Good new runabout

Byline: BILL MCCARTHY

OWNING a new car, just a few short years ago, was an ambition many people could never aspire to.

But things have changed and cars are now as cheap as they have ever been with the Malaysian-produced Savvy a prime example. It costs less than pounds 8,000, is quite stylish with a neat set of alloy wheels and a front end featuring deep bumpers with a neat light cluster, well equipped, reasonably lively and cheap to run. It also handles quite well.

The downside is that it does feel cheap, particularly the interior with its harsh plastic and unsupportive seats.

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But as this is primarily a city car, driver or passengers are unlikely to be driving too far and should not feel too much discomfort on short hops like the school run or a trip to the local shops or restaurant.

Despite the harshness of the plastics, they do feel sturdy, while the upholstery feels robust enough to withstand the attacks of young children with fizzy drinks or melting chocolate.

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Equipment levels are good, with electric front windows, air conditioning, remote central locking and alarm, power steering, ABS, radio/CD with Bluetooth compatability and rear parking sensors. Another neat touch is the chrome exhaust tailpipe that sits in the centre of the car.

Quite a list for a such a bargain price car. The dash and console layout is quite simple, but the binnacle does feature a couple of snazzy dials with a yellow background, which makes it look quite sporty.

Potential buyers will not be struggling with a choice either, the Savvy has just one trim, Style, and one engine - a 1.2-litre 70bhp petrol unit which, although it has to be worked pretty hard, is quite a willing unit.

This means it can be quite noisy, but it does deliver nearly 50mpg, while the CO2 emissions place it in the pounds 110 first year road tax band. An automatic version is also available at a premium price. For a city car the acceleration is adequate and it is capable of 99mph.

The gearbox is quite smooth and the ride, on flat surfaces, is pretty good. It does become unsettled on rougher surfaces, but sits surprisingly tight on bends and curves. In fact it is quite a fun drive.

Interior space is not great, as you would expect from a city car, with room for three passengers, while boot space offers a not very generous 270 litres. It does face cheap competition but you do get a lot for your money and it is longer, taller and wider than many of its Replica Audemars Piguet Watches competitors.

For a brand new runabout for under pounds 8,000, its certainly worth a look and a bargain price for a new car.

Facts and figures PROTON SAVVY 1.2 STYLE PRICE: pounds 7,995MECHANICAL: 75bhp, 1,149cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving the front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox MAX SPEED: 99mph 0-62MPH: 12.8 seconds COMBINED MPG: 57.6 INSURANCE GROUP: 4

CO EMISSIONS: 134g/km BIK RATING: 15% WARRANTY: 3yrs/60,000 miles

CAPTION(S):

VALUE - Proton Savvy 1.2 Style

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