Proton Saga FL now with Campro 1.6 engine
Proton has just bolstered the model range of its best-selling car, the Saga FL, with its 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine. Priced at RM46,549 with insurance, the new Saga FL 1.6E is available only with a 4-speed automatic transmission and finished only in solid white colour.
The 1.3 and 1.6-litre Campro engines are essentially re-stroked versions of each other. With a common bore of 76.0mm, the engine displaces 1,332cc with a 73.4mm stroke in the 1.3 models. In the 1.6 versions, the engine’s stroke is stretched to 88.0mm to give a 1,597cc displacement. As per the Persona, Gen.2 and Satria Neo, the Saga 1.6 makes 110hp @ 6,000rpm and 148Nm @ 4,000rpm, up from 94hp and 120Nm made by the 1.3.
The 1.6-litre Saga is actually not a new product as it is being widely used by our taxi fleets. In fact, Proton once offered limited units of the Saga 1.6 to the general public, which was finished in the same B-Line trim as the taxi models. Export models of the Saga have also been offered with the 1.6 engine as an option.
“The 1,600cc Saga should provide car buyers, especially those from the younger generation of purchasers and car owners with an even more attractive, affordable, cost-effective and powerful alternative,” said Proton Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.
Aesthetically, the Saga FL 1.6E is distinguished from its 1.3-litre brethren by new alloy wheels (which look like those used before in the pre-FL Saga SE) and a red strip running the length of the car along its shoulder. Inside, its air-con vents, centre panel, door handle, and steering ring are finished in dark chrome. Other features include dual airbags, seat-belt pre-tensioners, steering-mounted controls, USB connectivity, and side-mirror-mounted LED blinkers.
Since its introduction in January 2008, the Saga BLM has quickly become Proton’s best selling model, winning a raft of awards, and also chalking up 237,829 sales up till April 2011. The Saga FL’s introduction in December 2010 has seen average sales increasing to 6,700 units per month. The new 1.6-litre variant is expected to average 300 units per month.
Also available in Proton showrooms now is a new signature solid white colour for the Persona available for the High-Line and Medium-Line trims. The Persona is another strong seller for Proton, averaging 4,000 units per month, with some 156,487 units already on the road.
Prices of the new Saga FL 1.6E and solid white Persona variants are as follows:
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In other Proton-related developments, the Group also announced pre-tax profits of RM81 million in the fourth quarter of its 2010/11 financial year, which ends on 31 March 2011, on the back of increasing car sales. The company also handed over 10 units of the Proton Inspira 1.8(M/T) to the Royal Malaysian Police force for use as daily patrol cars.
Pictures: Official Proton release.
