Proton Satria Neo

• Rating:
• For : Decent equipment, reasonable economy
• Against : Cabin and handling far from sporty, poor quality and refinement, disappointing handling

Driving
The Satria Neo comes with a choice of 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre CamPro engines, developed in collaboration with Lotus. They're taken from the Gen2 hatch, as is the five-speed gearbox, but a shorter final drive ratio gives better low and medium-speed acceleration. We tested the 1.6, which never feels particularly quick, and has to be worked hard to get meaningful performance. It also sounds coarse when revved hard. The boomy exhaust helps to provide a sporty edge, but on the motorway its drone can become irritating. The stiff, heavy gearbox is poor too. And the Lotus badge on the tailgate may promise great things in terms of handling, but the Proton doesn't deliver. Vague steering and an uncommunicative chassis means it's neither a rewarding nor an enjoyable car to drive. At least the ride is fairly refined, while the suspension is stable at higher speeds.

Marketplace
Even though it hasn't been on sale since 2004, the Satria is probably the best-known model Proton has ever made - its image was certainly helped by the GTI variant. However, it hardly set pulses racing, and the latest version is no different. It was penned at the Lotus design centre in Norfolk, but there's not much to get excited about. At least the low stance, flared wheelarches and wide track create a sporty look, but apart from the projector-style lights, there's nothing memorable about the Proton. The budget supermini is up against rivals like the Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Getz, Mitsubishi Colt and the Kia Rio.

Owning
The low roof gives it a sleek appearance, but this also means headroom in the rear is severely limited. Legroom is equally tight, which is disappointing considering the Proton's length. The low roof is also an issue up front, too, where the top of the windscreen is almost in line with your head. The Satria feels cramped compared to its rivals, and the driver's seat doesn't adjust low enough. Combined with offset pedals, the result is an uncomfortable driving position. Build quality seems fairly solid, but this can't compensate for the lacklustre plastics on the dash or the flimsy, low-rent air vents. Blue-lit dials are an attempt to make things feel more upmarket, yet the heater controls are paced too low down. It's a shame the cabin is so dated and cheap. And though it is well equipped, safety standards are poor with only two airbags, and residuals are unimpressive. Economy is better though, and it's cheap to maintain - despite short 9,000-mile service intervals.

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