Proton Satria Neo Road Test

Proton Satria Neo

Prices start at £7,995 for the 1.3 SX and the GSX version adds £1,000. The 1.6 GSX is stickered at £9,595 with the manual transmission and £10,395 for the automatic.

Outside, the Satria Neo is far from old-fashioned. The modern European styling is evident in the rounded, sculpted bonnet over the deep, integrated front bumper. Prominent wheel arches frame 16-inch, turbine-style’ alloys on the GSX or 15-inch steel wheels on the SX. ‘Tiger eyes’ and halogen headlamps are standard across the range as is the stylish, silvered fuel cap.

I don’t often mention security but in this case, I’ll make an exception. The Satria Neo has only one exterior door lock. The free-rolling key cylinder means that anyone trying to open the driver’s door using the wrong key or a screwdriver, for instance, will find that the lock just rotates freely. The boot can only be opened from within the car, which is a good idea but can be awkward when you have your hands full.

Breaking a window isn’t going to help any would-be thief, either as the immobiliser and ignition protection system means that the car cannot be ‘hot-wired’ or driven. If the integrated audio system is the target, it will not work in any other car.

As is the norm, ABS with EBD is a standard safety feature, as are the dual airbags. The front seats have an anti-submarining quality and both the collapsible steering column and the pedal intrusion system help to prevent injury in a frontal collision.

I don’t normally mention warranties either but Proton didn’t get into the top five in a customer satisfaction poll or, according to Trend Tracker, have the lowest repair costs, for nothing. This is what you get when you buy a Satria Neo; 3-year/60,000 mile, total vehicle warranty; 6- year/100,000 mile, engine and gearbox warranty; 6-year/unlimited mileage bodywork warranty and a 3-year/unlimited mileage, paintwork warranty. All of these are transferable if the car is sold and did I mention the 3-year RAC cover, too?

Well, I’m impressed, both by Proton’s 'new hero' and the company’s policy of producing good value cars that are a lot of fun to drive and are definitely not boring.

Proton Satria Neo