Got you there..what is your explanation for Peroduas in UK are equpped with airbags while the local versions are not! Perodua cheating malaysians can I say that? And the price of Kelisa is way much cheaper in the UK. No kutuking against perodua like I said plain bias.

Chancellor is jut not a mere streched out waja like old saga limo like I've said.. Its chassis is wholely redesigned again by proton and Waja's chassis and platform is not inferior or.. Not to mention there are some fine and luxurious stuffs being included in the whole package.

You got to agree with this..you people are bias against Proton! Many manufacturers include and exclude features, it's part of strategies doing business, not exlusive to Proton.


Ok, i was wrong bout the safety part but still in my opinion, Perodua cars are more reliable and of better quality than Protons.

I agree with the excellent interior that i've seen in Proton Chancellor but the 'redesigned' chasis is an absolute nono (still looks the same to me at least), it still looks like a Waja with uglier rims plus the exorbitant price for a car.

Well, i guess we have a reason to be bias with Proton and our reasons are not for mere kutuking. It's obvious that Proton have been given too much opportunites to improve and yet failed to do so.

All i ask for is a nicely designed car with reasonable quality. That's enough. Savvy's got the quality but still the design isn't that good, that is why people go for Myvi. I like the new Perdana the most but still the design is almost identical with the Mitsubishi model.

Got you there..what is your explanation for Peroduas in UK are equpped with airbags while the local versions are not! Perodua cheating malaysians can I say that? And the price of Kelisa is way much cheaper in the UK. No kutuking against perodua like I said plain bias.

Chancellor is jut not a mere streched out waja like old saga limo like I've said.. Its chassis is wholely redesigned again by proton and Waja's chassis and platform is not inferior or.. Not to mention there are some fine and luxurious stuffs being included in the whole package.

You got to agree with this..you people are bias against Proton! Many manufacturers include and exclude features, it's part of strategies doing business, not exlusive to Proton.

dude... for a luxury class limo... and not having a single airbag and ABS? that is just absurd! and charging more than 130k for that? it should have side and curtain airbags! it simply astonishing to me on how the malaysian public would buy almost anything proton want to sell... sigh...
somehow this just have to stop... :eek2:

when perodua announced that the myvi would have dual airbags...
all of a sudden proton has gen2 with dual airbags?! but why??
i thought proton should set the example for perodua not the other way around? i truely think that proton is trying to squeeze as much money as they can from the paying public because they know that their time is running out...

i guess the new management of proton is trying hard to recuperate but i think its too late and too slow... plus having so many goverment officials with large personal interest in the company does not help the matter!

Hypermount, you miss my point completely!

Whilst Jeremy Clarkson laughs at the Proton Savvy, he gives the same treatment to a Rover last week!! I absolutely agree that what he calls good cars, is out of the range for most of us but my point was that national pride did not cloud his reporting, atleast not to the nonsensical scale and proportions that we have as expressed by the Star newspaper.

I don't agree when you say top gear is always pro British and anti French, they've bashed Rovers, also don't attribute Rovers bankruptcy to him, he's just a reporter, regarding an anti french perspective, yesterdays episode portrayed a very good picture, lime light of the new renault Clio, comparing it to the beautiful styling of the peugeot 206 another French car.

A few weeks back he was commenting that the dashboard of the Mercedes-Benz SLK as plasticky :lol: And that he also said something bad about Ferrari...forgot which model.



The reporting tools used Top Gear uses dry wit with comedic elements, they make mockery of stereotypes, its their journalistic style and what makes them popular, it doesn't however get overly obstructed by national sentiments. Like I said before do you think we will ever have reporting done about Proton cars that portrays the car in a bad light, ever? Protons cars in the eye's of the Malaysia media are the best, Corporate captains and CEO's will upgrade to a Chancellor, its almost as if reporting in denial.

I agree when you say that Top Gear shouldn't be used as a barometer to judge a car. That wasn't my point and was not what I was getting at, I was drawing comparisons and contrasting to the hillarious, judgement, analysis of Proton by the star and top gear, as clear example of how national pride obstructs to nonsensical proportions, something if the same the star statement were to be reproduced at top gear even if in relation to a Rover would have provoked a laugh!! Yet in this article by the Star its expected to be taken seriously.


Anyone remember how every Malaysian was fumed in the early 90s when Mr. Bean 'sabotaged' an Iswara. Come on.....I mean it is just a movie and in movies, many cars got sabotaged. Everyone got so worked up. This is the kind of mentality we all should avoid. This is beyond national pride. It is downright pathetic! :ohno:

About Jeremy Clarkson's laugh on the Savvy......well I think Proton deserved it. Why? Simply because Tengku Mahaleel at that time coined the tagline for Savvy as "your first Lotus". Even I find that funny! :lol: Seriously! :D

I am a media student once and I know. You can't praise or uplift the image of a product if it doens't deliver. It would do more harm than no exposure at all.

Had everyone here forgot his "Asia's answer to BMW" in describing the Waja. I dun think a new Waja 1.8 even come close to my friend's 15 years old 3-series! :D

Not only that Proton's product didn't live up to expectation, they shot their own foot by making ridiculous taglines and ads. Have you seen Perodua, Naza or Inokom being so arragant?

You got to agree with this..you people are bias against Proton! Many manufacturers include and exclude features, it's part of strategies doing business, not exlusive to Proton.



Well there are two types of so called bias or bashers.


1) Those with facts and have currently or previously owned a Proton.

2) Those who talk thru their arse and often goes beyong factual debates.


I would think that I belonged to the first category. Remember how I used to praised Proton? I still do but I had to be of caution. That is because they failed me so many times. I had given up. It is not easy to lose a fan but Proton did a great job for that! :okay:


We are here to learn from one another. Frankly I didn't know that Perodua did include airbags for their UK market. But that's about it apart from a slighly cheaper price. You might think it is the same if compared to the Waja I saw selling in Australia....just the extra airbags and cheaper price.

But what I saw and feel is very very different. Let me explain. Waja was launched just before I left for New Zealand to study. I went to testdrive lah......then go so many times to the showroom to persuade my manager to get a Waja instead of a second hand Civic. (I woudln't do that now honestly!) Then a year later, Waja was launched in Sydney Australia and I was there for the launching. I swear that the car there had a more solid feel, better seat trims, better insulation and of course more accessories. And it is cheaper. I immediately felt ripped off.

I asked for their catalogue and I am still keeping it ( if anyone wants to veryfy my claims :lol: ). Here in Malaysia, I strolled down to their Platinum Showroom at Mutiara D'sara and ask fora a catalogue, the sales staffs gave me this funny look and then gave me a photocopy of the cove of the catalogue and the price list. The only thing in colour is their namecard. At the Darling Harbour showroom, I was treated like a CUSTOMER! I really enjoyed the small talk and the courtesy of the sales personnel there even that they know that I am not buying because I am a Malaysian.

