Proton South Africa has just welcomed the third member to their ever-growing family, in the form of the 2023 Proton Saga.

The new A-segment sedan joins the Proton X50 and Proton X70 in South Africa. Like its SUV brethren, the Saga is also imported (CBU) from Malaysia.

Also Read: Proton X50 and X70 launched in South Africa after a 10-year hiatus

Three variants of the 2023 Proton Saga will be offered in South Africa, namely:

• Saga 1.3L Standard MT
• Saga 1.3L Standard AT
• Saga 1.3L Premium AT

Prices start from ZAR 199,900 (~RM 49k) for the 1.3L Standard MT variant, while the 1.3L Standard AT goes for ZAR 219,900 (~RM 54k). The top-spec Saga 1.3L Premium AT is priced at ZAR 239,900 (~RM 59k).

In South Africa, the Proton Saga competes against similarly-priced rivals like the Suzuki DZire (ZAR 193,900 / ~RM 47k) and Honda Amaze (ZAR 231,200 / ~RM 56k).

As the name suggests, all three variants of the Proton Saga are powered a naturally-aspirated 1.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine that does 95 PS at 5,750 rpm and 120 Nm at 4,000 rpm. A five-speed manual and four-speed automatic are the transmission options for buyers in the rainbow nation.

Also Read: New engines coming for Proton Persona, Iriz, Exora, maybe Saga too - between 2023 to 2027

In terms of equipment, the South African-spec Saga is largely identical to their Malaysian counterpart. That being said, South Africa loses out on the top-spec Saga Premium S variant, which means that even the most expensive variant loses out on niceties like keyless entry with engine push start button, leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, semi leatherette seat upholstery, and driver power window with Auto Down feature.

Similar to other export-spec Saga models, the South African-spec model offers a multi-mode air-conditioner blower and heater – something that’s missing on the local-spec car. Speaking of air-conditioning, the South African-spec Saga also loses out on the new controls that our Malaysian-spec car gets.

Safety equipment also mirrors the Malaysian-spec Saga – dual airbags are offered across the range, so are ABS, EBD, and Brake Assist. Both the automatic variants add stability control and traction control to the mix.

According to a report by Top Auto, the Saga may not be the only sedan that Proton will launch in South Africa as there are plans to introduce the Proton Persona there as well.

Also Read: Proton Saga emerges as best-selling Proton of 2022 but how do the others fare?