The naturally-aspirated version of the Proton S70 was launched earlier this week with prices significantly less than the turbocharged model. Starting from RM56,800 (inclusive of a RM3,000 rebate), the S70 NA is RM23,000 less than the cheapest S70 turbo at RM79,800.
For less money, you get a 1.5 litre NA inline-four petrol engine with 120 PS and 150 Nm, paired with a CVT driving the front wheels. By comparison, the S70 turbo’s 1.5 litre force induction mill makes 181 PS and 290 Nm and is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Maintenance costs will definitely differ between the two, so let’s take a look at how much it will cost you to maintain both versions of the S70. As always, these maintenance schedules were pulled from official a readily available sources and we’ll also expand our comparison to include other models, although that comes a little later.
Over five years/100,000 km, the S70 NA costs RM4,010.59 to maintain, which is RM515.33 less than the S70 turbo that costs RM4,525.92. Looking at the maintenance schedules, we can see a few reasons for the cost difference.
While the cost of engine oil for both cars is the same, the S70 turbo requires a more expensive oil filter along with more frequent engine air filter replacements, the latter happening every 12 months/10,000 km after the first change at six months/10,000 km. For the S70 NA, its engine air filter is only changed every 24 months/40,000 km.
The number of times that spark plugs have to be changed is identical for both cars, although the cost of parts for the S70 turbo is higher (RM166.72 versus RM131.60). This is also true of the engine coolant, with the cost of this being RM135.45 for the S70 turbo and RM108.36 for the S70 NA.
As for the transmission oil, the S70 turbo’s 7DCT requires a service at 48 months/80,000 km to a tune of RM346.92. The S70 NA needs its CVT oil change twice in five years, with the total cost (including lubricant, an oil filter and drain plug) being RM306.90 (it’s curiously less the second time as no oil filter is changed).
We should also point out that the S70 comes with six times free labour for servicing, but this is applied to the first six services for the NA while the turbo alternates after the first two.
Bringing another car into the conversation, we have the Saga. We’re focusing specifically on the range-topping Premium variant of Proton’s entry-level sedan because customers are likely to consider stepping up to Lite variant of the S70 NA, spreading the price gap between the two over a loan term. The appeal is obvious, as for an extra RM6,810, you get a larger car.
The S70 NA and Saga share the same i-GT engine but use different CVTs, and this is reflected in the service costs. The CVT in the Saga requires just one oil change at 36 months/60,000 km – one less than the S70 NA – and it costs less at RM295.25.
The more budget-friendly Saga also uses a cheaper pollen filter costing RM20 that is changed every 24 months/40,000 km compared to the S70 NA’s cabin filter costing RM69 and is changed every 12 months/20,000 km. Brake fluid changes are also cheaper for the Saga (RM39.80 versus RM50.11), and this also applies to the engine air filter (RM32.08 versus RM55.34). One thing the S70 NA doesn’t require but the Saga does is a fuel filter change at 48 months/80,000 km costing RM67.49.
As we’ve seen with Proton models, there are additional service items that are replaced outside of our five-year/100,000-km scope. For the S70 cars, a drive belt change happens at 66 months/110,000 km and costs RM67 for the NA and RM147.57 for the turbo. The Saga also needs a drive belt change at the same internal and price as the S70 NA, but the CVT model specifically needs an oil pan gasket replacement at 72 months/120,000 km costing RM66.20.
We say specifically because lesser variants of the Saga below the Premium come with a four-speed automatic transmission, which costs less in terms of oil change at RM204.02 – all other service items are identical; total cost over five years/100,000 km is RM3,356.91. Overall, the Saga costs RM3,467.58 to maintain over five years/100,000 km, which is less than the S70 NA at RM4,010.59, itself less than the S70 turbo at RM4,525.92.
Another comparison car that we feel is relevant to those who are considering the Saga is the Perodua Myvi. A staple in the line-up, we’ve covered the maintenance cost of the Myvi for a while now, and the figures have not changed since our last comparison involving the QV-E.
It’s still RM3,368.70 over five years/100,000 km for the Myvi, which is slightly more than the Saga with a 4AT. Lubricants and parts are comparatively cheaper for the Perodua model, although its 2NR-VE 1.5 litre NA inline-four engine requires more expensive engine air filters and spark plugs.
Cabin filter replacements are as frequent as the S70 cars, albeit costing less each time, and the CVT oil change costs less than both the S70 NA and Saga. There’s also no fuel filter or engine coolant listed in the Myvi’s maintenance schedule.
Vehicle ownership costs extend beyond the trips to the service centre, as there are other things you may have to pay for. We can gloss over road tax because with 1.5 litre engines across the board, you’ll pay RM90 yearly for every car mentioned here.
The Saga comes with either 14- or 15-inch wheels (latter applies to the Executive and Premium), which requires cheaper tyres compared to the S70 cars that have wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 17 inches. All Myvi variants with the 1.5 litre engine come with 15-inch wheels that use the same tyre size as the comparable Saga, so the price of tyres should be similar between the two.
We’ve touched on purchase prices earlier but this requires a revisit when factoring in certain features, particularly relating to safety. The most expensive Saga at RM49,990 comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning (FCW) as standard, which are features we deem to be a necessity today.
Even the Myvi gets both ADAS features from as low as the 1.3L G variant at RM48,500 going up to the range-topping 1.5L AV at RM59,900. However, AEB and FCW are absent on the S70 NA (RM56,800 to RM59,800) and even the base Premium variant (RM79,800) of the S70 turbo. You’ll need to pay at least RM89,800 for a S70 with AEB and FCW, referring to the Flagship variant of the turbo.
There you have it, over five years, the S70 NA is cheaper to maintain than its turbo counterpart but is still more costly than the Saga and Myvi. If you’re planning to increase you budget to go for the S70 NA, hopefully this helps you with your decision making. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
