It’s no secret that Proton is preparing a facelift
for the Saga as part of a wholesale rejuvenation of its entire lineup. The
national carmaker was caught trialling the car on the road months before it
confirmed that an update to the popular budget sedan was on its way.
True to form, Photoshop expert Theophilus Chin has
provided us a glimpse of what the refreshed version will look like. As such, you can clearly see the donor car’s handsome,
if rather dated body serving as the basis on which the updates were applied.
Even so, you can still see the kind of changes that we can expect to see on the
real production car, including the redesigned “Infinite Weave” grille and the
reprofiled front bumper – this one sports a neat chrome bar spanning the entire
width of the car.
The headlight graphics have also been revised and
feature projectors and classy daytime running lights, although judging by both
the facelifted Iriz and Persona receiving reflector headlights, that’s looking
less and less likely. At the rear, there are new, larger tail lights plus a new
number plate garnish with the “Proton” script instead of the logo, while the
bumper insert gets a fake air vent and a gloss black finish.
Theophilus has also worked on the inside, where this
particular FLX receives the usual tweaks. These include a redesigned instrument
cluster with a larger central multi-info display, a frameless rear-view mirror,
an X70-style gearlever and a new touchscreen infotainment system with a version
of Geely’s Global Key User Interface (GKUI). The steering wheel has also been
swapped out for one from the Iriz/Persona.
Proton will likely provide yet more tweaks under the
skin to further improve the car’s refinement, although the 94 hp/120 Nm 1.3
litre VVT engine and five-speed manual and CVT transmission options will
probably remain unchanged. So what do you think – do you prefer the look of
this “facelifted FLX”, and would you be interested in getting a bodykit like this
to refresh your own FLX? Answers in the comments after the jump.
