Published on February 27th, 2017 | by Subhash Nair
4The Only Way to Buy a New Suzuki in Malaysia
Suzuki closed shop in Malaysia last year, much to the dismay of many their loyal local fans. This was a car company that was very much in touch with the way Malaysians perceived Japanese cars – they were cheap to run, reliable, built to last decades and well-thought out. The designs were always pleasant to look at and down-to-earth.
Plus, they built cars that were well-priced while staying sufficiently modern.
Today, finding a new Suzuki can be quite the task. The showrooms have all been closed down. Perhaps there are still a few stray Swifts or SX4s left in stock, but officially the brand is no more here.
What if you really wanted all those traits in a car? Where could you look today?
The answer:
The Suzuki Proton Ertiga.
Yes, it bears the Proton badge. But this car is 99.9% Suzuki. Proton simply changed the badges and added a few pieces of trim.
We test drove it over the weekend and found the car to be extremely well-packaged. There was simply nothing to complain about when we considered just how low the asking price was.
And just how low IS the asking price? Consider this, it has:
- Air conditioning for the second row
- Seatbelts for 6, but room for 7
- A radio with USB playback
- Quick 3rd row seat Smart Access
- Mind-blowing efficiency (5 pax to Malacca and back for RM45 (avg 6.2L/100km) of petrol!)
With all that, as well as Suzuki build quality, they’re still only asking for RM62,000!
Most Malaysians are prepared to drop that kind of money for a sedan or hatchback, but we guarantee the Ertiga offers better value.
Check back for a full review later this week.
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