don"t forget "Rusa"

rusa should be jabatan penjara's van.

there will be a diesel engine from Proton soon. maybe its CamPro diesel.

Still people complaining about hard plasics...

I recently had the chance to drive in estima and Honda crv year 2003....same plastics eveyw..the plastic panels in the crv creak and rattle like there's no tomorrow although it barely reaches 100k km..

Look at new Civic..full of hard plastics also...even the most exp cars use the same materials beneath the nice misleading touch ups and finishings..

Car manufacturers ese days need to use this kind of recycyclable plastics to mantain complience with environmental laws.. if you miss the smell of vynil finishing just head to used car dealers.

this is from Paultan's review on the new Civic...


Plastic panels were starting to dislocate themselves after 4000km on the mileage

The exterior build quality was excellent. No unsightly gaps in the fittings anywhere. But the interior was a different story. Like I said a few months back, I still think the glove box is flimsy and can't be closed easily. There was also this plastic panel near the A pillar which was half way popping out. I did not manage to take a picture as my first reaction was to sigh at the state of Honda's Malacca plant quality control, and then try to pop the panel back in. I could not manage to pop the panel back in properly. The result is a slight gap. I took a photo of that. This was the 2.0S. Later, I found the same problem in the 1.8S as well.

...She said her 1999 EK's interior was much better, and the plastics felt better, they weren't hard and plastic-like, but softer. There were also obvious cost-cutting measures everywhere especially in the thickness of metal they used for panels. Or perhaps this is for weight reduction purposes. There are also no side-sills for the doors. Shoes might scratch the paint. The paddle shifts on the 2.0S are shaped like the letter L. They seem pretty flimsy...

yes i do agree that recycled materials aren't as nice as virgin ones, but that shows the limits of their chemical engineering capability. if they could add some vinyl based bonding agent into their plastic, i'm sure the chemical and physical properties will be as good or even better than virgin vinyl plastic. (but such bonding agents don't come cheap)
besides, vinyl plastic can be recycled too.

ROFL .... true

haha, MyVi, if modified, will never give the feeling of sportiness as modified Savvy
could offer due to its height

http://www.newcarnet.co.uk/Proton_Savvy_sh...ves.html?id=883

Proton's first five-door city car has plenty to plenty to recommend it. Above all, the Savvy is one of the most comfortable cars in this sector...
A cartoon tank? The styling is appealingly quirky, with a distinctive 'staggered' window line
I didn't expect to like the Proton Savvy. I'd heard some mumbled criticisms but, after a week of using it as my every-day transport, I've come to the conclusion that the critics are talking rubbish. If you want a comfortable, perky, stylish, affordable car (and we're talking as little as �5995, here), it has some amazingly good features.

Number one strong-point is the seating position and comfort, despite the lack of adjustment in the steering wheel. For a budget car, the seats feel great, while the natural alignment of steering wheel, seat and pedals means I remained perfectly comfortable on a three-hour journey - a surprisingly rare thing. In a badly-aligned car, your spine is twisted by reaching for offset pedals, or a weirdly-positioned steering wheel. No such problems here.

Number two plus-point is the gear selection - a truly satisfying, precise action. Shifting up and down the gears is something you'll actually enjoy, rather than battling with the soup-spoon-in-custard gearshift of many a cheap motor.

Number three is the handling. This is a tall-ish modern city car, meaning adults can sit in the back, yet the firm suspension means corners are dispatched with minimal body roll - so you take them faster, and need less acceleration as you come out onto the straight. This helps overcome the rather lacklustre 1.2 engine, which could perhaps be a bit gutsier. It goes quite well, better than many city cars when pushed hard, but you need to give it lots of welly as acceleration from low revs is not impressive. It needs to rev; it likes to rev; and it will happily do over 70mph in third gear. Keep the rev-counter (it's big, yellow, and very visible) hovering around the 4000rpm mark, and everyone's smiling. This won't do wonders for your fuel consumption, of course, which isn't the best in class at 49.6mpg (combined), but at least you have the choice of driving for economy or pushing harder, depending on your mood.

Just love those yellow dials!
Number four in my list of gold stars is the styling. Just look at it - it's a cartoon tank. Its appealingly rounded bullet-shape is faintly quirky without being styled to shock. (That heavy look around the front, by the way, is deceptive, as the steering is light and responsive.) The staggered window height is a distinctive feature, and perhaps contributes to the very low level of 'buffeting' when you have just one window open. On the downside, it makes it all-but impossible for the passenger to rest an elbow on the open window sill. Inside, I was very taken by the yellow speedo and rev-counter, a colour which seems mysteriously to fade when you switch on the headlights. Not to mention that the rear seats fold flat; and when parking, the reverse distance sensors are a bonus.

