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The Proton Saga has been billed as the most affordable brand new car in Kenya retailing at USD 10,000 (about Sh 1.1 million). The car is currently on sale at Simba Colt Motors showrooms and dealerships countrywide.
The car is locally assembled at the Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) plant in Mombasa. A company that also does assembly for leading brands like Fuso, Toyota, Hino, Scania, Mercedes Benz, DAF, Peugeot, Nissan-Datsun, Foton, Bieben, Volvo, Daewoo and Tata.
The car is widely expected to take the Kenyan car market by storm looking at its attractive price proposition. Most Kenyans currently drive used Japanese cars and this move coupled with the financing options available with local banks might have just been the impetus needed to shift Kenyans towards buying zero-mileage vehicles.
“We look forward to having the Proton Saga and indeed the Proton brand take the Kenyan market by storm because we believe that this is a solution that our customers have been waiting for and we have finally delivered,” Simba Corporation Group CEO, Dinesh Kotecha said.
The assembly process is meticulous, the different sections of the car that are usually shipped in separately are carefully put together in the assembly line. The vehicle then goes through different stages of testing which includes rain testing to ensure that there is no leakage. During rain testing, the vehicle is subjected to simulated weather conditions which resemble the heavy rains period in the country.
The final test involves an engine check which is done to ensure that the vehicle is performing optimally before being dispatched to the dealers.
Even though the Proton Saga is not a very popular locally, it’s Malaysia’s number one car brand and has even had a stint in the local rally circuit.
The vehicle comes with a 5 year, 150,000KM warranty, a 4 star NCAP safety rating and will have over 50 service locations nationwide.
In December last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the Proton Saga assembly line at the AVA plant in Mombasa alongside Simba Corp Chairman Adil Popat and Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.
Simba Corporation Executive Chairman, Adil Popat said: “The launch of the Proton Saga demonstrates how a positive partnership between the government, private sector and all industry stakeholders can deliver solutions whose impact will be felt by consumers at all levels of the Kenyan economy.”
Of course other than the attractive pricing you would love to know how the car performs and other unique features that might inform your buying decision. Well, I look forward to taking it for a test drive soon and writing a simple review. Keep checking.
