Proton Satria

When the Proton Satria was first introduced in Malaysia 30 years ago, the current owner of this Cherating Green Satria wasn’t around yet. Shane is a 23-year-old university student who is simply passionate and knowledgeable about all things Satria and his car has its own social media channel! Meeting him in person and learning more about Satina the Satria was worth the trip to Shane’s hometown of Ipoh. Though some might see it as just a bone stock Satria, as Shane delved in more on Satina’s histo

Proton is an ambitious carmaker with a strong national sense but unlike most national car projects, P1 persevered. Though that “national” title is irrelevant today, its pride remains true to every single Malaysian 40 years after the project was first announced. Some might argue that Proton (and by some extension, Perodua) squandered any feasible chance of Malaysia being an attractive hub for foreign carmakers who chose Indonesia and Thailand as their destination for growth in the ASEAN region. N

Malaysia’s first carmaker was only a decade old when Proton unveiled the Proton Satria in 1994. It was the company’s first 3-door hatchback and was marketed to younger buyers who wanted the next best thing to a Civic EG hatchback but on a budget. The Satria amassed a huge cult following that is still felt today. Naysayers might simply call it the 3-door Wira hatchback because of its similar looks to the heroic 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback/Aeroback. But when Proton launched the Satria GTi fo

Proton’s tenure in the UK started off with a bang but ended with a whimper as Malaysia’s first carmaker barely made a dent with buyers who have better options and aren’t constrained with biased regulations. But somewhere between its dramatic rise and silent fall, Proton introduced the Proton Satria GTi to attract buyers. Malaysia’s first hot hatch was sold officially in the UK, Germany, and Australia but the majority of the around 5,000 units built between 1999 and 2006 were sold in Malaysia. In

The chances for Proton to return to the United Kingdom are quite slim but the Malaysian tiger does have its fair share of fans that are determined to keep these “bangers” on the road. Still, there is one Proton that was widely praised by the country’s fine automotive journalists – the Proton Satria GTi. Malaysia’s first hot warm hatch burst into the scene in 1998 and it was launched in the UK in November 1999 with a price tag of GBP 14,500 (~RM 77.8k). Within its first 6 months in Great Britain,

As Malaysia Day looms closer, the timing is just right to pay tribute to yet another local automotive hero – the Proton Satria GTi. Malaysia’s most famous hot hatch has a cult following though it isn’t the only Satria with added cili padi. For a brief while, the Satria GTi was also sold in left-hand-drive (LHD) markets in Europe, called the 318 GTi. As such, it’s a rarity but one Malaysian managed to buy one and best of all, brought it to the ultimate track among auto enthusiasts, the Nürburgrin