In all the hubbub surrounding the new Proton eMas 5 and Saga in recent months, you may have missed a small but significant piece of news concerning the national carmaker. We know we did. Last month, Punch Powertrain announced it had opened a new transmission factory in Tanjong Malim, Perak as part of a “long-term collaboration” with Proton. It was evidently quite a big deal for all involved, given that the launch was attended not just by Perak state exco chairman Mohamad Nizar bin Jamaluddin but also Proton CEO Li Chunrong. The return of Punch to the national carmaker’s fold will be quite a surprise for those who have followed the industry for a while. Having supplied CVTs starting with the Saga FLX in 2011, the Belgian drivetrain specialist was unceremoniously forced out from 2019 onwards when Proton added a four-speed Hyundai-sourced automatic gearbox to its bread-and-butter model. Punch CVTs continued to be used in the Iriz and Persona, but with the former already discontinued and the latter likely following it soon, we assumed that the chapter had been closed. So why is Punch – now owned by Chinese firm Sensteed – back in the picture? Well, it’s certainly not for supplying CVTs to any of Proton’s Geely-derived cars. The X50, X70, X90 and S70 are all powered exclusively by turbocharged engines and hence will continue utilising a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. That is unless the company changes course and offers the S70 with a naturally-aspirated engine (à la its Chinese-market twin, the Emgrand), but that seems unlikely. That leaves the sole remaining logical option – the Saga. The entry-level homegrown sedan only recently completed its move from Shah Alam to Tanjong Malim, so the timing is suspiciously convenient. Also, the plant transfer will almost certainly coincide with the start of production for the new MC3 version, the launch of which is imminent based on the rate Proton is stripping the camouflage. According to leaked documents, the Saga MC3 will be offered with an automatic and a CVT (yes, no manuals, but that’s a story for another time), the latter on the top-spec Premium. One would imagine that the aforementioned long-term partnership involves Punch supplying the very same car it did 14 years ago. Proton going the CVT route is not such a surprise, given that the Emgrand similarly pairs the same new 1.5 litre BFE15 naturally-aspirated four-cylinder (more details here) with a stepless transmission. However, the CVT in the Geely is reportedly derived from China’s WLY, although Proton’s past experience with Punch transmissions means its returning supplier is probably a better fit. We should point out that none of this has been confirmed by the company as yet, so we’ll take all this with a pinch of salt. So, it looks more and more likely that Punch CVTs are making their way back into Protons. What do you make of the news? Let us know in the comments. Compare prices between different insurer providers to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services. Many payment method supported and you can pay with instalment using Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater.