SUBANG JAYA, 14 October 2010 – National car manufacturer PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced the arrival of the Inspira, an all-new mid-sized four-door sedan in the Proton model line-up that will be unveiled in full to the public in November.

The latest edition to Proton’s line-up, the Inspira can be booked from today at all Proton Edar showrooms nationwide with price starting tentatively from RM79,888. With all that it has been packaged with, the Inspira, a C-segment car, is indeed a value-for-money. Bookings is set at a minimum fee of RM1,000. As an appreciation to early birds, those who book the car from today until 15th November 2010, will get a free two-year or first 50,000km (whichever comes first) Service Package which includes free labor charges and service parts worth RM1,658 in total.

Announcing the arrival of the new model and the winner of the car’s naming contest today, PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the Inspira is a step further in our efforts towards enhancing the company’s technological capabilities to emerge as a global car manufacturer.

“We maintain our stance in making valuable products more affordable for Malaysians. The car’s distinctive sporty personality has been further enhanced by us with the injection of the renowned Lotus DNA of excellent ride & handling, while localisation of parts has enabled us to introduce the Inspira at an affordable price. With these combined, what we have here is what we believe to be another right car, at the right price and at the right time by PROTON,” said Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin.

Elegance has also been emphasized on the model, and PROTON believes the Inspira will appeal to a wide cross section of car buyers, from professionals and senior executives to car enthusiasts and those in the market for a spacious and comfortable family car.

The Inspira also underscores a new strategic alliance with Mitsubishi Motor Corporation of Japan, becoming the first Proton car to be equipped with Mitsubishi’s Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system or in short MIVEC technology. MIVEC optimizes valve timing to increase performance across a broad engine speed range.

PROTON also offers the Continuously Variable Transmission or CVT with Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic Control System (INVECS-III) in a variant of the Inspira. It is an advanced system that automatically selects the optimal gear ratio based on road and driving conditions with a self-learning ability to match an individual’s driving style. This new transmission will also offer customers paddle shifting capability for a new level of enjoyment and convenience.

Among the other practical features customers stand to gain from include auto-cruise; automatic light and rain sensors; welcome and coming home light system; fully automatic air-conditioning system with climate control system for both front and rear occupants; all-round airbags for the safety of all passengers; and a security tint film which will provide solar heat rejection of up to 48%.

Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin said Inspira originates from the Bahasa Malaysia word Inspirasi which in English means inspiration.
“It is a strong and fitting description of the car’s bold and stylish appearance and outstanding driving experience which we believe will inspire an individual to wanting to own one.”

The name Inspira was chosen from a list of 2,797 proposed names received in an internally-organized contest for employees held between the 10th and 25th February this year.

The winner, Saiful Yazan bin Nasir from the Electrical Engineering Department of PROTON’s Research & Development Division, received RM10,000 in cash, a GPS Navigator, two passes to the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show in December, and a special invitation to the launch of the vehicle in November.

Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin also thanked all Malaysians and prospective car buyers for their continued support and faith in PROTON, as well as their criticisms and concern over the national car company, all of which he said have been positively accepted and inspired us to strengthen the company’s resolve to emerge as a global car manufacturer.

News by www.proton.com

To learn more about the Inspira, visit your nearest Proton Edar showroom today

proton inspira inspira proton new model

Proton Inspira Promo Truck Finally Revealed



Proton Inspira replacement model for Proton Waja



proton inspira inspira waja

Proton has unveiled that Proton Inspira is the official name for its replacement model Proton Waja , which has until now been only referred to by its internal codename, the Proton P3-90A.

The Proton Inspira is developed from a Mitsubishi Lancer with the choice of a Mitsubishi’s 4B10 1.8 liter engine with a 5-speed manual, a Mitsubishi 4B10 1.8 liter engine with a 6-speed virtual ratio CVT gearbox, or a top of the range 2.0 liter 4B11 engine with the same CVT transmission with added steering column paddle shifters.

At launch, the Inspira will have about 26% local content at launch, with the aim of raising it to 40% within the next few months and straight up to 65% within a year from the launch date once the local vendors have been fully prepped. It is built at Proton’s MVF plant.

Available in red, white, black or silver, the new Proton Inspira is now open for booking at any Proton dealer with a deposit of RM1,000. As an appreciation to early birds, Proton will be offering a 2 year (50,000km) free service package worth RM1,658 including parts and labor to those who take delivery of their brand new Proton Inspira for bookings made by the 15th of November 2010 that are delivered before the 31st of December 2010.