The bad bit - and it's a noticeable problem - is noise. We're talking road noise, wind noise and, battling to outdo both of these, the shrill, resonating boom of the engine at high revs. On my first day with the car I found it unbearable. But that was in test-drive mode, taking it up to the red-line around 6200rpm, at which point the din is enough to make your teeth bleed. But I ask you - when did you last take a car up to 6200rpm? If your answer is "I've no idea", I bet you never have. Most people would never get anywhere near these revs, as it's just not necessary in normal driving. Forget the test-driver's tick-boxes and ask yourself, "Is this a car I enjoy when I'm using it every day?" For me, the answer is resoundingly "yes". Any minor quibbles are overruled by the car's saving grace, namely that you won't need to visit an osteopath. That's what lets so many cheap cars down very badly. Not so the Savvy.

Cars recently use a lot of hard plastic.

The problem with Proton using hard plastic is that it feels more cheap skate. Even with Satria Neo, the feel is still there.

This post has been edited by dstl1128: Jul 25 2006, 11:31 AM

F1 technology - AMT transmisson that is used in Savvy.

credit to Savvybaby

Magnetti Marelli powertrain states that it's systems are also used in the following models of vehicles :

Car Model ( name the system is called )

Alfa Romeo 156 ( 1997 ) + 147 ( Selespeed )

Fiat Stilo

Ferrari 355 + 360 Modena

1986 F1

Mercedes Sprinter ( Sprintshift )

Mercedes C Sport Coupe and CLK ( Sequentronik )

Renault Twingo Cinetic ( Quickshift5 ) as from 291002

BMW Series 3 ( SMG )

Aston Martin Vanquish ( ASM )

Maserati Spyder ( Cambiocorsa )

Proton SAVVY ( AMT )

The AMT in the SAVVY consist of transmission control unit, accelerator pedal sensor, engine control module,hydraulic power and oil pressure sensor, driver control device and rotation speed sensors.

The AMT does NOT need a conventional auto torque converter
or hydraulic drive.

It is essentially a "robotised" manual gearbox utilising electronically
controlled actuators to operate the clutch and regulate gear
changes without the power-sapping and weight penalties
of a fully automated transmission.

Fuel efficiency is good, not surprising since there are no power
losses.

The AMT manual gearbox changes gears rapdily in a sequential
manner ( a finger-flick away ).

In the manual mode M, the gear changes manually ( by the
driver's action ) or by default at 6,000 rpm.

With a kerb weight of 963 kg, the power-to-weight ratio is a good
78.3 hp / tonne

It is said to sprint to 100 km / hr in 14.4 sec and a top speed of
170 km / hr , 12.6 for the Savvy MT.

The engine of the SAVVY is the same as the Renault Clio 2001 1149 cc model.

The SAVVY engine is a single overhead valve unit with 16 valves and multipoint injection.

It delivers 74 hp at 5,500 rpm and 105 Nm at 4,250 rpm and complies with Euro 4 emission standards.

The SAVVY chassis uses high tensile high strength HTHS steel
of 17K Nm torsional rigidity. This gives the monocoque shell body structure approx 3 times the body rigidity of the Proton Wira. SAtria Neo is 13300Nm.

The AMT offers instant responsiveness and excellent fuel economy

The AMT offers 2 driving modes according to driver mood, needs
and prevailing traffic conditions.

Automated D mode is recomended for city traffic jams or long distance comfort driving. The manual M mode is for spirited enthusiast drivers who
wish to take control ... especially in accelerations and through
serpentine winding roads.

The AMT has a creep function when the brakes are released,
which is good for parking and traffic queue (makes the car move slowly forward or backwards to help with parking).

The AMT prevents stalling as well as under- and over- revving,
improving safety and reducing the risk of damage to the gear
transmissions.

There is an automatic "kickdown" function for easier overtaking
This gives the SAVVY AMT a slight edge over the SAVVY MT
for overtaking at highway speeds.

The engine always operates in it's optimum rev range, ensuring
responsive yet refined driving.A normal Automatic car suffers big power loss due to the torque
converter ... leading to lack of response to the throttle position and
shift level changes.

