The Malaysian carmaker Proton introduced the third generation of the Saga in 2016, and it was a four-door sedan for the small segment.
Proton started with know-how from Mitsubishi and built a few lineups together with the Japanese carmaker. In 1985, it introduced the first generation of the Saga, based on the Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore (Colt Sedan), and continued to work on it.

The third generation of the Saga was not the big step forward expected. The design team was either replaced or under-payed to create the new lineup where the headlights seemed to be too big for the front fascia, and the trunk looked like it was added after the rest of the car was ready to roll on the assembly lines. In the rear, the design team took a similar approach as on the front side and installed big taillights that crossed from the quarter panels to the trunk-lid. Even though the third generation was introduced in 2016, the base models featured 13” steel wheels. Only the full-option CVT Premium version received standard 15” alloys.

Inside, there was an air of cheap materials with hard plastic on the dashboard and a squared-looking instrument cluster that looked older than on older Proton vehicles. The interior design was clean, with a decent amount of space for four passengers and limited room for a third passenger on the rear bench. The one-piece fold rear seatback allowed an increase in the trunk area, but there was no split-folding option.

Under the hood, Proton installed only the 1.3-liter engine and paired it as standard to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The carmaker offered a CVT transmission on the Saga’s options list.

Proton introduced the second generation of the Saga in 2008 as a successor for the 23 years-old Saga’s first-generation, and the new model received a facelift in 2011.
It was unusual for a carmaker to keep a car on the assembly line for over two decades unless it was the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or the licensed-built Renault 12 in Turkey and Romania. But for the Malaysian market, the first generation of the Saga was good enough for that long period, with a few minor updates and upgrades over the years. The 2008 model was a surprise, and the carmaker didn’t stop from its path and introduced a mid-life cycle refresh in 2011.

At the front, the new version featured a more aggressive styling with wider headlights and angular styling, fitting in the new-edge-design style. Its front bumper sported a reversed trapezoidal lower grille and angular-shaped side scoops. For the 2011 model, the carmaker introduced LED turn-signals in the door mirrors’ cases. The taillights also received LED lamps instead of the classic halogen ones.

Inside, the 2011 Saga sported a similar interior as the 2008 model. Its black dashboard was covered in hard plastic. The carmaker installed an audio system with a light-gray/silver front on the center stack, which didn’t look that good. Proton included better standard safety features on the Saga FLX, such as the dual-airbags, ABS, and electronic brake distribution.

The most crucial novelty on the Saga FLX was the automatic (CVT) gearbox. It featured an additional button that mimicked a regular, step-by-step, automatic gearbox if the driver liked that more. With the new transmission, the Saga FLX got a better fuel-efficiency than the previously used four-speed automatic gearbox, which Proton removed from the Saga.