S16 launched in Australia... err what???

When I first heard of the name of a car being S16, the first thing which crossed my mind was of a particular Swedish marque i.e. Volvo. I really thought that possibly the new Chinese owners of Volvo were really going to make a small car and named it S16. Well it really doesn't have anything to do with Volvo. It's actually the Malaysian made Proton Saga being launched as Proton S16. I guess the marketing guys nailed this one as the model name of S16 is really catchy. Kudos to them. In my opinion, the Proton Saga is infact one of the better and most practical car in Proton's stable albeit a very limited stable that one. For those of you readers who haven't heard of Proton, it's actually Malaysia's national car. Since it is also highly probable that most haven't heard of the country Malaysia before, let's just call her "The land of Proton" to keep things simple. Will this Proton model sell in Australia? Before I give my verdict as a Malaysian living in Brisbane, I'll firstly do my very best to give a balance viewpoint on this matter

    Here in Brisbane, the car market is kinda big. There's lots of makes on the road. When I first arrived in Brisbane, I noticed the more popular car makes are Mazdas, Toyotas, Hondas. Even Subarus are pretty popular here especially their SUVs and wagons. And yes, Aussie's personal favourite, Holden. Fords more  popular as UTEs. So when you open the car brochure, you'll get lots of choices. Choices mean you'll have an option of getting the most basic model up to the high-end model with lots of accessories. Mind you, you can buy a basic Toyota Camry here which comes in solid colour finish and basic steel rims (with plastic covers). The kind if in Malaysia, most would laugh as being low in class. The used car market here is also pretty competative. The prices of used cars reflect the proper market value. This means, when you buy a car here, it really depreciates a lot. Given the annual salary range over here, cars are pretty affordable and I assume not many car buyers actually take hire purchase loans longer than 3 years. The scenario is pretty extreme back home in Malaysia. In the "Land of Proton", most hire purchases start from 5 years up to 9 years. To summarize the situation in "The Land of Proton", let's just say if you can't afford to buy a car, you'll buy a Proton. The used car market back home is also pretty dead.

What do I think of Proton in Australia (or rather Brisbane)? I would say Protons are just like the Maserati or Aston Martins. OK. That wasn't so right. I would say Protons are just like the Alfa Romeos (hey, I actually love Alfas). They are just so rare to see on the roads of Brisbane except in their country of origin. Unlike Alfas which most of the time, I am stunned by its beauty and innovative designs, when I do manage to spot a Proton here, I'll say "Hey...look. That's a Proton!" as if it's a freak or something.

According to Proton Cars Australia, the drive away price of the S16 is under AUD13,000. If I recall, the basic model should go for about AUD11k plus which makes it a real value for money (i.e. dirt CHEAP). It comes with a 1.6 engine. I would assume that the S16 is considered as a small car. Or maybe it should be called a mini small car. If you want to know why do I say that, take a look at the Holden Cruze. Holden's advertisement claims the Cruze is actually a small car. I've seen the Cruze on the road before. This so- called small sedan car has a 1.8 liter engine with the size bigger than Proton Persona. It has more airbags than the number of passengers. So that's a small car for you in the land of OZ. I guess the S16 will be competing with other smaller cars such as the Mazda2, Holden Barina, Toyota Corolla Seca, Honda Jazz, and maybe even the Tiida (or Latio in Land of Proton). What differentiates S16 from these competing models is most of these small cars except for the Barina are actually hatchbacks with 1.8L engines. Oh yea, maybe its closest competitor would be the Toyota Yaris sedan (aka Vios).

Would I get one here in Brisbane if I am in the market for small cars? I guess not. Why? Well, someone I know here in Brisbane actually bought a 2005 Toyota Camry at an auction for AUD10,000. That's bloody good actually. But you know if I am really looking for an entry level small car, I'll most probably got for a basic Honda Jazz or even the Ford Fiesta. Although a Jazz has only a 1.3L engine and cost much more, it looks and feels better. Or if I am really tight on budget, I would search the used car market for one. Beggers can't be choosers, right???

    I am not sure if the S16 sell well in Australia but I certainly interested to find out how Proton will do over here. Meanwhile, most Malaysians whom I know over here never considered buying a Proton over here. Most opted for the .... Camry Altise.

Cheers!