New Face for Waja And Re-Designed Tail for Savvy
Shah Alam, 19 January 2006 – Proton started the 2007 ball rolling in the auto industry today by unveiling two face-lifted models, the new Waja and the Savvy. The Waja loses its hooked nose in the front and takes on a more continental look, while the Savvy loses a little of its tail and gains a mini roof spoiler. Both cars are available for booking in all Proton Edar and EON showrooms as of today.
The Savvy now comes in two model variants, the medium and highline models, two levels of specifications to suit the preferences and the pocketbooks of customers. “The introduction of two variants for the Savvy – medium and highline model – presents customers with enough choice in making a purchase decision that is often influenced by price considerations,” said Proton Holdings Managing Director Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir. “These two new models are a prelude to a series of other products we intend to introduce into the market this year. Despite the tough market environment today, we are committed to continuously enhance and introduce new or refresh(ed) models for our customers at a very affordable price range.”
The Savvy now comes with a much nicer looking, black wire mesh grill, giving it a more aggressive countenance. At the rear end, the little ‘V’ in the rear bootlid has been removed, making the lines neater. In addition, a rear roof spoiler is now standard equipment on all Savvy models. The Savvy Highline comes with airbags, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, and ABS. For added security, the alarm system is complemented by an immobiliser.
Prices are basically unchanged for the model range, and on-the-road prices are as follows: –
· Savvy Medium-line 5-speed manual – RM 40,240.00
· Savvy Medium-line AMT – RM 43,182.00
· Savvy High-line AMT – RM 45,841.00
Powered by the same 1.2 litre fuel-injected engine, the Savvy delivers 74 bhp, and 105Nm of torque. Boasting of a power-to-weight ratio of 78.3 bhp per tonne, the Savvy does the zero to 100 km/h dash is 12.6 seconds, a pretty good figure for a car in this class. Fuel economy, if driven with a light foot, can be as low as 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres at the rated speed of 90 km/hr.
The New Waja
The new look of the Waja was well received by the media who attended the preview today. The front ‘hooked nose’ is history, replaced by a ‘straight-line’ bonnet and a rectangular grille. The overall effect is a much nicer looking front that somehow reminds one of the Passat. Also included are fog lights built into the front bumper. Five new colours are available; metallic twilight blue, metallic iridescent white, metallic grey, metallic brilliant red, and burgundy.
Inside, the upholstery now comes in a tow-tone black and light brown leather, although I thought that a single tone would have more general appeal.
Standard features such as ABS, dual airbags, disc brakes on all four wheels, and of course, the Lotus-tuned suspension, remain. Prices, on-the-road are as follows:-
· Waja Manual Transmission – RM 59,388.00
· Waja Automatic Transmission – RM 62,888.00
The final good news is that both the Savvy and the Waja come with 5 years or 175,000 kilometre warranty.
