Give you what you want to know about SAVVY
Following Proton's decision to discontinue the
Citroën AX-based
Tiara
in 2000, a replacement model was required in order for Proton to
reenter the supermini market. The replacement, originally codenamed the
Tiara Replacement Model (
TRM), was partially designed in-house by Proton but is powered by a
D-Type engine by
Renault.
The Savvy was launched June 2005 in
Malaysia as a
manual transmission-only model, followed by the introduction of
Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) model in November 2005. Export models of the Savvy were introduced to the
United Kingdom in September 2005.
The Savvy was also among two models (alongside the
Proton Gen-2) the now defunct
MG Rover
was seeking to rebadge when it entered talks with Proton's parent
company in 2005. On January 19, 2007, a photoshopped facelift was
released, sporting minor changes on the front and rear of the car.
In 2006, Proton introduced a "Savvy Zerokit" variant developed in
conjunction with the Proton's motorsports division, R3 (Race Rally
Research), that includes an all-round bodykit and rear spoiler made from
fibre-reinforced plastic,
and 15-inch (380 mm) JRD 155 wheels. Additional options include "dark
titanium" headlights, performance suspension and a performance rear
exhaust muffler that increases the power output of up by 4 hp (3 kW) to
78 hp (58 kW).
The Savvy is also notable for being the first Proton car to undergo a publicly announced
recall. On April 1, 2008, Proton Edar ordered the recall of all 34,000 Savvys on
Malaysian roads (of which their production dates were before December 17, 2007) for an inspection and replacement of the rear wheel
bearing,
based on a parts defect found during random checks. The announcement
was a precautionary measure over possibilities potential water entry
into the Savvy's rear wheel bearing set might cause malfunction of its
components. The second generation
Proton Saga, launched in January 2008, based its
chassis on that of the Savvy, albeit elongated to support a
sedan bodywork.
The first model comes with the front and rear looking similar in a
sense that both sides have a "V" design for the logo, whereas the
facelift or current models come with straight horizontal grille in the
front and two horizontal lines behind.
In
Malaysia,
there is a basic model called Savvy Lite, of which this model has most
of the manually controlled mechanical parts and comes without
"expensive" features such as the remote control, power windows and alarm
system.
As of 2010, the production of Savvy Highline has been discontinued resulting a huge dissatisfaction among
Malaysian fans.
Specifications
| Powertrain Engine & Performance (Magneti Marelli Quickshift 5-Fails) |
| Engine |
4-cylinder 16-valve D4F |
| Maximum Speed (km/h) |
170 km/h |
| Acceleration 0–100 km/h (sec) |
14.4 seconds (AMT)/ 12.6 seconds (MT) |
| Maximum Output hp(kW)/rpm |
74 hp (55 kW) @ 5,500rpm |
| Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm) |
105 Nm (77 lb/ft)/4250rpm |
| Full tank capacity (Litre) |
40 |
| Tyres & Rims |
165 / 60R 14 & Alloy 14" x 5.0J |
| Chassis |
| Power Steering |
Hydraulic |
| Suspension (Front/Rear) |
MacPherson Strut Coil Spring & Stabiliser Bar/ Torsion Beam Axle |
| Brake (Front/Rear) |
Ventilated Disc/ Drum |
Design
Unlike the
Tiara,
the Savvy's exterior design was largely developed in-house by Proton,
prominently featuring a clamshell bonnet design for efficient air
ventilation. The Savvy is powered by a 1.2-litre
D-Type DOHC 16-valve engine sourced from
Renault, similar to the one used in the
Renault Twingo and
Clio.
The reverse gear for the
manual transmission
model is placed at the top left which is the position of a normal first
gear position for conventional manual transmission cars. A locking
mechanism is equipped to prevent the driver from accidentally shifting
to reverse when shifting to the first gear, which can be unlocked by
pulling up the black ring at the gear knob while shifting to reverse.
This is a similar mechanism in many European cars, including Volvo and
Renault cars from the mid-1990s.
The Savvy, along with other in-house designed Protons such as the
Gen-2,
Persona,
Satria Neo,
Waja, Waja Chancellor, and second-generation
Saga, feature turn indicator switches placed at the left-hand side, unlike models introduced earlier, such as the first-generation
Saga,
Wira and
Perdana.
Awards
The Savvy has received two known "
Car of the Year" awards from two ASEAN countries, including the
Cars, Bikes & Trucks's "
New Straits Times/AmBank Group 2006
Car of the Year" Award in the Supermini category, and the "Best City Car" award at the 6th
Indonesian Car of the Year 2007 awards. The car is also the only Proton model so far to be TÜV (
Technischer Überwachungsverein) Certified.
Proton Savvy also has been voted among Thailand's top 10 cars in 2008
by The Nation Daily. The Savvy, priced at 469,000 baht (RM44,000), was
selected along with some of the most impressive and expensive cars in
the Thai market, among them the Jaguar XF, BMW 320D, Volvo S80 3.2, Mini
Copper S Clubman, Honda City, Honda Jazz, Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI,
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and
Subaru Impreza STI."Cheap price, good acceleration and almost go-kart-like handling (thanks to Lotus) made us fall in love with this little
Malaysian thing," the daily said of the car, which is distributed by Phranakorn Auto Sales.
The Savvy is also recognised in the
Malaysian Book of Records as the most
fuel-efficient car in
Malaysia during an on-road test by Proton with an average fuel consumption of about 24 km/l.
2. Proton Savvy JMJ 717 Is Fitted With A RB26DETT.
