HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROTON SAVVY
Toughest production Proton bodyshell ever made
Capable of 3 stars in EuroNCAP crash test methods
Drive-by-wire throttle
4-lamp halogen bulb headlight
3-year warranty for power window system
10,000 kms service/oil change interval
20,000 kms oil filter change interval
Clutchless manual transmission to be offered in 3 months
Continuing on its plan to overhaul its product line-up with in-house designed models, Proton today introduces its third model and what has long been regarded as the Tiara Replacement Model (TRM). As many will remember, Proton produced a model called the Tiara in the mid-1990s which was adapted from the Citroen AX, a small French hatchback. It was actually a model which had resulted from a separate project by USPD, a joint-venture company in which Proton had a stake.
The Tiara was Proton’s first foray into the small segment below 1.3 litres but the Tiara’s poor quality and problems turned many people off. It was a rushed job at that time and inadequate engineering had been done on localisation even though the original design was sound and had been a popular one in Europe.
People therefore remember the Tiara in a negative light and this does have some implications on its replacement although it is more a ‘Tiara-class’ replacement model rather than a direct replacement. The Savvy, as the TRM is known, has no connection with the Tiara at all and is an entirely new development using a platform which is not an adaptation of the Waja or Gen2 platform. The Savvy development took 26 months and was done with some Korean consultants as well (apparently ex-Daewoo engineers).
STYLING
From any angle, the Savvy looks bold and individualistic, with an accent on youthfulness. The chunky profile was inspired by the F22 Raptor, the latest fighter jet in the US Air Force, but many feel there is some ‘Renault influence’ in the rear end. Nevertheless, the front grille is another variation of the ‘wau’ (kite) which made its debut in the Gen2 and this one looks a lot smarter.
The bonnet design is interesting and has a ‘clamshell’ concept which is something that has been a trademark on Land Rovers. But it was also used on the early Clios so again, one wonders if Proton designers had browsed through Renaults designs seeing that the ‘heart’ of the car is French.
The details around the car are impressive and give the Savvy in a high-quality image. There is a lot of originality in this design which is praiseworthy although the rear end looks a bit odd with the depressed sections at the lower portion of the door. Perhaps these are for trim panels in future but should have been better treated. The rear lighting units also stand out with their eye-catching honeycomb covers.
INTERIOR
The Savvy’s cabin is very spacious for a car that has a length of 3710 mm and a wheelbase of 2395 mm, certainly offering more comfortable accommodation that the other rivals in the same body class (Chevy Spark, Kia Picanto, Perodua Kelisa and Inokom Atos). As would be expected from the exterior looks, the headroom inside is excellent and the slope of the rear glass is also not so shallow that sunlight falls on the rear occupants’ necks.
In an effort to brighten up the interior, a beige trim colour has been chosen but this clashes with the exterior colours and it may have been better to use a more neutral grey shade instead.
There is yet another dashboard presentation for the Savvy so it is clear that, for now, Proton’s designers are not looking at a common theme for interiors. This is good and bad; on the one hand, it provides good differentiation but on the other, there is no common theme that says ‘this is a Proton’. Still, the design in the Savvy is well thought out and even ‘European’ in appearance. There is a minimalist approach with less buttons and the layout for the audio system (a Clarion system) which is on the lower centre portion of the dashboard is fairly neat. Yes, there is a glovebox in this car (unlike the Gen2) and also an additional bin above it which would be for the passenger airbag if one is fitted.
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Rear light units are eye-catching with honeycomb design on the lenses
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Very sporty instrument panel inspired by a sports watch
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Yes, there’s a glovebox in the Savvy! Open area on top would be for an airbag if fitted.
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Rear cupholder is too shallow for either a cup or a small mineral water bottle
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Over on the driver’s side, the driving position is comfortable and ergonomically-sound, unlike the Gen2 (which has actually been improved a bit). Yellow-faced instruments inspired by sports watches are angled inwards and on the tachometer face is a LCD panel which has a digital fuel indicator and digital displays for the trip and odometer, as well as the clock. In between the meters is a blanked-off space which would show the display for gear position in the semi-automatic model.
