Proton Satria Neo, 2008
The Satria Neo
Proton believes that driving should be fun and that every one of its cars should deliver superb ride and handling. Progressive technology is evident across the range - not just in performance but in safety measures and standard equipment. The Proton Satria Neo continues this tradition of offering everything motorists have come to expect from a Proton - and more.
The Satria Neo highlights Proton Cars' commitment to delivering a value-added product to customers. This is a car that enjoys Proton's rock solid reliability and the magical Lotus touch - a 3-door supermini with superb design, ride and handling. The Proton Satria Neo is an energetic addition to the existing Proton line-up, which includes the 5-door city car the Savvy, the Lotus developed 5-door GEN-2 hatchback, 4-door Impian saloon and the new 4-door Proton GEN-2 Persona.
Lotus - adding punch and finesse to the Proton Satria Neo
Continuing the outstanding performance and winning characteristics of its predecessor, the Satria Neo also benefits from the engineering and development input of its sister company Lotus. The result is a car with improved handling, performance and style - both inside and out. It takes the Proton 3-door into a new generation.
Exterior Design
When the design team at Proton first conceived the Proton Satria Neo, the aim was to create an elegant and sophisticated 3-door hatchback that retained the strong elements that made the original Satria so popular and successful. From the original brief developed with Lotus, the initial concepts, renderings, clay models and external surfaces were developed at the Lotus Design Centre based at Hethel in Norfolk. Following this, the feasibility design for BIW, trim, chassis, electrical and vehicle development planning was also completed in the UK. The detailed design through to production build was completed by Lotus Engineering working alongside Proton engineers at the new state-of-the-art Tanjung Malim Plant at Proton City in Malaysia.
Size
The Proton Satria Neo has a brand new platform, which has been designed to the same dimensions as the original Satria GTi, to give extra space inside and improved vehicle dynamics. In addition, the front and rear track have been extended to 1470mm. The length of the vehicle is now 3905mm with a wheelbase of 2440mm and width and height of 1710mm and 1420mm respectively.
The Proton Satria Neo features a centrally mounted 45-litre fuel tank beneath the floor which offers excellent protection in the event of an accident and also improving both passenger and load space, with a luggage area volume of 286 litres (0.286 cu m) with the rear seats up and a volume of 615 litres (0.615 cu m) with the seats down.
NVH suppression
The Proton Satria Neo aims for superior NVH characteristics which make the driving experience comfortable for occupants without eliminating the sporty engine noise. The design of the exterior is low, sporty and road-hugging. When combined with the sleek aerodynamic profile, the Proton Satria Neo delivers low wind resistance, good high speed manoeuvrability, vehicle stability and control.
Lighting
Stylish and contemporary, the one piece integrated rear combination lamp ensures maximum brightness and a sporty look. A multi-focal inner reflector boosts rear visibility and enhances safety while driving and an amber inner filter is integrated with turn signal reflector. All Satria Neo models have halogen headlamps with semi-automatic levelling as standard.
Interior Design
The modern, minimalist interior of the Proton Satria Neo takes its cue from Lotus. A clean, and contemporary layout creates a sporty, sophisticated feel, while the spacious cabin environment provides maximum comfort to enhance the entire driving experience.
Dashboard and instruments
The Satria Neo's dashboard fascia has its roots in the GEN-2 scheme but has added finishing touches including soothing amber and blue display and a new tempest grey interior colour scheme. The blue dials ensure that the display is clear but non-intrusive and does not distract the driver, particularly at night. All GSX models have an instrument panel dimmer so drivers can select their own brightness settings. All the important information is clearly laid out so drivers need only take their eyes from the road momentarily to get key information. The centrally located digital trip computer incorporates distance to refuelling, journey length and average fuel consumption. All major warning indicators are easily located, including the seatbelt warning and door ajar warning lights.
Controls
The Proton Satria Neo has a redesigned three spoke steering wheel with volume and mute controls for the radio/CD player on the left hand side and skip, search and mode controls on the right. The steering wheel has been positioned at a new angle which has increased driver legroom to 930mm from the hip pivot point. The steering wheel is also height adjustable for added convenience.