So have Proton treat locals as junks? I wonder........I really really wonder.....:ohno:

As for Perodua......I am being very very honest here.....just 2 weeks back, I went car-hunting with my friend and we went to the showroom near SS2. We were given coloured catalogues of Kembara. Then we proceed to see the Myvi and we were handed their catalogue. The sales personnel was so friendly and engaged in a small talk. Honestly it is not as great as my experience in Australia but it is indeed surprisingly good. :okay:


I would really love to see Proton being a successful car brand. But their arrogance and political implication in getting a larger technical partner is killing them. And stop boasting please. If cannot release 3 models a year then say so. This year we're promised 3 new models. And we got Savvy like so late. Where's the other models? Dun tell me it is Chancellor leh! :D

I agree with the excellent interior that i've seen in Proton Chancellor but the 'redesigned' chasis is an absolute nono (still looks the same to me at least), it still looks like a Waja with uglier rims plus the exorbitant price for a car.




Well I am not too sure if everyone knew this but I've been a Proton watcher for a long time liao.

Proton Chancellor is actually based on Waja 8 - Proton's official car for its CEO. In fact there is only one Waja 8....it is being called Waja 8 because its number plate is Waja 8 :D Initially Waja 8 is a gift to Dr. M's retirement but he refused the car so it is now the property of Proton for its CEO. ;)

I would however think that the price is justified considering the lenghtened chasis and the luxurious trims as well as a better engine. However Proton failed to realised that its branding power fails to penetrate the luxury market despite the Chancellor being many many thousands cheaper. The car is good but it is stuck in the twilight zone where it is not what the corporate leaders wants and ordinary joes like us would pay a little more to get an Accord! :D

Oh ...I am not too sure about the chassis but redesigning a chassis is a very very expensive thing to do. Usually it is just the lengthtening of the chassis and the car is built around it unlike the cut and join method of the earlier Proton limos. Even the stretched Rolls-Royce Phantom did not get a redesigned chasis but only a lengthtened one.

Proton had get many lessons to learn to penetrate into the luxury market. Its effort in producing Perdana Executive and Perdana Grand Limousine failed to meet the market that it had hoped. These luxury models are simply too ambitious. Look at how Honda failed with its Legend in overseas market. Or that why Toyota had to create the Lexus brand?

Proton should seriously look into their marketing strategy. If they go on like that, not only they would lose money but customer's confident as wel. I really hope that I am wrong about Chancellor......

The good ol government know very well what they are doing, Some people are foolish to think if proton closes shop now, car prices will be cheaper, it wont. Government will not just depart from the money making tax structure. The money gained from the tax is used for other things not just for automotive industry.

Yes....this is true. People are just misinformed or are ignorant that our tax structure are designed to protect our local cars. In a way it is true but even if our country do not have an automotive industry, there would still be some form of taxation and believe me.....taxes won't go down unless they have something to cover it lah :D




Dunno much about this. Japan and Korea protected their home grown car makers too before they are matured enough to fight the world. Proton should be given the same chance.. 2 new platfroms and 3 new models in 20 years is no that bad.

Yes.....true. But they do not protect like what our govt is doing to Proton. What Japan and Korea did is to make sure their car companies are mature enuf. What Malaysia did was to spoil our car companies. That's the difference.

3 new models and still selling its first model (but facelifted) after 20 years is a joke...... :D

We should read more about how Hyundai and Kia turned around to gained back US consumers confidence. I wouldn't elaborate here but you could easily Googled it up ;)




It won't happen. Perodua not a true Malaysian pride was just a tool used by Dahaitsu to take advantage of the loopholes in the national automotive policy. But deep in my heart i hope I'm wrong.

Well......Perodua, just like Proton is Dr. M's brainchild. Ever wonder why Dr. M kept kutuk Naza but not Perodua - blaming for the slow sales of Proton? Actually I think Perodua's growth is at the expense of Proton more than Naza Kia could have done.

In my previous post, we talked about Perodua and Proton not giving airbags. But instead of giving lousy materials to consumers, Perodua actually upped the ante by giving an even better package than Daihatsu's Terios. I have seen many Terios in real and I really appreciate Perodua's packaging. If you really wanna see the difference between the two, just go to Brunei. ;)

Thus it makes me think that Perodua is not ripping you money like Proton are. Nor they treat Malaysian customers like junks. Remember when Waja first launched? Some Wajas came with CD player and other with cassette. I was surprised that the sales personnel can't guarantee on if I would get the CD or the cassette on my car if I buy one. It depends on luck he says. Well.....same thing does to another few branches. But you won't see this for Perodua nor any other car brands. We are buying a car and not lottery! :rant:

Bravo Szehoong, very articulate in your replies, I also have to agree with your points.

Yes Szehoong, Proton did shoot themselves in the foot, with Proton Savvy taglines of "your first lotus". You might have gotten away with this in Malaysia, where Proton is protected, the car market distorted in its favour and the media complacent and overzealously pro Proton. But Britain is a more discerning and sophisticated market, ridiculous tag lines simply won't work.

I also do remember the Waja, "Asia's answer to the BMW" quote, these are laughable taglines, a joke, how could Proton expect to be taken seriously?

Szehoong, I was at the Proton Darling Harbour showroom in Sydney some time ago, I believe Proton now has withdrawn the Waja from the Australian market though I'm not completely sure about this but right now you can't find a Waja at a Proton Showroom or on their Australian website. You say the Australian Waja is cheaper and better quality than the Waja's in the Malaysian domestic market but the matter of fact is, in the Australian market, for the price you're paying, there are bigger, better quality, better value for money alternatives than the Waja in Australia. They are out class and out matched overseas, whats disgraceful is what Szehoong has pointed out, he's right, Proton customers overseas have better and cheaper cars and with better salesroom treatment.

The saving grace of Proton in Australia has got to be their Jumbucks or Arena in the Malaysian market. All other models can't match what the competition has to offer.

I like your quote on rabid unreasonable Proton support, This is the kind of mentality we all should avoid. This is beyond national pride. It is downright pathetic! have to agree with you there again mate. :okay:

Bravo Szehoong, very articulate in your replies, I also have to agree with your points.

Yes Szehoong, Proton did shoot themselves in the foot, with Proton Savvy taglines of "your first lotus". You might have gotten away with this in Malaysia, where Proton is protected, the car market distorted in its favour and the media complacent and overzealously pro Proton. But Britain is a more discerning and sophisticated market, ridiculous tag lines simply won't work.