The tentative pricing starts from RM79,888 OTR for the 1.8 manual up to not more than RM95k for the top of the line. The 1.8 CVT will be somewhere in the middle. The official pricing will be unveiled at the official launch by the 10th of November 2010.

The photos above is the only thing we can show you for now as there is an embargo that we must respect and official images will only be provided closer to the launch date in early November 2010.

Proton is having a Safety Recall for certain models sold between April 2004 to June 2008. There is an issue with the Clock Spring (slip ring), which is something that connects the switches and airbag in the steering wheel to the radio, horn and cruise control.

According to Proton, their engineers have identified irregular performance in Clock Spring components of the Proton Gen.2 and Satria Neo models equipped with the auto-cruise function, manufactured between April, 2004 to June, 2008. The affected Clock Spring may cause the following symptoms:

* Noises when turning the steering wheel.
* Unintentional triggering of the car horn.
* Malfunction of car audio remote button on the steering wheels.
* Self-deployment of the air bag in rare cases.
* Unable to start car due to short circuit of the electronic components.

If you drive a Gen.2 or Satria Neo purchased between April 2004 to June 2008 you are advised to contact your nearest Proton authorized service center to book an appointment for full inspection and rectification work. Call Proton for the full information:

* Proton i-care hotline: 1-300-880-888

“Although the number is small, the safety of our customers is paramount and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. The recall is an example of the commitment we place on our customers’ safety, and the reliability of our vehicles under Proton Global Quality Assurance programme. We hope our customers understand that this recall is necessary to ensure their continued confidence in the safety and performance of their vehicles,” said managing director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

This is one of the rare few times we’ve seen any Malaysian company call a recall by what it really is – a recall, instead of ‘service campaign’ or whatever other alternative names they can come up with.

UPDATE: Proton says the recall affects a total of 5,836 cars in Malaysia, comprising 4,128 Proton Gen.2 1.6 A/T H-Line and 1,708 Proton Satria Neo 1.6 A/T Hi-Line cars, with auto cruise function.

Proton as a Malaysian Car maker will launched a new model for replacement WAJA (Impian) at the United Kingdom. This new model will launched end of year. But I heard from others and speculation Proton will be launched new model this coming October. Let's we'll waiting for it. See below of the new model based Mitsubishi Lancer GT.

Syed Zainal Abidin said the soft launch for the new models will be held after Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.





proton proton waja cars autocars malaysian cars asean cars

The PROTON team in Czech has ample reason to hold their heads up high at the recently concluded Rally Barum Czech Zlin. The dynamic duo of Niall McShea and Keith Cronin in the Satria Neo S2000 demonstrated impressive speed under extreme conditions, making waves by being among the fastest performers in the rally.

Dubbed one of the most demanding rallies in Europe, the Czech Rally concluded with the final stage on Saturday, with Freddy Loix and his Skoda coming out tops. Rally Barum Czech Zlin began on Friday, 27 August 2010 with a super special stage comprising three laps of the city centre followed by eight asphalt stages. The main action began the next day, when crews faced eight asphalt stages in the fast but technical lanes surrounding Zlin. The event ended Sunday, 29 August 2010 with a further eight stages.

For the PROTON team, pre-event testing ran smoothly under sunny conditions, but the actual rally day itself subjected them to very slippery conditions due to the change in weather – with heavy rains. Cronin was faster that Jan Kopecky during the first stage, only 3.8 seconds behind the fastest time. Cronin’s amazing performance ended when he slid off the road at an exit of a long corner, went off the road and dropped down a bank, landing close to a river. And with that he was out of the rally. Moving at such high speeds, it’s a well known fact that crashes are an inevitable occurrence in races and that’s what happened with Cronin. Nevertheless, he did leave an impression, setting fifth and seventh best time before his exit. Meanwhile, teammate Niall McShea and his PROTON also set an impressive pace but stopped one stage after Cronin’s retirement. McShea decided to stop when he detected a mechanical fault – nose in the car’s bellhousing.

McShea and Cronin are are among the best talents around with experience and skill in handling tarmac events. McShea’s last outing was with PROTON at the 2009 Rally of Ireland where he achieved third fastest time on the opening stage. Cronin just won International Rally Isle of Man, known to be one of the toughest tarmac events in the world. These are the reasons why they were selected for this round and the experience they bring to the team will also help them further improve the PROTON S2000 for tarmac events.

It wasn’t a win, but the team did come close to beating our competitiors. At the end of the day, the Satria’s abilities were further reinforced as demonstrated in an incredible performance in one the most challenging rally conditions by far.

