Preloved Wheels Proton Satria 1997-99
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday March 15, 2000
PROTON Satria? What the hell is a Proton Satria?
Buy one of these little three-door hatchbacks and you can well expect that question to be asked by friends and family.
Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad, or Proton as it is better known, is Malaysia's first (and so far only) indigenous car maker, established in 1983 to make cars and commercials for the Malaysian domestic market and export markets.
The company made its Australian debut with a five-door hatchback called Wira that soon gave way to an expanded range, including a four-door sedan, known as Persona.
But there was a marketing need for a smaller cheaper car, a city car capable of taking to the highways when the need arose, and at the Brisbane Motor Show in February 1997 Proton released that car.
It was called Satria and it was the perfect stablemate for the bigger Persona.
Built on a modified Persona floorpan it measured 3990mm overall, was 1690mm wide, 1360mm tall and sat on a 2440mm wheelbase, making it almost 400mm shorter overall and 60mm shorter in the wheelbase.
It was no accident that Satria had a lot in common with Mitsubishi's superceded Mirage model. The Japanese car maker had (and still has) a 16% shareholding in the company, so was the natural donor of designs and technical input.
The engines, all four-cylinder units of either 1468cc or 1597cc capacity, were Mitsubishi powerplants made under licence in Malaysia.
The styling was pleasant, the cars roomy and airy despite their modest dimensions, and the homegrown styling cues, such as the unusual split grille with its chrome surround and centrally mounted corporate logo, did not look out of place.
That logo, incidentally, is a sun motif representing each Malaysian State and was allegedly designed with input from none other than Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
There were three models, two engines and three transmissions available back in 1997, and they stayed in the range until it was given an overhaul late last year.
The entry-level car was the GL model with 1.5-litre, single overhead camshaft, three-valves-per-cylinder engine and a choice of either a five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed automatic.
Next on the food chain was the GLi model with the same engine and transmission choices as the GL, but with more surprise and delight features for buyers willing to pay a few more dollars.
And at the top of the tree was the XLi, complete with 1.6-litre engine and either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.
While the smaller engine had three valves (two inlet, one exhaust) for each cylinder the 1.6 used four valves, and despite the minimal size differences between the two engines (roughly 130cc) the performance characteristics were markedly different.
The 1468cc engine produced 66kW at 6000rpm and 126Nm of torque at 3000rpm, while the 1.6 made 70kW at 6000rpm but 138Nm at a quite high 5000rpm, making it a headier motor and not quite as tractable in higher gears at lower speeds.
Equipment levels were high for what were essentially cheap and cheerful cars. The GL came with such niceties as tilt adjustable steering, a German Blaupunkt audio unit complete with in-dash CD player, rev counter, height-adjustable driver's seat, rear window demister and remote releases for the fuel filler cap and tailgate. T HE GLi had everything fitted to the GL and gained power steering, power windows and central locking along the way.
Buyers who chose the XLi got a car with anti-lock braking, a light in the luggage compartment, front seat pockets, cup holders and a dinky little rear spoiler.
Air-conditioning was standardised across the range in September 1997.
Not only was the Satria a well-equipped, reasonably quick and modestly good-looking car, it was also a reasonable handler thanks to its well-sorted suspension.
Independent MacPherson struts front and rear and a squarish footprint on the road courtesy of its 1450mm front and 1460mm rear tracks meant it hung on reasonably well in corners.
Satria is still with us although the range has been revamped a little. Late last year Proton Cars Australia dropped the 1468cc GLi, put a smaller 1.3-litre engine in GL and added the 103kW Satria GTi as the flagship model.
At a glance
WHAT TO LOOK FOR BUYERS looking for a high-tech hot hatch should not look at the Satria, at least not at the crop detailed here.
Proton's aim with the (relatively) early cars was to put a bunch of fuss-free, well-equipped shopping trollies on the road and that is just what they did.
Multiple overhead cams and armies of valves are out for these Mitsubishi-developed engines, which are basically updates on the old four-pot engines used by Mitsubishi in countless Lancers and Mirages.
They are pretty well Mitsubishi under the skin as well and that means solid, reliable and dependable.
Don't expect to find too many examples suffering from hard use, although clutches and brakes may have been given a workout on the school run or the weekly visit to the shopping centre.
WHAT TO PAY Satria GL: 1997, $11,500; 1998, $12,500; 1999, $13,000
Satria GLi: 1997, $12,500; 1998, $13,500; 1999, $14,500
Satria XLi: 1997, $14,500; 1998, $15,500; 1999, $17,500
(Retail prices courtesy of industry analyst Glass's Guide)
© 2000 Newcastle Herald
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