I also do remember the Waja, "Asia's answer to the BMW" quote, these are laughable taglines, a joke, how could Proton expect to be taken seriously?

Szehoong, I was at the Proton Darling Harbour showroom in Sydney some time ago, I believe Proton now has withdrawn the Waja from the Australian market though I'm not completely sure about this but right now you can't find a Waja at a Proton Showroom or on their Australian website. You say the Australian Waja is cheaper and better quality than the Waja's in the Malaysian domestic market but the matter of fact is, in the Australian market, for the price you're paying, there are bigger, better quality, better value for money alternatives than the Waja in Australia. They are out class and out matched overseas, whats disgraceful is what Szehoong has pointed out, he's right, Proton customers overseas have better and cheaper cars and with better salesroom treatment.

The saving grace of Proton in Australia has got to be their Jumbucks or Arena in the Malaysian market. All other models can't match what the competition has to offer.

I like your quote on rabid unreasonable Proton support, This is the kind of mentality we all should avoid. This is beyond national pride. It is downright pathetic! have to agree with you there again mate. :okay:


Yep yep, i have to agree with you and Sze Hoong. Good justification there, haha.

hi guys... love to join in....

to me i think that koreans act faster and learn better than ppl in proton....
koreans cars are far more advance than any proton on the road...
have u guys noticed that the chancellor has no airbags nor abs?
what was they thinking? its just a longer waja... and at 130k plus? crazy or what?!
sigh... i wrote about chancellor on my blog... http://kenapa.blogspot.com/ (http://kenapa.blogspot.com/)

i respect what perodua is doing adapting and learning...

Korean started to develop car industry when the level of development in the country was already high. Korean technology in other related high technology and heavy industry was superb. The pool of skill and high knowledgable workers was vast.

The situation was completely different in Malaysia when Proton started to open its shop. In the reverse situation, Malaysia used its car industries as platforms to acquire technology in heavy industries. Obviously the learning cycle would be a lot longer. Heavy industries and other home grown technology in Malaysia was almost non-existence in the early 80s.

Korean started to develop car industry when the level of development in the country was already high. Korean technology in other related high technology and heavy industry was superb. The pool of skill and high knowledgable workers was vast.

The situation was completely different in Malaysia when Proton started to open its shop. In the reverse situation, Malaysia used its car industries as platforms to acquire technology in heavy industries. Obviously the learning cycle would be a lot longer. Heavy industries and other home grown technology in Malaysia was almost non-existence in the early 80s.


Hyundai Motors' first manufactured vehicle was in 1968. I don't think the level of development in South Korea is very high then. At that time, their economy is just beginning to develop with strong fiscal growth etc. Hyundai's first few vehicles were produced in cooperation with Ford Motors and later Mitsubishi Motors. There isn't really any heavy industries to help sustain their motor vehicle industry as well as their heavy industry was also at the infant stage at that point in time.

Let's just admit the fact that Proton have got a lot to learn from the koreans and let's not just let national pride overcome us. It's a fact that Proton have a lot more to learn and improve to stand on it's own and not rely on the government's protection any longer if it were to survive globalisation.

I'm not being pesimistic but the progress in Proton is rather slow. I believe the enxt few years will be crucial for Proton's survival.

So Savvy's tagline was "Your First Lotus". Correct me if I'm wrong but didnt Waja also have something similiar? The BMW of Asia?

I think apart from the technology, our national car companies still have alot to learn from the Koreans in terms of marketing. Hyundai, Kia, Samsung, LG etc have excellent marketing strategies.

To many false perceptions. That BMW thingyis not their fault entirely, it was proton Asutralia's mistake to engage the wrong marketing partner. Very stupid to use other people's name. Proton in other countries work independently with Proton in advertising and marketing areas.. And when the Lotus name was used, it came from mouth of one person, not the company.

Despite all the nasty rumours..Savvy sales is indeed encouraging. I'm here to despel the false perceptions held by average people.

MyVi vs Savvy sales figure. Taken from Market Report section Motortrader
http://www.motortrader.com.my/NUS/articles/news_archives.asp#TestDrive

August sales
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi 1959
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1527
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1379

September
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1424
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1282

October sales
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1660
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi 1639
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1082

Noveber sales will be out soon I believe

That was damn good considering only Savvy manual version avaliable..With AMT introduce this month, it will be better.

Savvy Zerokit R3 bodikit for all savvy is avalaible for sale now.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b95/huakenny/DSC00050.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b95/huakenny/DSC00045.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b95/huakenny/DSC00048.jpg

When if first came out

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/zaydtec/pp/DSC05217.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/zaydtec/pp/DSC05221.jpg

Hyundai Motors' first manufactured vehicle was in 1968. I don't think the level of development in South Korea is very high then. At that time, their economy is just beginning to develop with strong fiscal growth etc. Hyundai's first few vehicles were produced in cooperation with Ford Motors and later Mitsubishi Motors. There isn't really any heavy industries to help sustain their motor vehicle industry as well as their heavy industry was also at the infant stage at that point in time.

Let's just admit the fact that Proton have got a lot to learn from the koreans and let's not just let national pride overcome us. It's a fact that Proton have a lot more to learn and improve to stand on it's own and not rely on the government's protection any longer if it were to survive globalisation.

I'm not being pesimistic but the progress in Proton is rather slow. I believe the enxt few years will be crucial for Proton's survival.

First of all, I didn't say South Korean level of development was "very high" when they started to develop cars. I just merely say "high".

And I didn't say that South Korea used its heavy industries to sustain its car development program. What I've said was in the 60s South Korea has lots of heavy industries going on. They must have high skill and excellent quality engineers in order to support the heavy industries. Something that Malaysia lacked of in the early 80s.

South Korean rapid economic development started in the early 60s. Even by then their development was a lot higher than what Malaysia was in the early 80s. They started to produce cars after close to a decade of high economic growth. Korea has been producing good quality engineers by that time. Now, there are many 70 to 80-year old hardcore engineers in South Korea. That is an indication that South Korean had a relative high skill and educated workers in the 60s.

This is hardly the case in Malaysia. I doubt that you can easily find 50-year old hardcore technical people in Malaysia. There are only handful of engineers at this age now - the age they have to be at if they were to be in the technical workforce in the 80s. Despite Proton being in the business for more 20 years, I can confidently say that its real R&D work only started not more than 10 years ago.

Hyundai started of as South Korean's government blue eye boy. It is a large conglomerate that used to bag almost all government's contracts. Bear in mind that South Korean ranking in transperancy is lower than Malaysia. Hyundai and Proton business model is totally different.

Ironically, Hyundai car success in domestic market right now is largely attributed to national pride which embedded in almost all South Korea citizen.