Rally Indonesia cancelled

As we all know by now, the cancellation of Rally Indonesia was mainly due to the abnormal weather. Heavy rain conditions caused the rally route unusable thus prompting the organizers to try and move the rally to an alternate location. Initially the rally organizer had proposed to FIA to move the event to the Penajam Paser Utara & Balikpapan, Kalimantan Timur but unfortunately due to custom clearance issues that wasn’t possible either. In the end, they had no choice but to cancel the rally. What does a cancellation mean for the competing teams? For PROTON, we lose out in terms of the opportunity to garner more points – the team has been looking forward for a podium finish in Indonesia and the cars have been performing well lately. And so the team was hoping to achieve better results in Indonesia.

Guess we have to accept the fact that some events are just unavoidable and beyond our control. And on that note, we shall now look forward to the final round of APRC, Rally of China, taking place as scheduled on 6-8 November 2010.

by, TJ Tan

National carmaker, Proton Holdings Bhd, believes the new model that will replace Proton Waja and the facelift model to be launched in December will boost proton car sales this year.

Managing Director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the facelift model will be introduced at the Kuala Lumpur International Car Exhibition 2010 in early December.

"The new models will make a change in higher sales this year," he told reporters after launching a safety and health campaign on the road and workplace here today.

Syed Zainal Abidin said the soft launch for the new models will be held after Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

"We've done trial production, plant and road testing," he said.

Asked on the facelift model, Syed Zainal Abidin declined to name the model.

"Facelift, let it be a suspense, but I can tell you it's one of our popular cars and from what I've seen, facelift gives a much better look to the current range of proton models," he said.

He said Proton has set an ambitious target to sell 170,000 proton cars in the 2010-2011 financial year.

"So far we're on track and we hope the two new models will give a lot more momentum for us as we always offer competitive prices for proton models," he said.

Proton posted RM104.647 million higher pre-tax profit for the first quarter of the financial year ended June 30, 2010 from RM64.379 million in the same quarter last year.

The encouraging financial earnings stemmed from higher sales and profit margin from production of better quality cars, he said.

Syed Zainal Abidin also said Proton was talking to five banks to provide better financing packages for customers, vendors and distributors.

"We're working out special packages for tenure of payment and interest rates," he said.

Proton intends to offer flexible options and low interest rates vis-a-vis 4.1 per cent and 4.2 per cent currently, he added.

-- Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia unveiled plans Wednesday to open up its auto sector, including allowing 100 percent foreign ownership and offering a 10-year tax break for carmakers to produce hybrid and electric vehicles as it seeks to catch up with Thailand as a regional auto hub.
The trade ministry said it will also end a three-year freeze on manufacturing licenses for luxury cars with engine capacity of 1.8 liters and above and priced mbt women’s shoes at no less than 150,000 ringgit ($44,118) as well as for hybrid, electric and commercial vehicles.

It also scrapped rules requiring part of the equity to be allocated to ethnic Malays in these areas, allowing foreigners to now hold 100 percent ownership in a move to lure investors.

The measures are part of a new national automotive policy effective January to make the sector more competitive as Malaysia strives to compete with neighboring Thailand, which has gained a reputation as the “Detroit of the East.”

“It is true that Thailand has done a lot better than us … we would like Malaysia to be more competitive. We want a viable auto sector. We want Malaysia to be a hub for the auto industry,” Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamed told a news conference.

Malaysia is Southeast Asia's largest passenger vehicle market, with about half a million vehicles sold annually.

But its policy to protect national players such as Proton and compact carmaker Perodua through ownership constraints and high taxes put it at a disadvantage against Thailand, which has no domestic automakers and has emerged as a regional base for many global car manufacturers like General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.

Mustapa said the government wants state-controlled Proton to tie-up with an established global player to ensure its long-term survival. He said talks are ongoing but declined to give details.

“We know there have been many discussions … we hope it will be finalized very soon. We have no deadline, it's a business decision,” he said.
Once the king of the road, Proton's fortunes have dwindled due to growing competition. Proton has been hunting for a foreign partner but the government's insistence on maintaining control over a national corporate icon has made it difficult for Proton to seal any meaningful partnership.

Germany's Volkswagen AG ended alliance talks with Proton in 2007 but recently revived negotiations.

Mustapa said Malaysia would focus on niche sectors including hybrid and electric cars which have large untapped potential in the region.

The government will offer a 10-year tax break, customized training and research grants and excise duty exemption for assemblers and manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles and components. It will also draw up plans to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles, he said.

Mustapa, however, said the current auto tax structure remained unchanged. Import duties were lowered three years ago but Malaysia still has high local excise taxes ranging from 60 percent to 105 percent on vehicles.

