Proton Savvy

PARTICLE PHYSICS
Andy Enright checks out Proton’s Savvy citycar
It was a line that merited reading again. "We’d like to think of it as my first Lotus," said Proton Group Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff. While picking on the grammar of a man whose name I couldn’t even pronounce may seem a cheap shot, it’s indicative of a strange meeting of cultures that has seen Lotus help in the development of the Savvy citycar.

That this Malaysian industrial conglomerate works so closely with the Norfolk performance car manufacturer may come as a surprise to many who aren’t clued in, but those with a little more savvy will know that Lotus was swallowed up by Proton way back in 1997. It was a smart move in many ways. Lotus were foundering financially but the brand equity would add significant clout to a Proton badge that was desperate for global credibility. The fact that many are still surprised at learning of Proton and Lotus’ tie-up is something of an indictment of Proton’s presence in this country which has been near to invisible. The first signs of the partnership came in 1999 when Proton launched the Satria GTi. Lotus took the standard Satria 3-door hatchback and added a little Hethel magic. The result was a superb handling ‘hot-hatch’, capable of humbling some of the more well known brands. The Satria GTi was well received by all who drove it but didn’t manage serious sales. It’s still one of the smartest used hot hatch buys around.

Keen to learn from the GTi experience, Proton was quick to use Lotus in the development of all subsequent car launches. In 2001, the Impian was the first Proton to be built on an in-house platform and the saloon car was graced with ride and handling not normally found on 4-door saloons. Perhaps the most significant car in Proton’s history was the GEN-2, launched in the UK in September 2004. Not only is the car totally designed and engineered by Proton and Lotus, but it is powered by a CAMPRO engine – built by Proton with the help of Lotus. Now we have the Savvy, a car that goes head to head in its home market with the Perodua Myvi – a rebodied Daihatsu Charade. Over here, the list of competitors is a good deal longer and more illustrious. The Savvy will have to shape up or ship out.

"…certain elements have been engineered into the Savvy that’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to drive one of the world’s best handling vehicles."

The Savvy comes in two different variants, the Street, available from £5,995, and the Style, from £7,295. Higher specification Style models offer air conditioning with a pollen filter and alloy wheels as additional standard items. Both models have the comprehensive Proton Peace of Mind Warranty Package which includes 3 year/60,000 mile warranty and 3 years’ free RAC cover.

First impressions are promising. It’s a neatly proportioned car, measuring 3710mm in length. This compares with 3456mm for the Citroen C1 and 3495mm for the Kia Picanto, so it’s a little bigger than the city car norm, coming half way between these tots and the 3917mm of a supermini like a Ford Fiesta. This means that access to the back through the rear doors isn’t as cramped as in certain city cars, helped in no small part by a generously stretched wheel at each corner stance. Where the Savvy isn’t quite as good as rivals like the Citroen C1 is in terms of interior width where it breaks the tape at 1345mm. Needless to say, you wouldn’t want to sit three adults across the back. Still, there’s a reasonable amount of luggage space, with perfectly flat-folding 50:50 rear seats contributing to a 909 litre boot capacity when they’re flat.

Only one engine is available at the moment, but it’s a pleasantly punchy 1.2-litre unit that makes 74bhp. This translates into the ability to hit 60mph in 12.2 seconds which is very good indeed for a vehicle in the city car class, as is the 106mph top speed. This is a car with genuine motorway ability. Proton are again quick to point to Lotus involvement in the chassis development. "We wanted a small car that offers practicality, fuel economy, generous space and great all round performance," says Mr Ariff (or more likely his PR man). "It’s not a sports car nor does it look like a Lotus but certain elements have been engineered into the Savvy that’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to drive one of the world’s best handling vehicles. The results are outstanding."
These elements involve engineering a new, stronger and more rigid chassis (platform) and bringing Lotus Dynamics into a small car, resulting in a vehicle that is superior in handling, safety, responsiveness and which has good power to weight ratio - all the necessary ingredients needed to make a powerful and enjoyable small package. The Savvy has been tested and verified to be stronger than the German and Italian marques that were used as a benchmark in the development process. Although it’s doubtful that you’ll step from a Savvy knowing exactly what a Lotus Exige must feel like as a result, if the results gained from cars like the Satria and the Impian are anything to go by, the association wll have tangible results.

The interior isn’t going to win any awards for materials quality, but there’s been an obvious effort spent on making it look a little more dynamic than the usual South-East Asian fare. Although the dash top air vent design is a little clumsy, there are some other nice touches. The centre console is neatly styled as is the dashboard and the steering wheel. There are cup holders next to the hand brake and the rear bench splits 50:50 to reveal a reasonably spacious luggage bay. Three colours are offered, comprising Stratos (metallic blue), Midnight (metallic black) and Magma, (solid chilli red).

The exterior styling is pretty sharp and the detailing is a lot better than on many previous Protons. Check out the front lamp clusters and the tidy way the rear wiper has been integrated for examples of how Proton styling is evolving. The V-shaped indent on the tailgate corresponds to the front grille, although the body-coloured grille works a lot better in black than it does in red.

If Proton can get footfall through their dealerships, there’s no reason why the Savvy shouldn’t succeed. Proton’s marketing analysts should be looking at the way Kia did so well with their Picanto and aim to learn a few lessons from that. Overall then, your initial impressions should be favourable. Ours were.