To many false perceptions. That BMW thingyis not their fault entirely, it was proton Asutralia's mistake to engage the wrong marketing partner. Very stupid to use other people's name. Proton in other countries work independently with Proton in advertising and marketing areas.. And when the Lotus name was used, it came from mouth of one person, not the company.

Despite all the nasty rumours..Savvy sales is indeed encouraging. I'm here to despel the false perceptions held by average people.

MyVi vs Savvy sales figure. Taken from Market Report section Motortrader
http://www.motortrader.com.my/NUS/articles/news_archives.asp#TestDrive

August sales
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi 1959
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1527
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1379

September
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1424
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1282

October sales
Proton Savvy 1.2L 1660
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi 1639
Perodua Myvi 1.3 SX 1082

Noveber sales will be out soon I believe

Don't know if this wikipedia facts are correct. It says the tagline Asia's answer to BMW was uttered by the then CEO Tengku Mahalleel and the Proton Savvy was launched with the tagline 'My first Lotus'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_cars

Anyway, i think Savvy is by far one of the best product by Proton in terms of quality but i still don't like the look of Savvy from the back. The front looks appealing from certain angle.

Don't know if this wikipedia facts are correct. It says the tagline Asia's answer to BMW was uttered by the then CEO Tengku Mahalleel and the Proton Savvy was launched with the tagline 'My first Lotus'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_cars

Anyway, i think Savvy is by far one of the best product by Proton in terms of quality but i still don't like the look of Savvy from the back. The front looks appealing from certain angle.

OMG, there seem to be a lot of inaccuracies on wikipedia. It was the other way round :P. It was TM's own opinion about Savvy being "my first lotus" and the news caught on like wildfire on every press agencies giving the wrong impression that was Savvy's tag line. The BMW part was Proton's Australian division undoing.


PROTON Australia has dumped the failed advertising campaign that presented the Waja small sedan as “Asia’s answer to BMW” and appointed a new agency to its business.

Proton’s general manager John Startari confirmed that the company was no longer with agency Brave New World which had handled the “BMW” campaign, and had appointed Sydney company Carillon to handle its advertising following a pitch last month. The agency is the fifth for Proton since it launched in Australia in 1995.

http://www.bandt.com.au/news/f9/0c00d0f9.asp

It looks good from this angle.

http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1981/1981F1195210.jpg

http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1981/1409770.jpg

Nice interior

http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1981/1981F1109350.jpg

Sharp design

http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1883/1883F55751880.jpg

The rear
http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1961/1961F13634630.jpg

need engine bay..unlike conventional design, the air filter is integrated to the engine cover, something new to me.

http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1961/1961F13736140.jpg

I like the interior
http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1883/56694880.jpg

Rear leg room, pretty spacious.
http://i1.autoworld.com.my/userimages/emzine/1961/14203610.jpg

I like the interior, it's very comfortable as well. I must agree that the white Savvy looks good when viewed from the front. The thing i dislike bout Savvy are the rims and the back design, other than that it's quite a job well done. :)

^^ Yup. The white savvy looks very classy and trendy... well, from the front. ;)

Yea I hope they're going to redesign the rear when the next facelift is due.

The tiger roars on

http://bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/uploads/post-42-1118210631.jpg

http://bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/uploads/post-42-1118210575.jpg

Note the different location of the side signals and antenna.

First of all, I didn't say South Korean level of development was "very high" when they started to develop cars. I just merely say "high".

And I didn't say that South Korea used its heavy industries to sustain its car development program. What I've said was in the 60s South Korea has lots of heavy industries going on. They must have high skill and excellent quality engineers in order to support the heavy industries. Something that Malaysia lacked of in the early 80s.

South Korean rapid economic development started in the early 60s. Even by then their development was a lot higher than what Malaysia was in the early 80s. They started to produce cars after close to a decade of high economic growth. Korea has been producing good quality engineers by that time. Now, there are many 70 to 80-year old hardcore engineers in South Korea. That is an indication that South Korean had a relative high skill and educated workers in the 60s.

This is hardly the case in Malaysia. I doubt that you can easily find 50-year old hardcore technical people in Malaysia. There are only handful of engineers at this age now - the age they have to be at if they were to be in the technical workforce in the 80s. Despite Proton being in the business for more 20 years, I can confidently say that its real R&D work only started not more than 10 years ago.

Hyundai started of as South Korean's government blue eye boy. It is a large conglomerate that used to bag almost all government's contracts. Bear in mind that South Korean ranking in transperancy is lower than Malaysia. Hyundai and Proton business model is totally different.

Ironically, Hyundai car success in domestic market right now is largely attributed to national pride which embedded in almost all South Korea citizen.

That's what I was trying to say..very much agree as they had a headstart on us.

OMG, there seem to be a lot of inaccuracies on wikipedia. It was the other way round :P. It was TM's own opinion about Savvy being "my first lotus" and the news caught on like wildfire on every press agencies giving the wrong impression that was Savvy's tag line. The BMW part was Proton's Australian division undoing.

TM should have been more media savvy, how can he say such a ridiculous statement "my first lotus", whilst he has a right to an opinion, in his capacity as the former head of Proton, he should have kept his mouth shut, he needs to think about the company's reputation, its his duty. You don't hear a Daimler-Chrysler CEO calling one of their new Chrysler car "my first Mercedes-benz". It seriously shows managerial impotence and incompetence if you say TM was responsible in shooting his mouth off, a big no-no if you're the head of a big company, you have to be media sensitive.

BMW tag line was indeed Proton Australia's responsibility and thus they are to be blamed but seeing their monumental task in the first place, in view that Proton cars aren't selling well in Australia (with the exception of the Jumbuck) its not suprising they would've approve such a tag line.

Like I said before the price of a 1.6 Gen2, is comparable to a 2.0ltr Nissan Sentra, I believe the Waja is not on the market anymore because there's not enough demand, the price was outrageous in Australian terms even though it is as Szehoong explained, was of a better quality, better featured and cheaper than the Malaysian version. Proton in Australia, does try its best in marketing the cars, they have showings at malls, sunday tabloids, they even had a small spot on a Brisbane local tv. The fact is, its a bad product, one thats worse than the competitors offerings. They can't compete. Proton Brisbane, Queensland's main flagship dealer and outlet has to sell other cars to compensate for the lack of sales.

Malaysia's Proton sells Augusta stake to Italy's Gevi
Updated : 27-12-2005
Media : Asia AFP


KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's troubled national carmaker Proton has sold its controlling stake in debt-ridden motorcycle maker Augusta SpA to Italy's Gevi SPA for a token sum of one euro.

In taking over the 57.75 percent stake in Augusta, Gevi will assume Augusta's restructured frozen debts of 106.9 million euros (126.8 million dollars) and working capital requirements of 32.5 million euros, it said in a statement.

Proton said the sale of the Italian motorcycle firm, which it rescued a year ago with a 70 million euro investment, was in line with its strategy of divesting non-core assets.

The carmarker said the sale is not expected to have any effect on its earnings, net assets, share capital or shareholdings.

Ahead of the market opening on Tuesday, Proton suspended trade in its shares, and is expected to resume trading on Wednesday.

Proton suffered a net loss of 154.33 million ringgit (41 million dollars) for the second quarter to September from a profit of 198.91 million a year ago.

It attributed the loss to provisions totalling 160.7 million ringgit, mainly for the troubled Italian motorcycle unit.

Proton used to sell six out of every 10 new cars in Malaysia but sales have been tumbling for the past few years as the national automaker feels the bite of growing foreign competition while the government whittles away protection.

From a market share of 60 percent in 2002, Proton saw a decline to 48 percent in 2003 and then 44 percent in 2004.

After TM left Proton.. I remember reading an article about his interview.. he said some big companies want to hire him, including foreign one..if he's such a bad CEO why he's in high demand still.

quote from jeffooi's comment page

The reason most of us make comments like the ones we do here saying 'we don't know why' is because we don't know why! If we were the type who had the capacity to make such decisions, we wouldn't be here! So, my advice is for everyone here to try to understand a decision first before hentam saja!

I consider Mahaleel to have known what he was doing because he was poached from 2 senior positions in 2 major Multinationals, Nestle and Shell, to be then Proton CEO. His CV prior to Proton speaks for itself and his performance in Proton have also not been faulted even by the people who removed him. In fact, the reason why he was removed was because he was so competent that the board of Proton, none of whom were Auto-Industry guys, couldn't control him!

I also found some of Dr M's decisions to be funny - like building PLUS (which now people claim is too small), the Penang Bridge (which now the gov wants to add to), KLIA (which now is beginning to get congested), F1 (which Lee Kuan Yew admitted to envying) and forcing Petronas to buy MISC (which now is the top performer on Bursa Malaysia - share splitting in a year when Bursa's total value shrank!). All these Dr M successes were criticised before, so I'd bite my tongue...

Augusta was bought I understood to get the small engine technology more than just the brand. The technology would allow Proton to avoid importing small engines like for the Savvy in the long term by designing its own. The deal was similar to the Lotus deal and buying this tech for Euro 70 Million without surrendering equity was a cheap deal for Proton!

And of course you have to buy a loss-making company to acquire such tech - it isn't possible or too expensive to buy into a profitable company or indeed to buy IP, if companies would sell it so openly in the first place! Purchases such as Augusta are sort of like loss-leaders in pursuit of an overall higher bottom line!

I am not suprised Proton's board now sold Augusta. This is because:

1 - The board has never understood the car business and how it is developed on the R&D side as well as the global outlook (e.g. they still want to sell cars in the UK when freight is killing our car prices??)

2 - The board can't realise Augusta's R&D value as most of the management and tech team nurturing the concept of Augusta as a tech provider left in disgust when Mahaleel's contract was not renewed, including the CFO and team who was disgusted at the accounting shenanigans the board wanted to put in place to sell off Proton assets like Augusta.

3 - The board is trying to pull an accounting fast one! Last quarter, they reported a loss because of Augusta loss provisions, now they can claim a 'profit' jump in the next quarter due to write-back on the provisions of these losses! What a scam! They're basically hiding the fact that Proton car sales have picked up since AP abuse and tax cheating were sorted out last quarter (covering MITI's culpability) and now will try to claim credit by this accounting trick!

I say the board is continuing its trend of trying to justify its existence with actions worthy of Arthur Anderson and Enron! Why else would the Proton CFO quit in disgust also when Mahaleel left?

So armchair critics, lets not be led by the Malaysian press of all people... look deeply and broadly and see the big picture!

http://www.jeffooi.com/MT3/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=5195

There's too much speculations abound..

TM should have been more media savvy, how can he say such a ridiculous statement "my first lotus", whilst he has a right to an opinion, in his capacity as the former head of Proton, he should have kept his mouth shut, he needs to think about the company's reputation, its his duty. You don't hear a Daimler-Chrysler CEO calling one of their new Chrysler car "my first Mercedes-benz". It seriously shows managerial impotence and incompetence if you say TM was responsible in shooting his mouth off, a big no-no if you're the head of a big company, you have to be media sensitive.

BMW tag line was indeed Proton Australia's responsibility and thus they are to be blamed but seeing their monumental task in the first place, in view that Proton cars aren't selling well in Australia (with the exception of the Jumbuck) its not suprising they would've approve such a tag line.

Like I said before the price of a 1.6 Gen2, is comparable to a 2.0ltr Nissan Sentra, I believe the Waja is not on the market anymore because there's not enough demand, the price was outrageous in Australian terms even though it is as Szehoong explained, was of a better quality, better featured and cheaper than the Malaysian version. Proton in Australia, does try its best in marketing the cars, they have showings at malls, sunday tabloids, they even had a small spot on a Brisbane local tv. The fact is, its a bad product, one thats worse than the competitors offerings. They can't compete. Proton Brisbane, Queensland's main flagship dealer and outlet has to sell other cars to compensate for the lack of sales.

Few thousands units sold isn't a failure for a relatively unknown brand...that doesn't mean the quality isbad, it's the branding factor not the quality affecting the sales..those people expect to pay less for same quality offered by other brands...it's just not possible..Jeremy Clarkson straightaway discredit Hyundai Getz when found out its price is similar to other European makes after he said something good about Getz's build quality..it's just hard to change people perception you will get the same good at same price offered by other companies you're not sued to

I can't even find the model 2.0 L offering by nissan in Australia..Are you sure of this leeme know the price.

Few thousands units sold isn't a failure for a relatively unknown brand...that doesn't mean the quality isbad, it's the branding factor not the quality affecting the sales..those people expect to pay less for same quality offered by other brands...it's just not possible..Jeremy Clarkson straightaway discredit Hyundai Getz when found out its price is similar to other European makes after he said something good about Getz's build quality..it's just hard to change people perception you will get the same good at same price offered by other companies you're not sued to

I can't even find the model 2.0 L offering by nissan in Australia..Are you sure of this leeme know the price.

few thousand units sold? In 2002 I think they didn't even break 2000 units in an Australia market that has yearly sales much larger than Malaysia.

I've heard whining about branding problems, well Hyundai, Kia, GM daewoo also faced this same problems in Australia and yet they're thriving. Forget commentaries like that from J.Clarkson, look at the sales figures to note the success, the Getz this year has been voted the best Australian small car for 2005 by NRMA, a car users association.

those people expect to pay less for same quality offered by other brands...it's just not possible.