Rear accommodation is generous and the two backrests fold completely flat (seats flip forward), extending the cargo area when necessary. A nice extra is the cargo net strung across the rear opening. This is useful for small bags of groceries which you don’t want to have rolling around. However, grocery hooks are still what is needed as standard in cars in Malaysia for the teh tarik! A small compartment on the left side provides some storage space and under the floor is a skinny emergency tyre.
POWERTRAIN
As had been widely rumoured, the engine for the Savvy is from Renault, just as the one in the Waja 1.8 and it would be the third French engine used by Proton (the first being the engine in the forgettable Tiara). Many would wonder why the 1.3-litre variant of the CAMPRO engine was not used instead and according to TM (Tengku Tan Sri Dr Mahaleel, Proton’s CEO), it was because the size was too large for the Savvy’s engine bay. He said that it may have been possible to develop a smaller CAMPRO but time was against them so buying the engine from Renault, which makes a business out of selling engines to other carmakers, made more sense.
The transversely-mounted engine is the Renault D4F unit which Proton describes as ‘the most modern engine in its class’ but it is debatable as to what is ‘most modern’. Nevertheless, it is by no means an old engine and is currently used in the Renault Clio II and Twingo. It’s a petrol engine with four valves per cylinder operated by only one overhead camshaft (SOHC). Multipoint fuel injection delivers precise amounts of fuel to each of the four cylinders with a total displacement of 1149 cc. Typical of European engines, the stroke is long to enhance torque and for this engine, maximum torque is 105 Nm at 4350 rpm while maximum power is 55 kW/74 bhp at 5500 rpm.
Like the Waja and Gen2, the Savvy’s engine is connected from the accelerator pedal by a wire and the pressure on the pedal is converted into an electronic signal, a departure from the conventional cable system. This is called ‘Drive by Wire’ and has its origins in aircraft controls; it offers instantaneous throttle response and has the obvious benefit of lightness and compactness.
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Interior layout is well planned but beige trim may not be such a nice idea
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Cargo net for boot is a good idea
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Rear backrests fold flat with seats folding forward
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Emergency tyre is stowed below floor level but within the car, not underneath
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Performance claims are impressive and partly reflect the light weight of the car (953 kgs) which gives it a very strong power-to-weight ratio of 78.3 bhp/tonne. It was supposed to do a top speed of 159 km/h but has been clocked at 170 km/h in factory tests, certainly fast for a 1.2-litre car. The acceleration time was targeted to be 13.9 9 seconds from standstill to 100 km/h and 12.6 seconds has been achieved. This is some 3 seconds quicker than the rivals picked by Proton. As for fuel consumption, the claim is 18.9 kms/litre (53.2 mpg) at 90 km/h which means the 40-litre tank should be good for at least 800 kms on the highway.
It is likely that unless the replacement parts like the oil filter are localised, they will be expensive because they have to be imported from Europe and the euro is very strong. Well aware of the maintenance cost issues of the Waja 1.8 engine (which comes from a different Renault family of engines), Proton has attacked this matter by extending the service intervals for the Savvy engine to 10,000 kms.
The longer service interval of 10,000 kms is not really unusual by European standards these days although in Malaysia, many companies still specify 5,000 kms. The oil change is also set at 10,000 kms but interestingly, the oil filter change is set at 20,000 kms. This is unusual because it is normally the oil filter which needs changing earlier than the oil but in this case, it is different. With these extensions, Proton feels that the maintenance costs for the Savvy should be moderated even if the parts themselves might cost more.
At launch time, the front-wheel drive Savvy is only available with a 5-speed manual transmission supplied by Renault as well. During the third quarter of 2005, an automated manual transmission (AMT) will also be available as an option. Those who know Renaults will know this as the ‘Quickshift’ transmission and it is a sort of ‘clutchless’ manual transmission with sequential shifting (that means you have to go through the gears in a 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 sequence and cannot jump from 3 to 5 as in a conventional manual transmission). It should make driving a lot more convenient but will JPJ allow people to use it for the driving test?
