FOLLOWING a revised approach to pricing in late 1999, Proton's Satria range is now in the thick of the action in the keenly contested bargain-basement segment. The sporty XLi "Son of a Gun" is positioned below the likes of the Daewoo Lanos Sport, despite being more powerful and slightly better equipped than the latter. While few motorists are familiar with the Proton brand here, the Malaysian car's reliability is beyond question, being based on tried and proven Mitsubishi mechanicals. The Satria has also benefited from Lotus's input in the area of suspension tuning, which perhaps explains its impressively precise and sure-footed handling.