Imagine the {recently|just lately|lately|not too long ago} facelifted Proton Saga FL (Face Lift - so {utterly|completely|totally} {obvious|apparent}) with {another|one other} letter slotted in behind the 'FL'. Oh {yes|sure}. This {main|essential|foremost|fundamental|important|major|most important|predominant|primary|principal} change is the CVT gearbox. It has six {virtual|digital} ratios and {the main|the primary|the principle} {reason|cause|motive|purpose} Proton has adopted this transmission unit is to {bring|carry|convey|deliver} their {cars|automobiles|vehicles} {up to date|updated}. A {four|4}-speeder is {ancient|historic|historical} {these days|as of late|lately|nowadays|today} and {does not|doesn't} {allow|enable|permit} {enough|sufficient} ratios for the {car|automobile|automotive} to have {decent|first rate|respectable} acceleration down {below|beneath|under} and a low-rpm cruising {speed|pace|velocity} that a transmission with {more than|greater than} {four|4} gears would {allow|enable|permit}. This added gears {also|additionally} means {better|higher} {fuel|gas|gasoline} {economy|economic system|financial system} which in {turn|flip} {allows|permits} for {better|higher} emissions. A Proton with Euro 5 emission controls? I suppose {this is|that is} the {way to|approach to|method to|option to|solution to|strategy to|technique to} go. CVT. But I hope that Proton sourced the CVT from a {reliable|dependable} {source|supply} {and not|and never} one {that is|that's} half baked. You see, CVTs have a belt/chain system {that can|that may} change {through|by|by means of|by way of|via} infinite {amounts|quantities} of ratios between {the maximum|the utmost} and {minimum|minimal} values. The transmission {somehow|by some means|in some way|one way or the other|someway} {keeps|retains} the engine {running|operating|working} at optimum or {high|excessive} revs {when you|if you|once you|whenever you|while you} {need|want} the grunt and the gears then slur {up to|as much as} {the desired|the specified} {road|highway|street} {speed|pace|velocity}.
{Of course|After all|In fact} {this means|this implies} a {slightly|barely} rubber band {effect|impact} (A Mitsubishi Lancer/Proton Inspira has this {effect|impact} {but|however} a B8 Audi A4 {somehow|by some means|in some way|one way or the other|someway} {does not|doesn't} -which is why the A4 {costs|prices} {a whole|a complete|an entire} lot {more|extra}). Personally, {the only|the one} CVT {that is|that's} {worth|price|value} driving is the one {in the|within the} Audi. I've {driven|pushed} Fiats, Mitsus, with CVT gearboxes which I hate. {The other|The opposite} {issue|challenge|concern|difficulty|problem|situation|subject} is reliability. Even on {the latest|the most recent|the newest} Lancer GTs it has been {known|identified|recognized} to overheat {until|till} Mitsubishi {started|began} {putting|placing} in its {own|personal} {specific|particular} transmission cooler ({the first|the primary} batch GTs in Malaysia {Did not|Didn't} have {this option|this feature|this selection}). The {previous|earlier} pig-ugly Honda City had CVT {and some|and a few} {experienced|skilled} {problems|issues} {so much|a lot} {so that|in order that} when Honda launched {the current|the present} City, it had {a traditional|a conventional|a standard} torque convertor transmission. The Fiat Punto of the {1990s|nineteen nineties|nineties} had CVT Belt slip {problems|issues} giving its {owners|homeowners|house owners} head and heartaches as {well|effectively|nicely|properly} {as the|because the} distributor {back|again} breaking {warranty|guarantee} claims.