CHASSIS
Since the Satria GTI, Proton has been gaining more and more experience in chassis and suspension development, thanks in no small way to Lotus Engineering which has been a top name in this particular field. With the Savvy, which uses a different platform from the Waja and Gen2, past lessons have been drawn upon to endow the car with the Lotus ride and handling qualities. In fact, Proton would like to present the Savvy as ‘My First Lotus’ in the sense that drivers in this class of cars will also get to enjoy the Lotus qualities. Of course, given the power output of the engine, one might wonder if it is necessary to expend so much effort to give it the Lotus ‘DNA’. However, it doesn’t hurt and good handling does also promote driving safety although ride comfort should still remain important.
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Audio system panel is more sensible than the one in the Gen2
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Rear accommodation is good with enough headroom
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To achieve the desired high standards, the body has been made very rigid (more on this later) and the chassis is very strong. The greater resistance to flexing does wonders for handling as the suspension components don’t shift during extreme cornering conditions.
The front suspension has the usual MacPherson struts (with a with a dual-path mounting concept and careful tuning has had the hard points optimized to minimise changes in castor, toe and camber angles, all of which have implications on the handling precision and straightline stability.
At the rear, the layout is a simple one which is like most cars in this class, ie a torsion beam axle which ties both wheels and maintains the track firmly. Each end has a conical spring and a telescopic damper. The position is right to the side so the intrusion into the boot is minimal, maximising capacity.
The steering system is by rack and pinion with hydraulic power assistance and the wheels are rather large for this size of car – 15 inches diameter with a 5.5J width. On the units tested, the tyres were Goodyear NCT5s with a size of 175/50R15 but we were told that there is also a 14-inch option available. The large diameter offer benefits in ride comfort, particularly over potholes, and also steering response.
SAFETY As mentioned earlier, a tough and rigid body does wonders for handling and it is also vital for passive safety. With the Savvy bodyshell, Proton has reached new levels of body stiffness, and even exceeded the targets set. Numbers won’t mean much to you but compared to the Waja, the Savvy’s body is 2.15 times more resistant to bending and has 2.19 times more torsional strength. Compared to the older Wira, there is a 300% increase, The sort of stiffness the Savvy has been given is more than what most manufacturers would do for a car in this class and Proton claims it is the strongest in its class.
But there is really another very good and important reason why a strong bodyshell is good and that is the passive safety aspect. TM says that even if you have 10 airbags and the bodyshell is weak, the effects of a severe crash could still cause serious to the occupants. That is basically the approach taken by Volvo and is a cornerstone of their philosophy. Of course, with today’s technology, it is no longer necessary to make cars look like tanks and even a small model like the Savvy can have a very strong body without using thick steel sheets (the galvanised steel for the Savvy is of a higher grade than the Gen2).
Using the EuroNCAP test criteria, Proton claims that the Savvy should be able to achieve 3 stars in crash tests (presumably this includes airbags which are not a standard fitment in all Malaysian versions). Of course, the official results will only be available if EuroNCAP actually tests the Savvy itself. To date, only the Waja has been put through an actual crash test by EuroNCAP.
To increase protection for the rear occupants, there has been strengthening of the rear seat back section. This is not only for rear collisions but also to resist the movement of heavy loads in the boot which will get pushed forward against the back seats in an accident. This is particularly important in a hatchback because the seats can also fold so their structure is not as rigid as in sedans.
The brake system is a vented disc/drum set-up and ABS is certainly going to be available but in the more expensive versions only. Factory tests show that the stopping distance is fairly good at 49 metres from a speed of 100 km/h.
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Same problem as Gen2 – signal stalks are too far away from the steering wheel
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Renault engine in the compact engine bay
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Torsion beam rear suspension is typical for this class of cars
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BUILD QUALITY
This is an area which has been like Proton’s Achille’s Heel, something which has affected its image seriously enough that it has had to take out advertisements which highlight the efforts being made to improve quality and the involvement of TUV in establishing more stringent processes as well as assessing suppliers. Proton has been hard at work trying to convince the Malaysian public that it can make cars without too many problems and offer cars with consistently high quality.
With the Savvy, it seems to be getting there as the units provided for the press preview were of a high build quality, unlike what was seen with the Gen2 preview units. This time, fit lines were smooth and gaps were consistent with no trim panels out of place. The real question will be whether such quality can be consistently achieved or it’s just a supreme effort for the launch and then the effort declines after a while.
