Rendering - Next gen Proton Saga bids to move upmarket
The next generation of Malaysia's famous budget sedan, the Proton Saga is looking to move upmarket, as suggested by the company's chairman Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad who also happens to be the former Malaysian prime minister.
Proton is fast tracking the development of the third generation Saga which could be released as early as next year. Proton is ambitious to transform itself into the maker of world class products rather than low cost models for local consumption, according to the company.
Here is a speculative rendering of the upcoming sedan by Funtasticko.net. The overall design is conservative by global standards yet a huge leap ahead compared to the aging second gen Saga.
The Malaysian automaker is close to unveiling its first ever global model, the P2-30A hatchback which would replace the Saavy. The small car is benchmarked against rivals like the Honda Brio, Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Perodua Myvi.
The current Saga is based on the stretched version of the Saavy platform and since the Saavy is about to be replaced by the P2-30A, the new Saga could be based on the global hatch. The powertrain options are also expected to be borrowed from the smaller car.
The next gen Proton Saga would be pitted with rivals like the Honda City, VW Polo Sedan (Vento) and the Ford Fiesta sedan. Proton however, have no immediate plans to enter India anytime soon.
[Souce: Funtasticko.net]