From left to right; 1990-'92 Saga Megavalve, 2015 Saga Plus, 2016 Saga.

Germany has the Golf. Britain has the Mini. Japan has the Corolla. Well, Malaysia has the Proton Saga. There are cars, and then there are cars of national significance... the Saga is one of them. And for over 30 years, it's been the go-to choice for Malaysians seeking a cheap and practical sedan.

When the first Sagas rolled off the Shah Alam plant in 1985, Malaysia was still a relatively poor country. Not everyone could afford a car... but the Saga changed all of that. It motorised Malaysia like never before. In a few short years, the Saga was all over the place.

And it wasn't just Malaysia where the Saga found success. When Proton began exports to the United Kingdom in 1989, the humble Saga set the record for Fastest Selling Make of New Car Ever to Enter the United Kingdom. Over 300,000 Sagas were sold by 1991, some 10% of which found homes in Britain. Proton would later launch a heavily facelifted model in 1992, the Saga Iswara (MPI in Britain). It too sold very well for Proton, and you'll find many of them still in service as taxis in Kuala Lumpur.

Well, the 80s and 90s were when the Saga was most prominent. For much of the 2000s, the Saga soldiered on discreetly, by now overshadowed by Proton's newer models. Proton would continue to produce the original Saga for some 22 years. But an all-new Saga did finally launch in 2008, and sales went through the roof once more. Later facelifts kept sales strong, but by 2014 it was apparent that a new Saga was needed to stave off Perodua's newer offerings.