All-new Proton Saga – more details and pictures

Many models have come and gone in PROTON’s 40-year history but the Saga – its very first model – has endured for three generations. The original and most iconic first generation that is forever remembered as Malaysian first National Car was in production for 23 years (1985 – 2008), while the second generation was in the market for 8 years, from 2008 to 2016.

Over 2.1 million produced
All three generations have been produced at the original factory in Shah Alam, Selangor which has ceased operations, with the last Saga of the third generation being completed in September 2025. Over 2.1 million Sagas have left the plant since 1985, delivered not only in Malaysia but in many other countries.

Now, after 9 years of the third generation, the fourth generation is about to be launched, bringing to Malaysians new features that move it ahead technologically. Unlike the previous generation which was constrained by financial limitations at the time of its development, the new Saga has had the support of DRB-HICOM’s partner in PROTON, Geely, allowing a more extensive R&D program.

Since 2017, when it became a shareholder, Geely has helped to refresh PROTON’s products, introduce new ones and raise standards in many areas. The new Saga is a beneficiary of this, and shows the value of having a strong partner to collaborate with (and learn from), rather than trying to stubbornly remain independent.

Major generation change
While it is normal practice to carry over some parts from the previous generation, a new generation also gets many new parts that provide optimisation in various ways. There are at least 337 parts that are new in the Saga, ranging from items as large as the engine to little details which are out of sight.

391,000 man-hours have gone into the development of the new Saga, more than the 260,000 man-hours (as stated by PROTON) for the S70. Road-testing has covered 412,000 kms around Malaysia and possibly on test tracks in China. No doubt there will also be testing later on in countries like Egypt where the current Saga is being assembled to tune the model for local conditions.

National identity
For the design of the new Saga, PROTON DESIGN has maintained a similar sedan form as the outgoing generation but added styling features that will clearly identify it as a new model. As always, PROTON DESIGN head, Azlan Othman and his team have incorporated Malaysian themes to give the car its ‘national identity’.

For the new Saga, the grille has the look of hand-woven songket, the textile associated with the region. There are many types of songket and they chose sulaman (embroidery) songket which has metallic threads woven into the base fabric to give a shimmering effect. This is replicated in a modern style for the grille.

The Ethereal Bow which is a signature styling element of current Proton models is also present. This is inspired by the traditional Malaysian recurve bow, symbolizing power and energy.

At the rear end, the tail lights are connected by a strip. This styling idea began with EVs and has since been adopted for many new models. It visually widens the appearance of the car, which is helpful especially for small models.

There will be different alloy wheels for each of the versions – Standard, Premium and Executive. The Premium and Executive will have wheels with 15-inch diameters while the Standard will be fitted with 14-inch wheels. The larger wheels have a Directional Arrow design (shown below).

At launch, there will be a choice of 5 exterior colours. Ruby Red, Armour Silver and Snow White are carried over from the current generation while Deep Marine Blue and Space Grey are new for the Saga.

REinforced Safety Structure
While safety has always been an important consideration for PROTON, it was with the Preve and Suprima S that the automaker made a significant advancement in structural engineering. This was when it developed the REinforced Safety Structure (RESS) concept using Hot Press Forming (HPF) components, offering superior rigidity and protection. HPF gives greater tensile strength and body rigidity while saving weight.

The new Saga also has RESS, the first in the A-segment in Malaysia to have engineering of this standard. The occupants will also be better protected with 6 airbags at the front and sides, more than the Saga’s direct rival in the market. It is known that ASEAN NCAP has already assessed the new Saga and it was rated at 4 stars (out of the maximum of 5), the same rating as the current generation.

ADAS
It was with the X70’s introduction that Malaysians came to learn a new term – ADAS, which stands for Advanced Driver Assistance System. This is an integrated active safety system that not only helps the driver avoid an accident but also helps with situational awareness.

The key element of the Saga’s ADAS is a monocular camera installed at the top of the windscreen which scans the road ahead. Imagery is analysed by the on-board computer and a dangerous situation may be identified. The driver is then warned and if no action is taken, the brakes will be activated automatically to stop the car or reduce its speed before colliding with a vehicle ahead.

The camera is also used for other active systems such as Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist, Intelligent High Beam Control, and Front Departure Alert.

At the back, a Rear Side Radar System (RSRS) covers the areas directly behind the car as well as the sides. It detects other vehicles, including motorcycles, to provide Blind Spot Warning, Rear Collision Warning and also Rear Cross Traffic Alert. The latter is useful when reversing out of a parking bay and the view to the sides is blocked.

The RSRS is also used for the Door Opening Warning system and the Saga is the first A-segment model in Malaysia to have this safety feature. It works by scanning the area up to 50 metres behind the car and if there is a vehicle – even a bicycle – approaching, there is a visual alert and alarm. This can help reduce accidents where the door is opened without looking back first.

The new Saga uses PROTON’s newly developed Advanced Modular Architecture (AMA) which is a flexible, scalable foundation. It is future-proofed so that it can meet international safety, performance, and emissions standards for some time to come. This was not the case with early Proton models which got ‘locked out’ of some markets as they could not be upgraded to meet evolving and tougher standards.

New 1.5-litre engine
The Saga gets a new engine, made in Malaysia. It’s a 4-cylinder unit similar in construction as the one found in the X50 but without a turbocharger and with a simpler electronic fuel delivery system (port injection instead of direct injection). The 1.5-litre unit is called i-GT and, with dual variable valve timing, produces 120 ps/150 Nm.

Two transmissions are available – a new CVT (believed to be from Punch) for the top Premium version and a more conventional 4-speed AT for the Standard and Executive versions. The 4-speeder is carried over from the current generation and is from Aisin. For those who still want a manual transmission, too bad that demand is deemed to be insufficient to justify offering it.

Fuel economy has always been one of the Saga’s strong points and with the CVT, efficiency is high and the new unit is claimed to give 14.04% improvement in fuel economy, while the 4AT also has an improvement of 10.53%.

The i-GT engine has been thoroughly tested and while the car went through 412,000 kms of road testing, prototype engines went through the equivalent of over 9 million kms of testing. Special attention was paid to lowering noise and it is claimed to be 25.24% quieter, thanks to having a dual-mass flywheel and toothed timing chain.

Integrated digi-graphic displays
The new Saga brings the model in line with modern interior designs with digi-graphic displays for the instrument panel and the infotainment system. It’s the first A-segment model to have both displays unified (like in a BMW or Mercedes-Benz) providing a clean visual appearance on top of the dashboard.

Both displays are full colour, the infotainment display being 9 inches wide and the instrument panel is 7 inches wide. The infotainment display has touchscreen controls which most people would be familiar with but don’t worry, the frequently accessed functions like the ventilation and air-conditioner controls are physical switches and there are also switches mounted on the steering wheel.

The must-have Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto are also included so no need to complain and wait some time for them to be integrated. With these two connectivity features, apps from smartphones can be mirrored onto the display screen and accessed from there. You get a much bigger Waze or Google Maps image to view than using your phone.

“The All-New Saga represents much more than the next chapter in our sedan legacy,” said Zhang Qiang, Deputy CEO of PROTON Edar. “It embodies the culmination of years of development by Malaysian engineers and designers, backed by global collaboration. This milestone signifies PROTON’s transition from a national carmaker to a global automotive innovator — proudly powered by local talent.”

Created by Malaysians, for Malaysians
“This model also represents how far PROTON has advanced — from a national carmaker to a forward-looking global brand,” Mr. Zhang added. “It’s a car created by Malaysians, for Malaysians, and now ready to showcase our engineering capability to the world.”

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