TRM aka Proton Savvy

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One thing that Proton has always never get it right is their bench-marking process. They should realise the days when they can manufacture a low tech car and sell it at ridiculous prices are over! Till now, Plotong still does not have an engine with variable valve timing and they have spent 500 million for a campro engine?? Might as well buy the EG9 from Honda and I bet they would have sold a few more JUnk2 :)
 
Checked out the Savvy at an EON dealer 2 days back. The quality of the interior plastic is much improved over the Gen.2's and thankfully, Proton has chosen not to fit the Savvy with the disgraceful Gen.2 door handles. The interior is significantly narrower than the myvi's and while the cutting edge design does its best to compensate, it still has a very Kenari feel of interior space.

The steering wheel plastic feels more malleable that the Gen.2's, though the salesperson (very enthusiastic and nice bloke by the name of Adzhar, Section 13 PJ branch) claims its the same. Unfortunately, I only heard about the overly long reach of the signal stalks after I checked it out, so I can't confirm that.

Ignoring the rumour that the Savvy is a rebodied Clio, the styling is, as ever, a collage of other manufacturers' (Freelander-style bonnet, pure Alfa 145 waistline and E60 headlights). Nothing wrong with that in my eyes if the result on the overall works. I think it does.It looks great with the 15s. Kudos to Proton for coming up with yet another nice one.

The discouraging bits are the cheap door lock pulls (a very thin stalk), loose and rough manual door winding mechanism and the engine air intake. Connected to the vaccumn-cleaner type hose, the crudely finished intake looks exactly like a miniature Hoover from the 70s. The boot is finished a lot better than the Gen.2's, though.

What is of great interest to the enthusiasts is the gearshift. Though the travel is longish, its absolutely rock solid and feels very precise. It also has a Volvo-style reverse catch, further reinforcing its Euro-roots.

The rationale and space conscious family person will certainly go for the myvi, and the savvy will attract the petrolheads and singles. Can't wait to test drive a savvy soon!
 
Originally posted by three28@Jun 10 2005, 12:31 PM
Hmmm the R3 nice ....

I like ................. :D
thambi,
u drunk :rofl: ??

i nvr tot proton able to came out with a model wic "butt" ugly :lol:
nothing to brag bout this model imo. no abs, no airbag, pawafool in class for oni 75 pony ??, front oni pawa window, sohc engine...etc... even my rusty e30 oso got 120 zebras to play wit, got check control module wic save me few times oledi specially when my coolant run low, got si display to informe me when is my nx oil change gonna be, and most importantly it rear wheel drive.. all this cost me less than 20 hard cash..

proton ?? nahhh thks anyway.... :p
 
Corporate: Proton's Savvy strategy
By Siow Chen Ming (The Edge Daily)