I don't think Proton's offering are at the same price as the other competitors, they are far from less.

I compared this with the adverts back in Oz, the nissan sentra is called the nissan pulsar and since the last adverts I noticed on tv, nissan now does not offer the 2.0 version anymore, only the 1.8. (As you can tell I don't watch much Australian TV)

This quote is from drive Australia which sums up why Proton doesn't sell.

When the Waja, its $27,990 sticker was seen as ambitious -- advertisements even drew comparisons between the Waja and a BMW. Despite its standard anti-lock brakes, dual front and side airbags and air-conditioning, the 1.6-litre Waja was overshadowed by many sub-$20,000 1.8-litre Japanese and European cars.

The relative newcomer to the Australian automotive market learnt the hard way that marketing dollars are not enough to cement your brand. The grossly overpriced Waja small car, at almost $30,000 with its 1.6-litre engine, was a flop, and Proton's local arm is out to ensure future newcomers will not endure the same embarrassment. One of the first changes will be to rename the Waja, giving it a better chance of a fresh start when a mild update – and a much-needed bigger engine – arrives next year.

^^ I hope the mild update, much needed bigger engine won't be the Proton Chancellor.

After TM left Proton.. I remember reading an article about his interview.. he said some big companies want to hire him, including foreign one..if he's such a bad CEO why he's in high demand still.

Is he working for a big MNC now? My point concerned with TM shooting his mouth off with the "your first lotus" tagline. You say he's voicing out "his opinion and that the news caught on like wildfire on every press agencies giving the wrong impression that was Savvy's tag line". Well here's the thing how could he have said such a ridiculous statement in the first place, whilst he has a right to an opinion, in his capacity as the former head of Proton, he needs to think about the company's reputation, be more self censored to saying such statements. You don't hear a Daimler-Chrysler CEO calling one of their new Chrysler car "my first Mercedes-benz". People will always have opinions, they don't always have to voice them out.

It does seriously shows managerial impotence and incompetence. I'll stick by what I said, it was incompetent of him, look at all the embarrasment it has caused Proton, if only TM didn't shoot his mouth off.

One thing to ponder Subangite our country's ex-ceo is also that kind of type. Does that make him a bad leader. Look at the bright side apart from all the weaknesses. He had done many good things to the company.

I put my words where my mouth is..just brought back home a Savvy 3 days ago. That probably could have explained my sudden heightened interest on savvy hehe.

Just a few words to describe it.. a superior car overall.

visit http://www.savoc.net This is where savvy owners converge online.

Proton car prices are cheaper in othe countries, doesn't mean the car ownership cost in those places are cheaper..what I know a bit insurance is defintely not cheap in the UK.

One thing to ponder Subangite our country's ex-ceo is also that kind of type. Does that make him a bad leader. Look at the bright side apart from all the weaknesses. He had done many good things to the company.

I put my words where my mouth is..just brought back home a Savvy 3 days ago. That probably could have explained my sudden heightened interest on savvy hehe.

Just a few words to describe it.. a superior car overall.

hehe...whatever it is, just opinion only and IMO, these opinions by anyone in this forum are contructive to Proton's future development. I hope to see proton itself can fight with Toyota, BMW or even Ferrari in the future without support from government.....I am really hoping this day to come sooner...

One thing to ponder Subangite our country's ex-ceo is also that kind of type. Does that make him a bad leader. Look at the bright side apart from all the weaknesses. He had done many good things to the company.

I was wondering if you'll bring this up. :) It is a completely different thing to run a country than it is to run a corporation. A brilliant CEO might not always make for a brilliant politician, like wise vice-versa. Whilst you can argue management styles can be similar, the dynamics of running a country and running a firm is very different. The effect of shooting your mouth of for a private firm would be far more detrimental, for the simple reason that a firm is more vulnerable to negative public perceptions. Whilst a country is less dependant on these perceptions for its survival.

I put my words where my mouth is..just brought back home a Savvy 3 days ago. That probably could have explained my sudden heightened interest on savvy hehe.

Just a few words to describe it.. a superior car overall.

Good for you hypermount!

VW's Demands Wreck Deal With Proton

By Yong Soo Heong

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Volkswagen AG's plans to relegate Proton Holdings Bhd into a mass assembler of complete knocked-down (CKD) VW cars and its insistence on taking a controlling stake in the Malaysian national carmaker have wrecked plans for the two automakers to strike a strategic tie up, say people familiar with the negotiations.

"It was simply not acceptable to Proton to be downgraded from being a full-fledged auto manufacturer to a mere assembler of VW cars. This would have meant the end of Malaysia's ability to develop and manufacture cars," said an investment banker.

His comments came in the wake of VW's announcement yesterday that it would not go ahead in forging a strategic alliance with Proton.

The VW announcement took many by surprise after it was reported that it had dropped its insistence on having a majority stake following talks between the two parties in Bangkok recently.

The German carmaker said it "had a very specific idea how we wanted to proceed (but) unfortunately the Malaysian government, Khazanah Malaysia and Proton had different ideas."

The investment banker said when Proton explored a potential joint venture with VW, it was with the intent of establishing a closer collaboration between two equal partners.

It was essential that as a national project Proton maintained its independence, he said.

"Over time, it became apparent that VW wanted to exercise control over Proton, including the running of its finance, management, product development and manufacturing operations.

"This would have effectively turned Proton into a subsidiary of VW and it was obvious that the Malaysian government would not concede to these demands," said another source.

He said VW, by using Proton to break into South East Asian markets with CKD operations and car sales, was only ready to collaborate on the sale of the old VW Passat model in Malaysia, with VW retaining rights of sales.

The cessation of negotiations, he said, was of no surprise as the "terms are unpalatable to Proton."

Meanwhile, Proton is reported to be exploring other partnership and project-based options by pursuing a multi-party strategy with several global car manufacturers. These include forging specific partnerships with a US car manufacturer and one from Japan.

As a part of its long-term export push, Proton has also earmarked China as a key long term market to develop. The national car company is reportedly negotiating with several China-based carmakers for partnerships specific to the Chinese market.

-- BERNAMA

Proton hammered as deal collapses

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4608440.stm

Shares in Malaysian carmaker Proton have taken a hammering after Volkswagen dropped plans to invest in the company.

The stock tumbled 19% to 5.10 ringgit, a four-and-a-half-year low, before recovering to trade at 5.60 ringgit.

Speculation has been swirling since the middle of last year that Volkswagen may buy into state-controlled Proton.

Volkswagen is looking to tap into the growing Asian market, while Proton wants access to new technology and help in protecting its market share.

'Not materialise'

Europe's biggest carmaker had been looking to buy a significant stake and gain a big say in the management of Proton.

