Home › Supermini Cars › Proton › Savvy Hatchback

Proton Savvy Hatchback

View all Proton models

Proton Savvy Hatchback Review

Price range:

$12,990 - $14,990

Car Verdict rating:

Good:

NOTE: DISCONTINUED IN AUSTRALIA Very low price, cute looking, superb ride and handling for a compact car and parking is SO easy.

Not so Good:

'Hard' feeling interior plastics; lack of low-down torque; needs more safety equipment.

car review

Proton Savvy Hatchback Competitors

Ford Fiesta 45 from: $15,490 car review	Volkswagen Polo 45 from: $16,690 car review	Suzuki Swift 40 from: $15,990 car review
Nissan Micra 35 from: $13,490 car review	Volkswagen up! 35 from: $13,990 car review	Honda Jazz 35 from: $14,990 car review

view all competitors

Proton Savvy Hatchback Review

Design and Engineering	Good	Arriving in Australia back in February 2006, Proton's compact-sized Savvy hatch is a capable, well designed little secret. Although it's a compact design, the interior is anything but compact. Headroom is generous and legroom is ample.
Design and Engineering	Not so good	The Proton Savvy has what we call neutral styling, it's neither an award winner nor a lemon to look at.
Interior and Styling	Good	The interior is basic but fits the purpose. Front head room is generous and the driving position is comfortable for average-sized occupants.
Interior and Styling	Not so good	The rear is a tight squeeze for three optimistic passengers; but I can't imagine too many owners loading up three adults in the rear. The see-through front headrests are a thing of the past and the plastics could be improved.
Performance	Good	Available in a Manual or Automated Clutchless Manual (Automatic) gearbox; the engine is quite zippy considering it's a 1.1 litre. The engine is sourced from Renault whom are very experienced in extracting lots of power from small engines.
Performance	Not so good	The Proton Savvy has average fuel economy for a vehicle of this size.
Ride and Handling	Good	The suspension is the pick of the Supermini field, designed and tuned by Lotus the sports car manufacturer. The ride is a tad firm but this is the sacrifice you make for the fine and nimble handling.
Ride and Handling	Not so good	There is ambient tyre noise on the Savvy hatch which could be reduced by driving on a softer compound tyre.
Buying and Owning	Good	The low pricing undercuts most other Supermini competitors by thousands of dollars. This Proton Savvy has good build quality over previous models and some competitors.
Buying and Owning	Not so good	No optional side or curtain airbags or ESP.