National carmakers Proton and Perodua have long been competing in different segments of the car market, with the former dominating the sedan market while the latter concentrated on the small cars area.
However, the recent launches of new models such as the Perodua MyVi and Proton Savvy have for the first time brought both the national carmakers into each other's turf.
With over 21,000 units booked in just three weeks after its official launch, the MyVi has made a strong statement on the lower range sedan segment, which has long been the domain of Proton Iswara and Wira (these two models accounted for 60% of Proton's total unit sales last year).
"The over 21,000 bookings for the MyVi would certainly suggest that Proton is losing out some market share somewhere," says a motoring analyst.
The launch of the MyVi, says Perodua, is supposed to capture the market that it concedes to Proton when Perodua owners upgrade to bigger vehicles.
Perodua is heavily promoting MyVi's cabin space which is said to be "larger than the Iswara and as big as the Wira", and has priced the MyVi at RM41,200 (on the road with insurance) for the 1-litre model and between RM44,755 and RM51,300 for the 1.3-litre model.
Analysts say the fact that more than 70% of the MyVi bookings are for the 1.3-litre model has created a bigger concern for Proton rather than worries over whether sales of existing Perodua models would be cannibalised.
Proton struck back last week with the 1.2-litre Savvy, which is priced between RM40,523 and RM43,714 (on the road with insurance) for the manual version. The automatic model will come in a few months.
Proton's management says it is not pitting the Savvy head-on against the MyVi. Rather, Proton's new model is being positioned at the segment between Perodua's older and smaller models such as the Kelisa and Kenari, and the new and bigger MyVi.
The Kelisa and Kenari, with a price range of RM37,000 to RM44,000, currently dominate sales in the small-car segment and account for half of Perodua's total unit sales.
It would seem that Proton also wants to make sure that Perodua has something to worry about. But how successful would the former's strategy be?
The price difference between the Savvy 1.2 manual (standard specifications) and MyVi 1.3 manual (with similar specifications such as sports rims and non-metallic paints) is only around RM2,300. It is also worth noting that although the Savvy 1.2 manual basic model is priced at only RM40,523, which is the same or cheaper than the price of a Kenari, this variant is not equipped with an alarm and sport rims.
Proton CEO Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff stresses that the Savvy is not competing with the MyVi. "Technically, the Savvy has a shorter wheel base [smaller size] than the MyVi, they are not in the same vehicles segment," says Tengku Mahaleel in a media preview of the Savvy last week.
This is, however, contrary to the recent teaser advertisements by Proton that advised buyers to wait for the launch of the Savvy and hold back their decision to commit to "another car", which is commonly understood to be referring to the MyVi.
The presentation materials given by Proton officials during a media preview also did not draw comparisons between the Savvy and the MyVi, but to other models such as Kenari, Kelisa and Inokom Atos.
Perodua dealers say Proton has cleverly mapped out its strategy with the Savvy. Before the 1.2-litre Savvy was launched, speculation was that Proton's new model would be priced at between RM43,000 and RM45,000 for the manual version — as has been indicated on Proton Edar's website. The prices were deemed too near to the MyVi 1.3-litre's price range and made the Savvy less competitive because it is smaller than the MyVi.
Commenting on this, Rosle Yaakub, head of the Proton Savvy programme, says it is normal to project a higher selling price rather than a lower one. "Instead of suggesting a lower price and then increasing it, we would rather do it the other way round," he adds.
Market observers say Proton has made the right move not to position the Savvy directly against the Perodua MyVi, which has quickly attracted a strong following.
As for the reception to the Savvy, Tengku Mahaleel and Proton officials did not respond to questions about the booking numbers for this model, other than saying that there are currently 800 units of the Savvy in stock to meet initial demand.
Analysts say the Savvy could stem the loss of Proton's market share while Perodua is gearing up to compete in Proton's traditionally strong segment in the lower range sedan market.
Though the launch of the Savvy was delayed from the fourth quarter of last year, Proton seems more prepared.
At the media test-drive and the launch of the Savvy, the cars on display seemed to be in much better condition than when Proton launched the GEN.2. When taken to Proton's racetrack, the Savvy impressed journalists with its handling and power from the Renault engine.
"We hope you can see the improvements in the Savvy. When you were not happy about the plastic interior in the GEN.2 and you complained about the power windows in our cars, we took the criticisms positively and we improved on this model. We hope that you would also be fair if you think that we have done a better job with the Savvy," says Tengku Mahaleel.
This time around, the Proton management seems to be setting a more humble target for sales, after GEN.2 sales could not match projections.
Tengku Mahaleel says the scheduled production of the Savvy is around 2,000 units a month and with this capacity, Proton can at best capture 20% of the 150,000-unit-a-year small-car segment. He didn't respond to questions about sales targets.
 
Note :""The over 21,000 bookings for the MyVi would certainly suggest that Proton is losing out some market share somewhere," says a motoring analyst."

What crap! I also can be a motoring analyst one leh!
 
Like I posted in the P2 MYvi thread, I think the Savvy and the MYvi.are in a different class. The Savvy would be more in the class of the Kanchil, or more appropriately the Kelisa or Getz

The exterior design is simply WOW.

But I dont like the lack of interior space (esp rear headroom), the use of nasty cheap plastic for the door trims and I think the center console is over designed. 3 tone interior color.

I like the seat material and the seat. The build quality looks good.

I like most of all the road holding. It drives very well for a small 1.2 car.
 
i would hv to agree with u bro

MYVi is way bigger which i was surprised as well

i like the seats too in the Savvy
 
Yes, Proton would like to believe its in a different class but their prices are similar between the Savvi & the 1 litre Myvvi, which means they clash in the market. So, its bigger c.c. vs bigger car for the same price more or less. So far, most of the people I talked to almost all chose the Myvvi. They feel for a slightly higher price, they are getting a roomier car with better quality fittingsand a better car all round.
 
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