Proton Satria Neo

This review could possibly be one of those bridge-burning exercises that guys in my position fear most. The last thing I want to do is piss on somebody at Proton’s battery and earn a slot right at the top of their bad books. But, I’ve got a job to do. If there’s one guy out there that’s seriously interested in what the Satria Neo’s like to drive, it’s my duty to tell him.

But in all fairness I’ve decided to separate this story into good things and bad things about the car. Just a little worried that the bulk of this text will be comprised of the latter topic.

So the good things then… The Satria looks the part. With chunky wheel arches and an aggressive stance as far as wheel placement is concerned, this Proton demands a bit of attention. Even our lady receptionist and techno-guru art department layout guy were caught in the parking lot sussing out this car. That say’s a lot considering the calibre of cars that roll through our doors. I’ve seen a couple of these things cruising the streets and in all honesty it does look pretty good.

It also handles pretty well. I never really got a chance to give it a good go, but it’s nice and comfy over the bumps and change directions with a flick of the wheel. After reading some rival magazines reviews of this car, I found myself wondering if their handling impressions were mostly due to the little Lotus Tuned Suspension badge mounted on the tailgate. But it does handle good, even if most just say so because of that badge.

Now the bad things… Where to start? Probably one of the funniest and most annoying characteristics of the Satria is its seating position. You’ve probably all heard the jokes about cars designed by little yellow men in Malaysia or China or Japan, but this car brings those jokes to reality. Now I’m a relatively short guy, but even I felt the hairs on the top of my head tickling the headliner. The real funny part about it is that there is a height adjustment, it just only gets higher! Like they designed it to adjust from midget to a dwarf or something. I know a motoring journo who stands about seven feet tall and would literally have to drive with a tilted head in this car. Literally.

Then there’s the noise it makes at about 5000rpm. Sounds like the airbox comes loose and rubs on the underside of the bonnet sending a vibration through the whole chassis. Reminds me of getting a tattoo over your spine. Could be a problem that only this test unit suffers from, but I doubt it.

There is a time and place for the Proton Satria Neo. The time is not now, and the place is the land of leprechauns. If you’re on a budget, stand four feet off the ground and couldn’t care less about build quality or Malaysian badges, then consider this Proton. But if you’re even slightly normal, steer clear.
-Jesse Adams

make: Proton Satria Neo
engine: 4-cyl/DOHC 16V
capacity: 1597cc
power: 82kW @ 6000rpm
torque: 148Nm @ 4000rpm
specific power: 51kW per litre
specific torque: 92Nm per litre
power to weight: 69kW per tonne
torque to weight: 125Nm per tonne
drive/transmission: FWD/5-speed
0-100km/h (c): 11.5 seconds
0-100km/h (g): 11.6 seconds
quarter mile (g): 17 secs @ 130km/h
80-120km/h (4th) (g): 13.4 seconds
120-160km/h (4th) (g): 14.3 seconds
maximum speed (c): 190km/h
price: R142 995
CIA rating: 4/10
fuel use overall (c) 6.0 litres per 100km
fuel capacity 45 litres
range: 750km
CO2 Emissions 157g/km

c = claimed
g = gauteng