Thirty-five years from today, i.e., on 9th July 1985, Proton Saga started rolling out of the national carmaker’s production lines. The first Saga, as we know, was based on a Mitsubishi car after the later came in a joint venture with HICOM to manufacture Malaysia’s first car. As for today, the name Saga and Proton are irreparable, as this sedan is the only constant in the brand’s lineup apart from quality, reliability, and trustworthiness.

Looking a tad back, Proton recently launched the upgraded 2019 Saga model, and the car came out as a major success with its booking volumes matching those of the original model. In May 2020 it was the best-selling car in the country and in June, it reached the highest sales volume in 70 months.

In totality, in its 35 glorious years of its existence (many more years to come), it has been Malaysia’s most popular model with over 1.8 million units sold. And like the automaker, we also believe that with gradual improvements and commitment to excellence, the Saga nameplate will carry on for another 35 years.

Now, such a living legend deserves a proper acknowledgement, right? Celebrating its 35th anniversary in the auto industry, Proton, in a virtual launch event, revealed the Saga Anniversary Edition. Limited to 1,100 units only, it is priced at RM 39,300, which is the same as the current Saga Premium AT. The car comes with a 5-year warranty (150,000 km) and three free labour service.

Now, the big question is: How the Saga Anniversary Edition is different from the regular model?

Exterior design

The sleek profile of the anniversary edition pays homage to the national icon. Unlike the regular option that available in single colour tone options, this one is offered in a thrilling black-yellow exterior. Another significant change can be noticed in the wheels department; this one here gets cool dark rims. The rest of the exterior elements remains the same.

Interior

Like the exterior, the interior showcases subtle upgrades, thus differentiating the anniversary edition from the regular model. All the features remain the same, what’s new is the black-yellow colour-tone. Like the Saga range-topping version, this one too features the 95 cabin filter that filters out dust, smoke particles, bacteria, and other pollutants.

Engine & safety

Though nothing is confirmed, we are sure the Saga Anniversary Edition will be powered by the same a 1,332cc 4-CYL in-line, 16 valve DOHC, VVT producing 95 PS of maximum power with a peak torque of 120 Nm.

As for as safety is concerned, we expect the limited-edition model to get all the safety tech present in the Premium AT variant.

Overall, the Proton Saga Anniversary Edition showcases subtle design changes that too limited to colour tone; rest all remains the same.

Also Read: #10YearChallenge - Proton Saga 2010 vs 2020