However, Malaysia owns a 42.7% share in Proton through its investment arm Khazanah Nasional, and it is thought the state was unwilling to ditch its controlling 'golden share' in the company.

A 'golden share' gives the holder a veto right in any vote regarding plans for the company.

"We had a very specific idea how we wanted to proceed there," said Volkswagen's chief executive Bernd Pischetsrieder.

He explained that: "Unfortunately, the Malaysian government, Khazanah and Proton had different ideas. Therefore what we wanted in the cooperation with Proton will not materialise."

While the collapse of the talks will be seen as disappointing for Volkswagen, the implications for Proton are further reaching.

The company is facing stiff competition from other Asia rivals that have been eating into its market share.


Perhaps we should change this thread title, delete "VW-tie up".

It's a setback to Proton. I'm really disappointed with this news. I wonder where's Proton heading right now. Any potential tie-ups with other car giants? That's what Proton desperately needs right now to be able to compete with other car manufacturers.

Proton lucky to sell Agusta: Banker
January 17 2006


COUNTLESS number of people have been asking why Proton Holdings Bhd recently disposed of MV Agusta for just one euro (about RM4.50) but information emanating from people familiar with the deal points to the fact that Proton had to quickly let go of the “hot potato” in the Italian motorcycle maker.

The facts were grim and simple: faced with a massive financial crunch, under-performing sales and rising production costs, Agusta was just days from missing an instalment to one of its creditor banks. The instalment is believed to be well over 10 million euros.

“The consequence of missing an instalment payment to its banks for frozen debts would have automatically triggered a general default on its entire loan package. This would certainly spell bankruptcy and at that point, even one euro would be out of the question,” said a European banker involved in the disposal of MV Agusta.

He said Proton’s sale of its 58 per cent stake in Agusta to Gevi SpA one euro was “no surprise” to international financial circles.

“Proton was lucky to dispose of Agusta for a token one euro to Gevi because the very banks that lent money to the motorcycle maker had deemed its shares to be worthless,” said the banker, who is with a Swiss financial services group.

Agusta had requested additional capital injection to keep it afloat when its creditor banks refused to extend anymore credit.

“When the Proton management offered to pledge its entire Agusta shares to Agusta’s banks, they were told the shares were worthless. It was a real turning point.

“If Proton stayed with Agusta, it would have to pump in even more funds on top of the 100 million euros it had already sunk into the company,” the banker said.

He disclosed that Agusta’s creditor banks were ready to foreclose and if that had happened, Italian law would have held Proton responsible for all contingent liabilities.

He said that although Proton Capital, a Proton Holdings’ subsidiary, owned Agusta, Italian law allowed creditors and bankers to go all the way up to the beneficial owners — meaning Proton Holdings would be held liable.

“If this wasn’t enough of a problem, several Agusta directors had broken ranks and were on the verge of having the firm file for early bankruptcy. It was really a matter of days,” the banker said.

With bankruptcy filing imminent, Proton had to immediately conclude a sale to a buyer willing to take over the ailing Agusta, pump in cash, revive bank credit lines and take over all contingent liabilities, while relieving Proton from any further claims by Agusta’s creditors.

“Gevi was the only credible financial investor willing to stick its neck out to fulfil all these conditions. Under Gevi’s guarantee, the banks are happy enough to reinstate euro credit line,” the banker said.

Agusta has chalked up debts in excess of 100 million euros and requires further working capital of 32 million euros. For the 15 months ended March 31 2005, Agusta registered a net loss of 29 million euros.

Proton’s share of net losses, representing 57.75 per cent amounted to 16.75 million euros.

Proton has already given Agusta more money than the 70 million euros reported, providing 29 million euros as cash advance to bail out the troubled Italian company.

Agusta dragged Proton into the red for the first time in a decade.

Proton reported a net loss of RM154.3 million for its fiscal second quarter ended September 30 2005, hurt by bad debt charges related to Agusta.

In December 2005, the Proton board approved the sale of Agusta to Gevi for one euro, making the transaction its biggest loss on a single investment.

Agusta cost Proton RM503 million, including its acquisition cost of RM367 million back in 2004.

The disposal of the Italian bike maker will not affect Proton’s balance sheet as it had fully written off the investment.

Is there any news about the Proton City at Behrang? Thank you

Proton, VW agree to cooperate on specific projects
27 Jan 2006 7:07 PM


Proton Holdings Bhd and Volkswagen AG are proceeding to cooperate on specific projects that include the supply of products and components by the German auto maker to the national carmaker.

Proton said on Jan 28 this was confirmed by VW on Jan 26 by way of an official letter.

"With this understanding, Proton and VW have now decided to bring to an end the proposed collaboration envisaged under the MOU signed by them in October 2004.

"Both parties are now expected to move quickly to hold technical discussions to negotiate the details for possible implementation," said Proton.

A Proton spokesperson said: "We have moved past the issue of VW eyeing any kind of shareholding and we are now able to work on specific initiatives that complement Proton's capabilities and current range of products.

"The cooperation will commence with these specific projects in the areas of technical and engineering, training and systems as well as other commercial projects, including the possibility of supporting VW to explore the Malaysian dealer's network.

In a separate statement, Proton said it had entered into a memorandum of intent with Petroliam Nasional Bhd to develop larger engines and environmentally friendly alternative fuel systems for use by Malaysia's national automaker.

It said it would see both parties collaborating and exploring the possibilities of further developing Petronas engines, particularly the compatibility of its E01 engine to Proton's motor vehicles, and the subsequent potential commercialisation of the engine.

"In addition, the collaboration will also see Proton and Petronas working together in developing a Natural Gas Vehicle system for Proton's use," said Proton.

Meanwhile, Proton's wholly owned subsidiary, Proton Marketing Sdn Bhd has entered into a memorandum of understanding with A1 Grand Prix (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to sponsor the A1 Grand Prix Team, Malaysia.

Delphi keen to be Proton's partner
March 9 2006


DELPHI Corp (http://www.delphi.com/), one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, says it is ready to support Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd's (Proton) move to forge international tie ups to help widen its vehicle base and push its exports.

"It makes good business sense for Proton to take a multiple approach to collaboration, as it allows taking advantage of economies of scale through the sharing of technology," Delphi Corp vice president Choon T Chon said.

Chon, who is also Delphi president for Asia Pacific, said this will ultimately result in lower costs and better quality cars for the home market and for exports.

"Proton's alliance route will allow it to build a wider range of vehicles in the shortest possible time," he said.

Delphi supplies components and systems to most major original equipment manufacturers worldwide, including Porsche, Mercedes Benz, General Motrs, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Audi and VW.