He said a controversial auto licensing rule for MBT Shoes importers will only be scrapped by 2020, instead of 2010. There will be no “quantitative restrictions” on car imports by 2020 in a further liberalization of the market, he said.

Car manufacturers and analysts cheered the new liberalization measures.

“Malaysia has been very much behind Thailand and this is a good opportunity for us to catch up,” said Aishah Ahmad, president of the Malaysian Automotive Association.

Ahmad Maghfur, auto analyst with OSK Research, said Malaysia hopes to woo European car manufacturers to set up base here by MBT Women’s Shoes liberalizing the luxury car segment.

At the same time, Proton and other local players remain protected with no changes in the tax structure and continuous government grants offered to them, he said. – AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

Malaysian national carmaker Proton said Monday it plans a revamp that will give it more flexibility to form alliances with foreign partners after reporting a 55 percent jump in quarterly profit.

The maker of the Waja and Pesona sedans and the Exora seven seater multipurpose vehicle posted a net profit of 84.7 million ringgit ($27 million) for the quarter through June.

Revenue rose 24 percent year-on-year to nearly 2.3 billion ringgit ($735 million) thanks to stronger-than-expected car sales, which were up 17 percent to nearly 40,000 units.

Chairman Mohamad Nadzmi Mohamad Salleh said Proton aims to set up four strategic business units as part of a restructuring to boost its operations and make it easier for the state-owned company to tie-up with foreign automakers.

He said some parties are keen to cooperate with Proton in manufacturing or engineering, without having to take an equity stake in Proton as "they don't want to manage the brand."

"We will be undertaking a big restructuring to be more efficient, leaner ... and to give more flexibility to form strategic alliances that don't really involve the whole group," said Managing Director Syed Zainal Syed Mohamed Tahir.

Proton declined to give more details, saying the proposal will be firmed up in the next few months and implemented in the next financial year.

The car maker returned to the black in the financial year ended March but is under pressure to bolster exports for its long-term survival. Analysts said it would need to find a global partner if it wants to survive in the long-run.

The government's insistence on maintaining control over the national corporate icon has made it difficult for the carmaker to seal any meaningful partnership.

It said in June that Volkswagen AG declined to collaborate because the German carmaker has other priorities -- the second time talks between the two have failed. Volkswagen later inked a deal with Malaysian auto group DRB-Hicom to assemble and manufacture VW cars in the country.

Syed Zainal said Proton targets 20 percent revenue growth for the fiscal year through March 2011, and market share to rise to 33 percent from below 30 percent last year. It expects to sustain sales with a new upgrade to the popular Waja sedan in October.

Proton is also working on a hybrid electric vehicle, which should be ready for testing by the end of the year before deciding whether to embark on mass production, he said.

By EILEEN NG

Proton yesterday unveiled some new images of the Proton EMAS Concept alongside with a Lotus-badged version. Both cars will be aimed at very different markets, with different powertrain combinations, while still sharing the same basic platform allowing better economies of scale.

From our understanding, the Lotus Global Small Car will be positioned at a premium, with a shorter wheelbase and a three-door hatch body compared to the Proton badged version.

Possible powertrains include a plug-in EV or series hybrid with range extender (Lotus Omnivore) or a turbocharged small engine of around 1.2 liters of capacity or lower. Benchmark models for this car are vehicles like the MINI EV or the electric Smart.

This particular photo is an update of what the production Proton global small car based on the 5-door Proton EMAS could look like. As you can see the design has been revised compared to the one first shown in Geneva 2010 and later at the Proton 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

This one looks like it has inched closer to being a production design and the front end looks sharper and sportier, with the headlamps angled upwards.

Proton’s benchmark for their new global small car is vehicles such as the Toyota Aygo or the Nissan March – practical and youthful at the same time. Proton is looking at installing a small and fuel efficient engine to go with this car, and they are also exploring diesel options for the Indian market.

by Paul Tan via Paul Tan's Automotive News

The Proton Savvy is the first city car Proton have sold in the UK. It encapsulates the „Savvy buy' with competitive pricing, distinctive styling and a range of equipment that's sure to put a smile on every shopper's face.

Who's the Savvy buyer?

The Proton Savvy buyer demands more from their vehicle. Style, practicality, reliability and value for money are important, but when push comes to shove it's pride that counts - being proud to drive the car and feeling good because of what it says about that person.

With distinctive styling both inside and out, a spacious and airy interior, comprehensive warranty, great specifications AND a starting price of just £5,995 (RM 38948) on the road, the Proton Savvy is a car that anybody would be proud to own. Combine this with great customer service and friendly dealers, and it's definitely a winning package.

