Singlish Car Reviews

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The Proton Saga, become Potong Salah?

Last time, Malaysia during Mahathir time, they say they want to make car. Why leh? Because satki mah. Japan can make car, Korea can make car, why Malaysia cannot leh?

So then they make Proton lor. The name actually is means ‘National Car Company’ (or something like that lah, agar agar). And they clever. They pakat with Mitsubishi, and ask them whether can borrow their Mitsubishi Lancer or not. Mitsubishi say ok can, we lend you, and so the Proton Saga is like that come out lor.

Because Singapore and Malaysia friend friend, of course Proton soon start selling in Singapore lah. The Proton Saga, honestly, not say very good lah. First car mah, so of course sure will have some problem. Some people say the car ‘Potong Salah’ (or ‘Cut Wrongly’ in Malay), and is like those things you buy from $1 shop lah. Cheap but not very good.

Anyway, later Mahathir backside itchy again, want to make another car company, so then got Perodua come out. Perodua is means ‘Second Car Company’, and they pakat with Daihatsu to make small car. Mahathir think Proton getting too expensive, so he want Perodua to be cheaper. Proton a bit buay song lah, but they also LLST.

After a while, Perodua become more popular than Proton, because their car cheaper but also a bit better lah. Proton keep on come out new car, then some more buy over Lotus, try to be even more satki, make their car machiam like sports car. But still buay sai leh. Their car keep on always got problem one.

Then in Singapore, COE price keep going up, then make Proton very expensive to buy here. So in 2014, Proton stop selling in Singapore. No choice lah. You pay $100k+ to buy Proton here, then see your Malaysian kawan drive same car pay only $20k+, you inside also tak balance.

By 2017, Proton become very very jialat. Their sales kena makan by Perodua left right centre. Malaysian also getting more rich, start to buy Toyota lah, Honda lah, don’t want to buy Proton anymore. Their Jipun peng you Mitsubishi also damn chui, so Proton bo pian, end up have to sell half the company to Geely from China.

So now, Proton no more Mitsubishi, now is Geely. Now the Geely really is the sibeh zai standard liao, not like last time their car dunno copy from who kind. So they help Proton lah, make them become better.

Last year, Proton come back to Singapore to try again, then bring EV some more. But now the market very different leh, got many other brands to fight, especially those China brand. How, can fight or not?

Proton EV ah? Can or not one?

Give chance lah. Try first then you know mah.

Anyway, this Proton EV is not really Proton lah. Is actually a Geely. In China is called Geely Galaxy E5 (like machiam Samsung phone hor). Same like last time Proton borrow from Mitsubishi to make Proton Saga, this time Proton borrow from Geely lor.

If you see before the Geely, actually is same same with the Proton lah. Only the logo different, and Proton say the suspension got change also. Other than that, not much difference lah.

But overall, the design quite okay what. The front LED headlight quite swee what. The back light, maybe look a bit like Porsche also. Like maybe you close your eyes and see closely, got a little bit lah. Overall is quite ok lah, not too bad looking also.

The inside how? Chui or not?

No lah. You see the centre touchscreen, wow, quite big wor. 15.4-inch leh, don’t play play. The screen bigger than my MacBook screen I think. Then in front of the driver got head-up display some more, like fighter jet, jin power.

The software also quite easy to use lah, not so cheem. Then got all sort of safety features also. Adaptive Cruise Control lah, Collision Warning lah, Auto Emergency Braking lah, Lane Keep Assist lah blah blah blah. Basically very hard to kena accident one lah this car.

The sound system also very gao lat. 16 speaker okay. The headrest also got speaker, mai siao siao. I mean, it’s not like Bang & Olufsen lah, but wah seh, sibeh steady leh.

More important, the build quality really sibeh tok gong. The material really sibeh swee, jin high class feeling. Not like last time the plastic hard hard, like machiam toy like that.

Got space or not?

Got lah. The car quite wide, so behind sit three people is no problem one. The leg space also quite good, can stretch. Head room also not bad. Got sunroof some more, open liao got sun come in, very bright.

You want put barang barang, also no problem. Got many places to put your big thing, small thing, whatever thing. The back seat below, even got drawer. You want go JB then smuggle back illegal rokok, can use. (But don’t lah. Later kena caught then hong gan liao)

The boot space also quite big. Proton say can put 461 litres. Quite good lah if you want to go JB buy grocery, can put many things. Then the floor still can ‘open’, put even more things, like durian, so that the car don’t smell so terok. Quite smart hor.

The driving leh, how?

I want to say first ah, this car I drive, is Cat B one. So the power a bit more. But now Proton only sell Cat A one, so the driving may be a bit different.

I give you the specs first lah. The Cat B one is 218 horsepower, the Cat A one is 134 horsepower. The difference quite a bit lah, so maybe the experience is different. I never drive the Cat A one also, so can’t really tell you.

Torque for both is 320 Newton metre lah, so when you lup the accelerator, the car can go quite fast. I think most EV is like that lah. I think maybe the difference between the Cat A and Cat B is that after a while, the Cat A maybe feel a bit bo lat. But I dunno lah, need to try then know.

If you go 99 Bend, the car is quite ok lah. The steering not heavy, so quite easy to drive. Is not like sports car lah, but then this car is for family use what, so expected lah. I think drive around carpark no stress lah, quite straightforward.

If you go highway, the suspension is not too bad also. I mean, you know Malaysia road lah, a lot of hole one, so of course Proton make sure that the car can handle. Is quite comfortable, and very quiet, cos EV mah. I think if you drive to Genting, sure no problem.

But EV leh. The charging how?

No need worry lah. Proton say this e.Mas 7, one full charge can drive 410km. You ownself calculate, you one day drive how much? If you just go office home office home, sometimes go shopping, then I think two weeks charge one time sure no problem one.

Normal slow charging, those at HDB carpark type, will take about 6 hours, so just charge overnight lor. If you want faster, then you use those 100kW DC charger at shopping centre or what lor. That one will take just 20 minutes to charge to 80 percent. Should be more than enough lah.

So how, can buy or not?

Now COE price is high until the sky, sibeh buay tahan lah, so that one is really up to you.

But if you die die want to buy new car, and don’t mind EV, actually this Proton e.Mas 7 is not bad lah. The pricing is actually quite okay. Overall the car is quite zai lah. Nice to drive, comfortable, quality and features also quite power. 

Anyway, this Proton really not very salah liao lah, so I think quite worth buying.