The 2019 Proton Saga is the cheapest sedan you can buy in Malaysia. Prices range from RM 32,800 to RM 39,800, all powered by a 1.3-litre engine paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Its only rival is the Perodua Bezza which when equipped with a similar 1.3-litre engine, costs between RM 43,980 to RM 49,980 – not quite the people’s car. (New 2020 Perodua Bezza vs 2019 Proton Saga - How do they compare?)

Design

The latest 2019 update for the Proton Saga adds a different grille, new front and rear bumper plus a new boot lid garnish.

Interestingly, the new Saga now comes with upgraded disc brakes, which also necessitated a change in the wheels and its PCD. In other words, you can’t swap wheels with the previous Proton Saga.

The Proton Saga is not only cheaper than the Perodua Bezza, but it’s also bigger too. (Proton Saga vs Perodua Bezza)

Dimensions

Measuring 4,331 mm long and 1,689 mm wide, it is wider and longer than the Perodua Bezza.

Interior

The biggest change with the new 2019 Proton Saga is the repositioning of the centre air-conditioning vents, now placed lower to accommodate a 7-inch touch screen infotainment (only on Premium variant).

The fabric seat’s materials are waterproof and are surprisingly comfortable on the skin, despite this being a budget car.

The steering rack also has tilt adjustment, another plus point over the Perodua Bezza’s fixed steering rack. Yes, you can’t adjust the Bezza’s steering. 

The cabin light is now LED but that doesn’t mean that it’s good. The illumination is bright but the light is aimed at the wrong places – shinning into your eyes rather than the rest of the interior. The rear remains poorly lit.

It is, however, a lot more spacious than the Perodua Bezza, with more comfortable seats. 

Features

The biggest surprise for the little 2019 Proton Saga is its infotainment, at least that’s true for the Premium variant. It may have just 4 speakers but thanks to a high-quality sound processor, audio quality is far better than any budget car, close to rivalling some more expensive car’s six-speaker setup.

The infotainment also lacks voice control that’s available in the Proton Iriz, but that’s just a gimmicky feature and it’s not something that we will miss. What we missed not having, however, is Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (available in a Kia Picanto), which is a shame because the infotainment’s graphics and response is pretty good.

There’s an EasyConnect for Android MirrorLink-like feature, but that’s not something you will want to use because it requires your phone’s screen to be on all the time.

Safety features is quite basic, with electronic stability control available in the Premium variant. Airbag count stops at just two throughout the range.

Powertrain

The biggest change with the new updated 2019 Proton Saga is the transmission – now a Hyundai-sourced 4-speed torque converter automatic, replacing the previous car’s rubbish Punch-sourced CVT, which by the way is still used on the Proton Iriz. 

The car is now so much better to drive and it’s a lot more fuel-efficient too.

The 1.3-litre naturally aspirated engine is basic and makes just 95 PS at 5,750 rpm and 120 Nm at 4,000 rpm.

Driving performance

As far as budget cars go, the Proton Saga’ driving dynamics is above average, definitely better than a Perodua Bezza.

0-100 km/h is nothing to shout, with our own tests showing 14.6 seconds, while 0-100-0 km/h is done in 18.8 seconds 45.8 metres.

At highway speeds, it drives like what you would expect a budget car to but it feels a lot more planted than a Perodua Bezza. Around corners, it handles pretty good for what it is, although the light steering (retuned for the new Saga) doesn’t self-centre as much as you would normally expect a conservatively tuned city car to.

Read the complete review of 2019 Proton Saga here.

Ride comfort

Ride comfort is above average, again it’s better than a Perodua Bezza, whose seat lacks support. The suspension works well enough for a budget car. 

Behind, leg and shoulder room is more generous than the Perodua Bezza and the rear seats are better angled for a more comfortable ride.

Fuel consumption

The transmission has significantly improved the new Proton Saga’s fuel consumption – which was the previous model’s biggest weakness.

On highways, it sips as little as 5.5-litre/100 km but in the city, fuel consumption will increase to around 8-litre/100 km. The engine is still very old and there’s only so much the new transmission can improve.

Claimed overall (urban and highway) fuel consumption is 6.7-litre/100 km, still nowhere near the Perodua Bezza’s remarkably good 4.5-litre/100 km.

Conclusion

The new 2019 Proton Saga has fixed a lot of the previous model’s weaknesses. It’s cheaper than a Perodua Bezza, feels more expensive inside, is more comfortable and handles better but it’s not as fuel efficient. Cabin lighting remains poor though.