Proton Saga Cross/X30 AMA02 spied with minimal disguise – best look at Perodua Ativa-rivalling SUV!

This is something we were not expecting – several units of Proton’s new AMA02 A-segment SUV , rumoured to be called either the Saga Cross or the X30, have been spotted wearing minimal disguise at the Proton Hoi Keen 4S showroom in Kuantan. This gives us our best look at the hotly-anticipated rival to the Perodua Ativa , including some detailed design cues!

These images, posted by users @khaidirrokawa and @rostamyusof on Threads, shows the cars still with some colourful camouflage but without any hard disguise. As such, one can spot the slim triangular headlights flanking a hexagonal grille, the latter filled with diamond-shaped pins. Contours framing the upper opening and the downturned air intake form an X-shaped front bumper.

Along the side, you’ll find shoulder lines above the front and rear wheels and sharply-defined, squared-off wheel arches, while the door mirrors and pull-type handles appear to have been lifted from the S70 . Meanwhile, the window line dips downwards at the A-pillars before rising up at the C-pillars, meeting the cant rails that form a fin-like shape at the rear.

Moving to the back, the prototypes sport slim taillights and a massive Batmobile-style rear wing, tying it to the X50 Flagship . This suggests that the car will have a top-spec models with the outlandish spoiler not available on other variants. The overall effect is a car that is moderately good-looking, if a little boxy and under-tyred.

View on Threads

The Saga Cross is the second model to be built on Proton’s new Advanced Modular Architecture (AMA) after the Saga , hence the AMA02 codename. Unlike its more budget-friendly sibling, it appears that the Cross will have an all-new body structure, not one that traces its roots back to the 2005 Savvy .

Engines will include the Saga’s new 120 PS/150 Nm 1.5 litre i-GT naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, mated to an Aisin four-speed auto. There’s no Punch CVT option expected here – its place on the range-topping variant is instead set to be taken over by a hybrid powertrain, showcased at the recent Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) as the FutureMotion HEV .

This utilises the Atkinson-cycle four-pot, electric motor and single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) from the eMas 7 PHEV , albeit without the larger plug-in battery. The powertrain is tagged DHT120 for the AMA02, likely indicating that the motor’s power output is 120 kW (163 PS).

With the mules here being in such an advanced stage of completion, don’t be surprised to see the Saga Cross/X30/whatever being launched very soon, especially as it’s already been confirmed that the car will enter production in the final quarter of the year (this quarter). Excited? Let us know in the comments.

The post Proton Saga Cross/X30 AMA02 spied with minimal disguise – best look at Perodua Ativa-rivalling SUV! appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News .