Features / 23 April 2023 / Michael Taylor

New Proton Saga vs Suzuki Dzire – The most affordable sedans in South Africa

Proton has launched its third new car in South Africa in the form of the Saga.

The Saga is the first sedan to join the Malaysian automaker’s line-up since it re-entered the local scene in 2022, and is in fact one of only two sedans in the country that can be had for less than R200,000.

The other is the Suzuki Dzire, which up till now was the only sub-R200,000 sedan in South Africa at a starting price of R193,900.

With car prices currently going through the roof, Proton and Suzuki are catering to the entry-level market with a body type that is almost exclusively associated with high-end brands these days.

Engine

Suzuki’s Dzire is fitted with a 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine that generates 61kW and 113Nm.

It is front-wheel drive and is available with a five-speed manual transmission, this setup returning an average fuel consumption of 4.9l/100km.

The Proton, in contrast, offers a larger 1.3-litre petrol powertrain with a higher output of 70kW and 120Nm.

It is also front-wheel drive and mates with a five-speed manual box, though the bigger engine does come at the cost of fuel usage as the Saga burns a noticeably higher 7.0l/100km.

Features

The entry-level Dzire GA comes with 14-inch steel wheels, halogen headlights, electronically-adjustable side mirrors, all-electric windows, fabric seats, manual air conditioning, and ABS.

Four pre-wired speakers are also installed, but a radio is not so this must be fitted at an additional cost. Judging from low-mileage GA sedans on the pre-owned market that all have the same non-Suzuki radio, it’s possible that this will be a dealer option, so it might be worth asking your salesman for more details if this feature is an absolute must.

The Saga’s standard spec sheet is much the same as the Dzire’s, with a notable differentiation being that it only has two speakers instead of four.

It does, however, expand on the Suzuki’s item list with rear parking sensors, an Eco driving mode, and radio with Bluetooth as standard.