Malaysia's most popular family sedan, Proton Saga FLX, has been awarded three stars in the Asean NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme).

In a statement today, Proton Holdings Bhd said the first Asean NCAP frontal collision test results were announced today at the Asean NCAP Open Day held by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) at its crash laboratory at the Road Transport Department Academy in Malacca.

Proton Holdings Bhd executive chairman, Datuk Mohd Khamil Jamil, said it was time to change the perception about the Proton brand, as it was good quality and affordable.

"Proton's new direction to further enhance its products on all levels clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with a high level of safety protection.

"This achievement is a testament of the improving quality of Proton cars and that the Proton Saga is a safe car which had passed the internationally-recognised assessment programme -- Asean NCAP," he said.

Mohd Khamil said the Proton Saga FLX, with the technical advancements and safety features, was known for its performance, and superior ride and handling.

Since its introduction, the new generation Saga has been extremely popular, and received numerous accolades, including winning awards such as the NST Car of the Year Best Value Compact Sedan Award and Autocar Asean's Best Small/Mid-Sized
Sedan in 2012, he said.

He said the award was not just about Proton, but its role to further enhance the safety standards of the national car industry.

"As the national car company, we continuously improve our range of products to cater to the needs of today's market, and it would not be possible without the support of the government and its supporting bodies like Miros. -- Bernama