One particular area which has become synonymous with Proton quality (or rather lack of it) has been the power windows. The power windows in the Waja were to have been so well engineered that they would not fail like those in earlier models. But within months, owners were facing the same problems and what was worse, the whole door module had to be changed. Fine when it was under warranty but after that it was an expensive replacement. The Gen2 also had the same sort of problems and so with the Savvy, the pressure is on to end this matter once and for all. This time, there are no proud claims that the power window system (only for the front doors) will not fail although they have been tested to double the normal service cycles. Apparently, a new supplier is making it so it remains to be seen whether it was a design problem or a supplier problem…
Anyway, expecting that the buyers will remain sceptical about the claims and also TM’s confidence that there won’t be problems, Proton is offering a 3-year warranty on the power window systems alone. That’s rather unusual but it is probably the only way to overcome consumer fears which could turn people off again. But giving a 100-year warranty still won’t avoid the inconvenience caused to the owner who has to visit a service centre for the replacement, not to mention the frustration of it happening in a new car, Anyway, let’s wait and see what happens this time round.
The industry measurement of line quality is the defects per unit (DPU) and it is often measured at the line as well as at shipping and also at point of delivery. For the Savvy, the line DPU is said to be 4 – 6 which, in TM’s view, is an industry norm. He did not provide the shipping DPU which is the DPU when the car has passed through final QC and is sent out of the factory. But he did say that the DPU at the dealer should be 0 since any defect should be removed. To compare, Perodua last month started that the DPU for the Myvi is 0.2 (2 defects for every 10 cars) at shipping and it is believed that at the line it may be around 2.0 per car. The best in the world at the moment is 0.05 (5 defects per 100 cars) which has been achieved by Lexus at the Japanese plant.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
As usual, the media was given an opportunity to try the Savvy at Proton’s test track and only the manual version was available. The first impression on moving off was that the engine was not the weakling one would expect from the paper specs. It felt spritely and got up to speed quickly. On the banking, the Savvy tracked steadily although I felt that the steering feel could have been more positive; somehow there was a sense of not knowing exactly what the front wheels were doing.
On the long straight and pushing the engine hard, there was boom starting above 4000 rpm and driving at engine speeds beyond that was not so pleasant. I only tried one unit so I can’t say if it is a common flaw but some extra time spent damping out the noise would be a good idea. Wind noise from the door mirror (another of those impractical tapered types which Proton designers seem to like) was also heard at most speeds.
Handling was hard to assess on the track and some lane-change manoeuvres didn’t show up anything good or bad. But it was very obvious that the body stiffness is very good although this does mean that the ride comfort is compromised just a little bit. It doesn’t help with the 50-series tyres either but a sporty driver is likely to accept that compromise.
SAVVY vs MYVI
Proton does not regard the Myvi as a direct rival but given that its price (indicated as about RM40,000 without insurance) is right in the middle of the Myvi price range, anyone wanting a small hatchback will be looking at both. So it is pertinent to compare even though the Myvi is a bigger car with a bigger engine.
Without doing direct A-B comparisons, it is hard to make definite statements about which is better. However, I have been driving the Myvi for a while and can keep its character in mind to make some comparisons. Basically, both are good cars but the Savvy is a more sports-oriented sort of car and as a result, it is not as comfortable as the Myvi. Now there will be some people who like this but there will also be those who prefer comfort and so they may appreciate the Myvi more. Put in another way, the Savvy is a car I would like to use around town daily but if I were to go from KL to Penang, I reckon the Myvi would be a better choice as it is more spacious and more comfortable.
Proton seems to have been endowing its new models with sportiness and perhaps this is not a bad strategy because its first step is to win over a new generation of buyers. The past ones who suffered problems have been turned off the brand and so have their children who suffered in the back and remember. Now Proton has to woo another generation of buyers who do not have such bad memories and would buy a Savvy, find it great to drive and more importantly, not have those problems which they heard about. In time, when buyer confidence is regained, Proton can then focus on less sporty models.
But for now, the Savvy gets high marks for an original design, a competent chassis and most important of all, build quality that can be said to be high (subject to being consistent in models that are delivered to paying customers).
Congratulations, Proton!
