These seven rides are some of the most iconic Malaysian cars ever sold

By ramieza, 30 August 2021

These seven rides are some of the most iconic Malaysian cars ever sold

Think of an iconic Malaysian car, something that will be remembered for the ages. What comes to mind first? We believe an icon of Malaysian roads needs to resonate with everyone, young and old, and reflect our best (and sometimes worst) traits.

So let’s jog that memory with our picks for the seven most iconic Malaysian cars to have ever plied our roads.
 

Perodua Kancil

1) Perodua Kancil

We start the list with a car that was practically driven by all Malaysians at least once. The Perodua Kancil was immensely popular during the 90s. Priced from under RM30,000it came with an optional automatic transmission but the manual gearbox was best remembered by anyone who had to sit for their driving test in one.

If you spot one the road, try prying into the cockpit and you will probably be flooded with memories of the unassisted steering, clunky gear shifts and long yet easy-to-master clutch pedal travel. Production for the ‘legendary’ Kancil ceased on 20 July 2009 and was replaced by the entry variant of the Perodua Viva which ran essentially the same 660cc kei-spec engine that powered lower-spec Kancil models in the past.

image: Amen Alilah 

2) Proton Waja 

 
Despite its use of a Mitsubishi (and later Renault) engine and Volvo chassis, the Proton Waja was a monumental step for the Malaysian carmaker as it represented the first fully Malaysian car design from the ground up. A sight that gave Malaysians a sense of pride in the British Touring Car Championship and Merdeka Millenium Endurance Race, the Waja enjoyed a solid 11-year run on the sales floor. It famously featured ‘Lotus Ride and Handling’ and continues to be a decent, driver-oriented choice in the used market for enthusiasts on a budget who can look past the issues it had with fit and finish.

image: Logendra
 

3) Proton Satria

Arguably the Proton that resonated the most with enthusiasts who enjoy spending half their time and pay checks at the workshop, the Satria is a three-door hatch derived from the Wira; a Proton-badged Mitsubishi Colt so to speak. The variant with the biggest cult following is the Satria GTi, which packed a 138bhp 4G93P engine, making it one of the fastest Proton models ever sold at the time. Proton did one better towards the end of the Satria’s lifecycle with the Satria R3. Limited to just 150 units, the R3 was essentially an updated and lightened GTi with sporty bits like Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel.

Proton replaced the Satria with its home-grown Satria Neo, which had its own sporty offshoots such as the Satria Neo R3 Lotus Racing and the track-ready Satria Neo R3 Clubsport which even packed a factory-fitted roll cage. The Satria Neo also famously competed in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship and Intercontinental Rally Challenge – the participating Satria Neo S2000 also had a memorable cameo in TGTV in 2011.

Which Satria was your favourite?

image: Afiq Nor Amirul

4) Proton Saga

The evergreen Proton Saga remains the quintessential Malaysian car, not just because it was the FIRST Malaysian car ever, but also because it continues to deliver all the practicality anyone can ask for at an affordable price tag. The Mitsubishi Lancer-based 1985 Saga quickly became the people’s car and every iteration that followed did well to maintain the formula that resonated with Malaysians of all walks of life.

The latest third-generation facelift continues to be the Malaysian carmaker’s best-selling model. It looks much more modern than its predecessors and features a decent amount of tech and a conventional automatic gearbox that delivers a driving experience that’s more suited to local tastes than the infamous Punch CVT.

image: Proton Senior Director of Corporate Strategy Yusri Yusuf with the original 'Sagarama' that toured Malaysia in 1985

5) Perodua Kelisa

 
The Perodua Kelisa is based on the fifth-generation Daihatsu Mira and was on sale in Malaysia from 2001 to 2007. Available with a choice of either an 850cc or 1.0-litre engine in both automatic and manual transmissions, the little hatch was aimed at buyers who wanted something slightly bigger than the Kancil — the irony here of course is that in other markets the Kelisa was the successor to the Kancil. 

The Kelisa was the O.G. three-pot terror. Its 989cc petrol DOHC 12-valve engine with electronic fuel injection system allowed the little hatch to do nearly 160kph – that’s practically 100mph! – which was something to be impressed by in a cheap and cheerful runabout from 20 years ago. No wonder the 850 model didn’t do so well.

Although the cars that followed improved – the Axia and its sedan offshoot, the Bezza, are pretty decent to drive actually – the Kelisa’s cult following remained intact, which is why those found in the used market aren’t typically as cheap as you’d expect them to be.

6) Proton Wira

 
The Proton Wira was Proton’s second-ever model right after the Saga and just like the first national car, the Wira sold like hotcakes. In fact, between its introduction in 1993 to its final year of production in 2009, 952,216 units of the heroically-named model were sold. That’s nearly a million units of the same model. No wonder they’re everywhere!

In the mix of the near-1,000,000-unit production run were a few interesting variants, including the 1.8 EXi LE and RS (Rally Sport) model which was catered for the more hardcore of Wira fans. With 50 units made, twice the production limit of the ‘Grand Limousine’, the RS was a lightweight Wira with most equipment deleted including the power windows. On the motorsports front, the Proton Wira was famously driven by Karamjit Singh throughout his rallying career. The ‘Flying Sikh’ famously raced a 4WD version of the Malaysian sedan at the World
Rally Championship.
 
 

7) Perodua Myvi

Siapa yang tak kenal ‘The king of highway’? With a customer base exceeding a million, you’re bound to find all sorts of characters in a Myvi; fast drivers, slow drivers, those who don’t signal, those broken down by the side of the road and in accidents that could have probably been avoided… it’s all a matter of statistics. Some give it the title of Malaysia’s fastest car because although the Myvi was a car anyone could aspire to own its modest performance was easy to extract and multiply. It has been running highly dependable engines shared with Daihatsu and Toyota throughout its lifetime after all.

Its connection to the trusted Japanese brands, alongside a packaging that’s both exceedingly practical and strategically priced, has kept the Myvi at the top of the sales chart ever since the nameplate first came into existence back in 2005. Even cheaper Perodua models can’t dethrone it. And it’s very likely you’ve driven one in some way or form.

image: Syazwana Amir