After a little over a decade of hiatus, Proton returned to South Africa in 2022 with a pair of Geely-based SUVs, the Proton X50 and X70. Just recently, the Malaysian tiger also uploaded a series of teaser posts of its third model to enter the South African market and it’s a familiar name.

The Proton Saga was previously sold in South Africa from 2010 right until the Malaysian carmaker decided to pull out of the market in 2014-15. Back then, the BLM Saga was one of the most affordable sedans sold in the country when it was priced at ZAR 124,995 (~RM 31k) for the sole 1.3 MT variant though the 1.6 FLX model was discovered in South African used car classifieds.

The latest Saga currently teased on Proton South Africa’s social media channels appears to be better equipped than the one that was previously offered in the country. Based on the teasers, the South African-spec Saga could be similar to our highest-spec Premium S variant.

Also read: Priced from RM 34k, 2022 Proton Saga MC2 facelift launched with keyless entry and more to fight Bezza

Features shown in the teaser include the 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, electric folding mirrors, keyless entry with push start button, USB charging ports, and a 7-inch floating-style touchscreen infotainment display.

Also read: Old vs New – Updated 2022 Proton Saga: What has Proton improved on its entry sedan?

The engine displacement for the South African-bound Saga is likely to be the same as the one offered in Malaysia – a naturally-aspirated 1,332-cc four-cylinder unit that makes 95 PS and 120 Nm – instead of the slightly smaller displacement as shown in the Pakistani-spec Saga (1,299-cc).

Also read: Export-spec Proton Saga launched in Pakistan, R3 variant gets a manual!

In Malaysia, the Saga is offered with both a 5-speed manual transmission and a 4-speed automatic gearbox but whether both transmissions will be offered in South Africa would only be revealed during its launch.

The Proton Saga is the most popular Proton model in the export market as of 2022 and besides Pakistan, the A-segment sedan is also sold in Brunei, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Egypt. The Saga is available in 5 variants in Malaysia:

• 1.3 Standard MT – RM 34,800
• 1.3 Standard Lite AT – RM 38,300
• 1.3 Standard AT – RM 38,800
• 1.3 Premium AT – RM 41,800
• 1.3 Premium S AT – RM 44,800