Ten Point Test

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 68%

Proton has revamped its Satria with the aim of attracting more buyers and particularly younger drivers.

It has some tough competition in the budget supermini segment from the likes of the Suzuki Swift, but the Proton can boast the name of chassis tuners Lotus to offer a step up in quality.

Will the Satria Neo be winning many converts?

1. Looks 8/10

The Satria Neo looks good – decently proportioned with chunky wheel arches. The alloys are smart and details like the stylish lip above the top of the boot and the centrally mounted exhaust lend it a sporty attitude.

It’s a little bland, but where some Protons stand out from the crowd for all the wrong reasons, the Satria Neo is in no danger of doing that. The headlights and wing mirrors are a bit too small, though.

Proton is hoping to attract more younger buyers with the Satria Neo and on first impression they’re off to a good start. A few more choices of bodywork colours beyond three shades each of grey and red would help.

2. Looks inside 4/10

Sadly its good looks on the outside are not carried over to the inside. The drivers’ display is illuminated in an attractive blue, but the rest of the interior leaves much to be desired.

The dashboard is a mess of unshapely lines carved from an array of hard and uncomfortable plastics. Many of the dials and buttons are too small and too firm for easy operation, and the thick, ridged steering wheel hurt the road testers’ hands after an hour of motorway driving.

Worst of all are the seats. The drivers’ seat can be adjusted but even on its lowest setting it was too high and would present a serious problem for anyone above average high. Slightly offset pedals add to the uncomfortable driving position. The bucket of the seat is also too narrow and it’s difficult to adjust its position without opening the door.

3. Practicality 7/10

In the generally cramped interior, rear legroom is another problem, however the slightly lower seats means headroom is at least as good as in the front.

Boot space is decent and the rear seats are split 60/40 and can fold forward, giving you over 600 litres of storage. The only obstacle here is that the boot can only be opened via the lever on the floor next to the drivers’ seat – a strange and unnecessary inconvenience.

There are plenty of little cubby holes to stash CDs in but the glove box is barely big enough to store the instruction manual.

4. Ride and Handling 8/10

The ‘Handling by Lotus’ badge on the rear doesn’t lie. The Satria Neo rides and handles impressively well. Urban challenges like speed bumps and pot holes are impressively smoothed and the steering strikes a decent balance between precision and comfort.

It’s not going to thrill enthusiastic drivers, but it doesn’t have any nasty surprises either.

5. Performance 7/10

The Satria Neo is no hot hatch, but the 1.6 litre engine we tested had a quite sufficient amount of power for the car’s size. With 111bhp it gets to 62mph from standing in 11.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 118mph. The 1.3 has 94bhp.

It uses the same engines as the slightly larger Gen2 but with shorter gear ratios giving it slightly quicker acceleration. But the gearbox was heavy and impossible to operate smoothly, which spoiled the driving experience.

6. Running Costs 7/10

The 9,000 mile service internal looks dismally short on paper but the car should be fairly inexpensive to maintain in practice.

More of a concern is the residual value – although the car isn’t too expensive to start with, finding a buyer for a second hand Satria Neo might be tough.

7. Reliability 8/10

Not too much to worry about here. The engine’s a proven quantity and build quality looks perfectly acceptable. Proton offers an excellent six year warranty on the engine and drivetrain which should put your mind at ease.

8. Safety 6/10

The car’s body looks sturdy and well-built – the front pillars are thick which suggests strength but is a problem for front visibility. More of a concern is that there are only two airbags.

It does have ABS and ISOFIX seats, however.

9. Equipment 7/10

There are two specification levels – SX and GSX – which offer some useful add-ons. Most buyers will appreciate the Bluetooth connectivity allowing hands-free communication while driving. All models get rear parking sensors, and MP3 CD player and several useful storage bins.

It does feel like an exercise in quantity over quality, however. The windscreen wipers, for example, smear the windscreen in all but very heavy rain. The windows are electrically controlled but only the drivers’ side rolls down at a single touch, and even then only if you hit the button just right. The steering wheel controls require a fair amount of force.

The 1.3 model gets air conditioning and the 1.6 has climate control but the instrumentation for it is too small and sited too low on the dashboard.

10. X-Factor 6/10

The Satria Neo is a decent-looking car that rides well and offers a reasonable amount of kit. All this for a low price – under £8,000 for the basic model.

There are problems, however, chiefly the interior which is too small and quite poor quality. If you’re thinking of buying one aim for a discount and make sure you take it for a test drive, because that interior could be a big problem for anyone of above-average height.

Key facts

Model tested: Proton Satria Neo 1.6 GSX Manual
On the road price: £9,595
Price range: £7,995 – £10,395
Date tested: September 2007
Road tester: Keith Collantine