the facelifted X50. We’ll find out for sure when the car launches in the fourth quarter of the year.
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