The Proton Savvy is a car that will transcend all age boundaries - it's sporty styling, superior ride and handling, low insurance group and low price will appeal to younger buyers looking for a great value, great looking car that's a bit different from the norm, an economical engine and a wealth of features will ensure that older buyers are not alienated. The Savvy is key to Proton's strategy of customer acquisition, but it's features and benefits mean that it is sure to be a popular choice for current owners in the market for a new car.

The Savvy - a Proton through and through

Proton believes that driving should be fun and that every one of its cars should deliver superb ride and handling. Progressive technology is evident across the range - not just in performance but in safety measures and standard equipment. The Proton Savvy has joined this tradition of offering everything motorists have come to expect from a Proton - and more.

There are three other cars in Proton range; the Impian, a spacious four door saloon, the three door supermini Satria Neo and the GEN-2, which is now available in both five door and saloon variants.

After many years of going around in circles talking to companies such as PSA Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen and GM, Proton has finally ended up at a familiar place, Mitsubishi Motors. Proton announced to Bursa Malaysia today that it has entered into a product collaboration program with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Japan. The following is the scope of the product collaboration:

• A Development Agreement, to develop a new Vehicle Model for PROTON based on details of work, target specifications, job sharing and time schedule as determined by both parties (“Licensed Product”).
• A Licence Agreement, where MMC grants PROTON a non-exclusive license to use technical assistance and patents solely for the purpose of utilization of technical information for restyling, modification and improvement work, manufacturing of local parts, assembling, selling and after sales services / support of the Licensed Product to be sold under PROTON’s trademark and styling; and
• An Engineering Services Agreement, wherein MMC will provide the work and services for PROTON’s manufacturing of the Licensed Product.

The new Lancer-Waja will likely be priced at a higher price point than the current Waja CPS, but lower than the Perdana. We’ll also get the GEMA series of engines that comes with the Lancer, though it’s not clear at this moment which one. The GEMA engine is available in 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4 liter displacements.

Other proposed areas that Mitsubishi and Proton are in discussions about include the rebadging of the Persona and the 2009 Proton MPV as a Mitsubishi in certain markets and the joint development of an A-segment hatchback (a new Savvy-sized vehicle), but when contacted by this blog, sources in Proton indicated these additional projects are at best only in discussion stages only, and not something confirmed.

In fact, an A-segment hatch may not be such a good area for Proton to venture into right now, given how price sensitive the A-segment market is. Maybe later, if Proton gains enough technical know-how on how to build a car cheaply and once it has enough economies of scale to price it low yet make a sufficient profit.

The only two car manufacturers enjoying success in that market segment are Suzuki and Daihatsu, who are experts in small cars. It’s very hard to profit and with the current condition of Proton’s economies of scale, I doubt Proton could create an A-segment hatch that could have the right features, quality and price to enjoy a decent amount of success whether in Malaysia or overseas.

I doubt even accounting for the potential units sold under the Mitsubishi badge could help out there as Mitsubishi themselves do not have much successful experience in that area.

StarBiz revealed today that the Mitsubishi vehicle to be provided to Proton is the new Lancer, which will be used to replace the Waja. A quick check with sources inside Proton revealed that the vehicle would pretty much be a Lancer with only minor changes to the design, even less than what Mitsubishi Taiwan has done to their version of the Lancer.

by,

Paultan

Proton records RM105 mil profit in Q1, growth all areas

National carmaker Proton announced its financial results for the first quarter of the company’s 2010/11 financial year. It was positive figures across the board, with a headline of RM105 million profit before tax in Q1. This is significantly more than the RM13 million profit made in the previous quarter (Q4 09/10). In the same period of the previous financial year, Proton posted RM64 million profit before tax.

Riding on the 19% growth in Malaysia’s Total Industry Volume (TIV) for the first half of 2010, Proton sold 39,994 vehicles in Q1, which is 8% more than the corresponding period in 2009. Similarly, revenue rose to RM2.29 billion from RM1.85 billion.

Some of you might have been surprised at Proton’s position in our recent Thai market report post (Exora is the best selling MPV in Thailand), and the company is happy to announce that total exports have increased by 88% (8,303 units) compared to Q1 09/10. This figure takes into account the Gen2 and Persona CKD kits exported to China, which amounts to 60-65% of total exports. In the longer term, the company plans to introduce the Proton brand in China, making the world’s largest auto market its left-hand drive hub.

Proton, which has a presence in 29 countries, is working hard to boost exports as “the domestic market has reached saturation point and exports are needed to increase economies of scale,” according to Proton Chairman Dato’ Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

by,

Paultan