The SAVY AMT is less noisy than the SAVVY MANUAL because
shifting of gears is at lower revs, so noise is less intrusive
As for fuel economy ... the SAVVY AMT is 5 % better than SAVVY MANUAL

The SAVVY AMT has 5-gear ratios in BOTH automated and semi-auto
manual modes ... ensuring maximum responsiveness and fuel
economy at all times

The AMT improves the transmission and clutch life-spans
Apart from improved driver comfort and safety while driving,
the AMT gives lower operating costs through reduced stress
on drivetrain components
No external cooler is required and there is no clutch pedal

Generally speaking ... the flawless shifting of gears in the AMT gives it an approx. 10 % to 15 % better fuel
consumption compared to a FULLY AUTOMATIC CAR

With the AMT's higher torque capacity and FUN to drive benefits,
it is no wonder that young and young-at-heart drivers prefer
this hot zippy driving experience


Due to the computerized clutch control with precised timing, shifts
are much quicker than any average driver can ever attempt with a
normal manual gearbox and foot-operated clutch
The computer features some form of fuzzy logic which allows the
automated mode D to adapt to your driving patterns.

The AMT has a fully programmable, electronically controlled gear
shifting for optimal vehicle performance, giving increased engine
durability and improved NVH ( noise-vibration-hardness )characteristics.

Renault has spent years refining the system, which first appeared
in Formula One cars but has slowly filtered down to everyday
family vehicles.

The SAVVY front suspension uses a dual path mounting MacPherson
strut for enhanced straight line stability

The rear utilizes isolated trailing arms on torsion beam axle for a
competitively higher level of comfort and reduced road noise

The TCU program in the AMT can be programmed to
sporty, standard ( default ) or economy

The Proton AMT is unique and unlike other similar systems in that
it allows DOUBLE gear changes
by flicking the gear stick forward or backward TWICE
( as long as the momentum of the car allows the gear changes
to do so ... eg from 5 to 3 ... or vice versa )


In the UK, sequential gear-boxes like the AMT type is sold at
half-price as compared to a standard automatic transmission
gear-box.

The D4F Renault engine as used in the SAVVY is one of the
most bullet proof of the entire Renault small engine range

The Renault Quickshift5 ( same as the AMT ) has already got a
proven track record of 2 years in Europe without much problems

The SAVVY feels like a big car ... continental stable feel
and is good for out-station drives ... especially
along serpentine winding roads .

Honestly Japan/european cars also has plastic or whatever problems. I never really own a proton or perodua before but some of the Jap cars I drove do have plastic or miscellanous problems.
My point is, it doesnt matter what makes it is, its the QC problem. Out of 5000 cars, surely 1%-5% of cars have some problems.
That's why the warranty and service centres are there. It's all about after sales service, IMHO.
I think proton improved alot compared to few years back. They just need to keep on going forward if they wanna compete with international players. Time will tell I guess.

Well, say as much as you want, the sales figure of Savvy still isn't doing it's "potential" any justice. So what's the real problem? Public perception/assumption? I'm guessing it's called Proton Reputation.

With the new management hopefully things will get better.

bmw smg and civic paddle shift let u do double gear changes too....

^you don't need to guess, it's already a fact. Remember the senseless bashing of the savvy even before it was launched, heck I was even part of the mob.

Its reputation only got worse when they decide to use beige and a mix of other random color for the interior of the car. Many car buyers buy cars for looks, company reputation and second hand value (especially typical "Chinese"). They'll give squat about car handling and performance as long as the car looks fugly to them.

This post has been edited by Rusty Nail: Jul 26 2006, 01:11 PM

fren, notice u very bz 'protecting' savvy in lyn ...but if i am u, i will ignore those comments ... there is no 100% perfect car in this world ....

As the savvy is unique as it was the only locally made car with the AMT gearbox, i wondering how many mysia drivers here do appreciate AMT cars, and i have no idea how many AMT savvy were sold so far.

Apart of its cost which is cheaper than a normal auto, AMT and those with semiauto transmission (especially with flappy paddle gearbox) are tend to be jerky. That explains on why in Europe they still prefer manual over auto and semi auto.

I also doubting will the future proton models will have AMT? hmm....

Come to think of it, the Campro definitely needs AMT to perform better otherwise it is so unresponsive.



Yep, cars now uses hard plastic. But unlike Proton they have it touch up, while Proton leave it bare naked... that's the problem.

Plastic issues huh? Wait till u guys sit in the Toyota Vios. Plastic is everywhere. Just tat, it doesn't look cheap oni.

u cant expect another AMT model for Proton, as the Savvy got AMT because it is mated with Renault engine......