Seating
Body hugging bucket seats in the front give the driver and the passenger better grip and a fully secured driving feel. The driver's seat is height, tilt and slide adjustable for optimum comfort and the passenger seat has a memory function which automatically puts it back to its original position after being moved forward to allow access for rear passengers.
Equipment
All models are fitted with an air conditioning system with pollen filter and have climate control as standard. The familiar vertically stacked heating controls, following the style seen in the GEN-2, are again situated conveniently by the gear lever and complement the simplistic, minimalist and sporty look and feel.
The automatic model has automatic cruise control as standard, which is unusual on a car of this price range. This enables the driver to set their own constant speed. Controls for this are located on the steering column on the right hand side.
Audio
In-car entertainment comes in the form of a stylish unit which complements the sporty look and feel. Each Proton Satria Neo variant is fitted with a Blaupunkt radio with RDS and CD player compatible with both CDRW and MP3 CDs, in addition to standard CD formats. This integrated unit is only compatible with the Proton Satria Neo so cannot be stolen and used in another vehicle.
Engines and Transmissions
The Proton Satria Neo is available with a 1.6 litre 16v Lotus developed CamPro engine, with a choice of a 5-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic gearbox. Although it shares the same engine and transmission with the GEN-2, the Satria Neo has a new lower final drive ratio, giving it better low to medium speed acceleration and smooth torque and power delivery.
Underneath its compact, streamlined exterior is a CamPro 4-cylinder 16v Multi-Point Injection engine developed in collaboration with Lotus. As you'd expect from a company that designs and builds high performance cars, this is an engine that packs a serious punch; delivering a max speed of up to 118mph, with 111bhp and 109lb/ft of torque.
Chassis
A key strength that Proton has acquired through their relationship with Lotus is the ability to maximise ride and handling through total integrated body tuning and balancing; this combines to give a fun and exciting drive and translates into the Neo having excellent steering, manoeuvrability, cornering and handling capabilities that can be easily distinguished in terms of cornering speeds and high-speed stability.
Suspension
The wider track and low stance of the Proton Satria Neo plays a large part in the cornering ability of the vehicle, together with the MacPherson strut technology which is tuned for precise steering response and good handling, cornering and lane changing, all with acceptable rolling comfort. Also at the front there are vertically mounted bushes on the lower arm which give high lateral compliance with a softer vertical movement for increased comfort and stability. The front sub-frame has a new cross member design which gives high rigidity and improved vehicle handling.
Brakes
All Proton Satria Neo models are equipped with an ABS with EBD for optimum performance. In addition, all models have brake discs all round, with 270mm ventilated at the front and 280mm solid at the rear.
Wheels
The Proton Satria Neo has 16 inch turbine style handed alloy wheels with 195/50R16 88V Continental Sport tyres.
Steering
Despite the Satria Neo being larger than the original Satria range, Proton has reduced the vehicle's turning circle to just 10.2m (33.5ft) which has helped enhance around-town driveability and manoeuvrability.
Safety
Safety is a priority for Proton, who provide drivers with a range of equipment to help to prevent an accident and protect in the event of a collision. The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBS) deliver controlled, safer braking in adverse weather conditions.
Proton aims to offer both „active' and „passive' safety and the Proton Satria Neo does just this.
Active safety is achieved through good vehicle control, helping to avoid accidents. The Lotus input into the chassis and suspension development ensures the Proton Satria Neo has excellent handling, accurate steering and stable braking. The precision feedback and responsiveness of the steering, handling and braking ensure maximum control when on the road.
Passive safety, the minimisation of injuries in the event of an accident, has always been important at Proton and the Satria Neo has several new safety features to support this. Here Proton focuses on passenger protection through built-in crumple zones, strong cabin rigidity and additional energy absorbance technology. This includes dual, double-impact trapezoidal bars in the doors, which work together with a side sill catcher to improve protection and prevent the door from moving into the cabin in the event of a side impact.