And now Proton {offers|affords|gives|presents|provides} one in its bread and butter {model|mannequin}. {I have|I've} my doubts. We've seen Honda turning its {back|again} on CVT with {the latest|the most recent|the newest} City on the grounds of {costs|prices} {but|however} this {isn't|is not} the clincher {yet|but}. The clincher is {the fact that|the truth that} when {the new|the brand new} Toyota Passo was launched over in Japan it had a CVT {box|field} {but|however} when Perodua launched its {latest|newest} Myvi, it was {still|nonetheless} {equipped|geared up|outfitted} with {a normal|a standard|a traditional} torque convertor {box|field}. Cost {savings|financial savings} I suppose, {but|however} I {somehow|by some means|in some way|one way or the other|someway} {believe|consider|imagine} that reliability {issues|points} {were|had been|have been} {the main|the primary|the principle} {reason|cause|motive|purpose} Perodua {stuck|caught} with the torque convertor {box|field} for {the new|the brand new} Myvi Automatic. But Proton {seems to be|appears to be} Proton. Always {trying|attempting|making an attempt} to be {innovative|modern|progressive|revolutionary} and {slightly|barely} {ahead|forward} of the curve. Remember the time when Proton pushed the Gen2 AND Savvy hatchbacks {at the|on the} time when {everyone|everybody} {wanted|needed|wished} sedans? Now, {when we|after we|once we} see {people|folks|individuals} {buying|shopping for} Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 308s, and {a whole|a complete|an entire} lot of {affordable|inexpensive|reasonably priced} hatchbacks Proton {have no|don't have any|haven't any} new ones {in the market|available in the market|out there}.
Proton {using|utilizing} CVT {boxes|bins|containers|packing containers} {may actually|may very well} be {the way|the best way|the way in which} of {the future|the long run|the longer term}, {but|however} {I am|I'm} {quite|fairly} {worried|anxious|apprehensive|fearful|frightened|nervous} that they've {actually|really|truly} moved {forward|ahead} too {soon|quickly}. Or that Proton bit {more than|greater than} {they could|they may|they might} chew. Time will {tell|inform} and lets hope that the gearboxes are {reliable|dependable}. But {the real|the actual|the true} {issue|challenge|concern|difficulty|problem|situation|subject} that {got|acquired|bought|obtained|received} me writing is {the fact|the actual fact|the very fact} my pal Zairul {brought|introduced} up. The SAT Switch {that is|that's} {located|positioned|situated} {in the|within the} Proton Saga FLX. What the heck is a Stepped Automatic Transmission (SAT)? Does this {actual|precise} {mean|imply} that Proton is so afraid that {normal|regular} {users|customers} would {feel|really feel} alienated or {feel|really feel} that {the new|the brand new} Saga FLX drives {like it|prefer it} has a rubber band tied {around|round} its gearbox? {I think|I believe|I feel} {this is|that is} {the reason|the explanation|the rationale} as I {cannot|can not|can't} {think of|consider} {another|one other} {reason|cause|motive|purpose} {other than|apart from|aside from} this. If it {does not|doesn't} {allow|enable|permit} any semblance of driver {control|management} {other than|apart from|aside from} P,R, N, D and L then there {isn't|is not} any {reason|cause|motive|purpose} to have 6 {virtual|digital} ratios to simulate {a normal|a standard|a traditional} transmission. Its {like the|just like the} Ford Fiesta or the VW Polo. You get a DSG gearbox that {you have no|you don't have any|you haven't any} {control|management} {whatsoever|by any means|in any respect|in any way|in anyway} and its {only|solely} {the power|the ability|the facility} {of marketing|of promoting|of selling} that drives you {forward|ahead}. There {are no|are not any|aren't any} flappy pedals or {manual|guide|handbook} shifting {options|choices} in these {cars|automobiles|vehicles} too. So S.A.T.{actually|really|truly} means Silly Advertising Thingamagic {and not|and never} the {past|previous} tense of SIT, or the {short|brief|quick} {form of|type of} Saturday. It does {absolutely|completely} nothing {whatsoever|by any means|in any respect|in any way|in anyway} {except|besides} add {another|one other} acronym to the Proton Saga. You get FLX, ABS, EBD, SRS, CVT with SAT. Lets {end|finish} {this article|this text} with WTF is Proton's {marketing|advertising|advertising and marketing} {people|folks|individuals} {up to|as much as} {again|once more}?
