The International Conference on Safety and Holistic Innovation for Future Vehicles (SHIFT 2025) will take place from October 28 to 30, jointly organized by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (ASEAN NCAP). Yesterday, at an ASEAN NCAP star awards ceremony, the upcoming 2026 Proton Saga MC3 was awarded a four-star safety rating.
Please note that this falls under the 2021-2025 test protocol, which will make way for the 2026-2030 protocol (with a higher emphasis on ADAS) from January. Why four stars for the Saga if it will have ADAS? Two possible reasons: A, the ADAS is a basic version, and B, ADAS may not be standard across the range. We will know for sure when the full ASEAN NCAP report comes out.
Incidentally, ASEAN NCAP now has a single rating system for a model – previously different ratings were possible for different variants, such as the Perodua Bezza, tested in 2016 (AV five stars, all other variants four stars as they lack dual seat belt reminders and front stability control). Ditto the four-star Nissan Almera, tested in June 2025, which does not have a seat belt reminder for the front passenger.
Back to the new Saga – undoubtedly Malaysia’s most anticipated thing on four wheels this year – the car was shown in its entirety yesterday ahead of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade signing ceremony, but non-VIPs like us can only see the camouflaged unit shown at the ASEAN Summit a few days ago. This unit has been on display at Proton’s Center of Excellence in Shah Alam since yesterday.
2026 Proton Saga MC3 camouflaged at Proton COE
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