17^th November, 2000

Sporty new Satria bolsters `small hatch’ lineup

The success of the Satria Son of a Gun and GTi hot hatch has led to a new model in the Satria range.

Unveiled at the Sydney International Motor Show was the Satria XLS with a sporty GTi body kit, alloy wheels and driver’s side SRS airbag boosting the car’s sport and value package.

Other standard features for Satria XLS include air conditioning, alloy wheels, Blaukpunkt audio system, central locking, power steering, vehicle immobiliser and body coloured exterior hardware.

Satria XLS will be available in two striking new colours, Tiger Gold and Empire Grey, giving young Proton buyers a cost effective alternative to the market leading Satria GTi.

With a retail price of $16,750 the XLS will join the Satria GL, XLi and GTi in the Proton model line-up, all of which deliver a blend of strong performance, high equipment levels and value for money.

Satria GL is the only 1.3 litre hatch available in Australia with a sub-$13,000 price tag, while the XLi has been re-positioned with a new price of just $14,750, without sacrificing equipment levels.

"We have re-positioned the Satria to offer even better pricing than before, while many other manufacturers have had to increase their prices in the wake of currency problems and new model introductions," said Proton Cars Australia national sales manager Bill Gillespie.

"An increasing number of Australian buyers are becoming aware of Proton and the high levels of value and performance cars like the Satria can offer," said Mr Gillespie.

"Coupled with the excellent levels of fuel economy and overall running costs the pricing across the Satria range reflects one of the standouts in terms of price efficiency on the Australian market."

Proton has just introduced an economical 1.5L engine to the Satria XLi and XLS models.

It is designed to deliver on all three fronts with more kilometres from each litre of fuel, reduced exhaust emissions and easier driving due to maximum torque being available lower in the engine rev range.

All this has been achieved with improvements in noise, vibration and harshness.

The four cylinder, 1.5L, SOHC, 12-valve engine generates its maximum torque of 120Nm at just 3000rpm, translating into stronger throttle response for everyday driving.

Satria also has a tight 4.8m turning circle, making it highly manoeuvrable in city traffic.