Majdi Abulaban, managing director of Delphi Packard Electric Asia Pacific, said the company is keen on being Proton's strategic partner to help in fast tracking its plans by sharing global know-how in designing and manufacturing top quality components.

"The Malaysian automotive industry is now ready to spread its wings into the world market. Taking on other automotive partners and component makers is a natural progression for the industry," he added.

Delphi has been producing wire harnesses for Proton from its Kuala Terengganu plant. It employs over 900 people, which also include the sales and marketing support staff in its Shah Alam office.

Proton, VW agree to cooperate on specific projects
27 Jan 2006 7:07 PM


Proton Holdings Bhd and Volkswagen AG are proceeding to cooperate on specific projects that include the supply of products and components by the German auto maker to the national carmaker.

Proton said on Jan 28 this was confirmed by VW on Jan 26 by way of an official letter.

"With this understanding, Proton and VW have now decided to bring to an end the proposed collaboration envisaged under the MOU signed by them in October 2004.

"Both parties are now expected to move quickly to hold technical discussions to negotiate the details for possible implementation," said Proton.

A Proton spokesperson said: "We have moved past the issue of VW eyeing any kind of shareholding and we are now able to work on specific initiatives that complement Proton's capabilities and current range of products.

"The cooperation will commence with these specific projects in the areas of technical and engineering, training and systems as well as other commercial projects, including the possibility of supporting VW to explore the Malaysian dealer's network.

In a separate statement, Proton said it had entered into a memorandum of intent with Petroliam Nasional Bhd to develop larger engines and environmentally friendly alternative fuel systems for use by Malaysia's national automaker.

It said it would see both parties collaborating and exploring the possibilities of further developing Petronas engines, particularly the compatibility of its E01 engine to Proton's motor vehicles, and the subsequent potential commercialisation of the engine.

"In addition, the collaboration will also see Proton and Petronas working together in developing a Natural Gas Vehicle system for Proton's use," said Proton.

Meanwhile, Proton's wholly owned subsidiary, Proton Marketing Sdn Bhd has entered into a memorandum of understanding with A1 Grand Prix (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to sponsor the A1 Grand Prix Team, Malaysia.


I was seriously hoping that Proton would produce the new 5th generation GOLF. Thats a damn good car, oh well doesn't seem like it anymore.

VW bought into Czech car company Skoda and it really turned the car company around. Just like how Renault bought into Romanian car company Dacia which is doing very well in Eastern Europe. National car companies are not what they used to be, car companies now are consolidating and have been consolidating for awhile, Saab, Nissan, Volvo, Rolls Royce, are now controled by overseas multinational car companies. The brand however might still be British, Swedish, or even Czech, but they have common parts with their parent companies, Jaguar has some Ford parts for example, just like how Skoda uses VW engines. In this day and age of free market economics, globalisation, Proton I think needed the VW help and expertise, it would have been good to see VW German quality Malaysian Protons. It's was a chance lost, only time will tell how proton is going to compete in a more liberal, freer trading Malaysia and ASEAN. I'm going to remain optimistic.

Proton Launches Savvy ZeroKit

By Hong Boon How
PROTON'S motorsports division - Race. Rally. Research (R3) - has introduced the ZeroKit body and performance enhancement upgrades for the Savvy hatchback.

The ZeroKit comes with a pronounced front spoiler, side skirts and a streamlined rear spoiler that complement the already sporty looks of the Savvy.


http://www.star-motoring.com/editorial/pics/savvyzero.jpg
A row of Proton Savvy cars fitted with the ZeroKit upgrades.


The use of shorter performance springs lowers the Savvy by around 20mm and gives the vehicle a sleeker appearance.

The standard package is priced at RM3,000 and consists of the R3 concept bodykit which include front and rear spoilers, side skirts with genuine carbon fibre logo inserts, a rear apron and 15-inch alloy rims.

Owners can also choose optional upgrades such as dark titanium headlights (RM245 each), R3 performance spring sets with damper shaft spacers (RM462) or performance muffler (RM275).

All components of the ZeroKit come with warranty and are made for easy installation with little or no modifications to the Savvy's body.

Besides ZeroKit upgrades for existing Savvy owners, Proton is also selling brand new Savvy with factory installed ZeroKit.

The Proton Savvy ZeroKit is priced between RM43,000 and RM46,000 depending on the transmission type (manual or automated manual transmission) and paint type (metallic or solid).

The body kit is made from fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), a strong and lightweight material commonly used in the aerospace industry.

The ultra durable FRP is designed to withstand stone chips and vibrations without increasing the weight of the Savvy significantly. FRP is also used by Lotus for the body panel construction of the Elise sports car.

FRP is superior to other fibres and is able to maintain a smooth and consistent surface for better look and paint quality finishes.

The ZeroKit's suspension system upgrade is also designed to optimise the performance of the Savvy without sacrificing the vehicle's drivability and comfort.

Proton claims that the standard 74bhp Savvy fitted with the ZeroKit performance muffler would have a power increase of 5bhp.

During our brief drive of the Savvy ZeroKit at the Sepang International Circuit test area, we found the vehicle to have a more grunt than the standard Savvy which we tested several months ago.

The body roll was well controlled even when we were pushing the car with four persons on board briskly around a twisty course marked out by traffic cones.

Even on lowered springs, the ride on the Savvy ZeroKit does not feel choppy .and returns the same firm experience as the standard Savvy.

R3 head Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel said the ZeroKit was created to fill the gap between standard Proton vehicles and its high performance limited edition vehicles such as the Proton Satria R3.

"Although there are high demand for our R3 vehicles, our limited production capability had made R3 vehicles quite expensive for the enthusiasts.

"As such, we have decided to introduce the ZeroKit which is modular and more affordable. The upgrades can added on according to the buyer's needs and budget," he said.

Tengku Djan Ley said Proton Edar was looking at selling 200 units of the Savvy ZeroKit per month in Malaysia. The company is also sending a monthly shipment of 100 units of the Savvy Zerokit to South Africa.

"The Savvy ZeroKit is also getting good response from customers in Australia and New Zealand," he said.

Owners of Waja and Gen.2 are not left out of the ZeroKit programme.

"We are coming out with the ZeroKit upgrades for this two Proton models soon," Tengku Djan Ley added.

OMG!
Is that a car?
hahahahahahaahahaha

OMG!
Is that a car?
hahahahahahaahahaha
Looks more like a toy ain't it? I presume that's wat you meant with your laughter?

OMG!
Is that a car?
hahahahahahaahahaha


I think a Kancil would have you in stiches as well rite? :D

The black one looks nice!

PROTON SATRIA NEO


http://media.paultan.org/satrianeo/satrianeo_front.jpg


http://media.paultan.org/satrianeo/satrianeo_front1.jpg


http://media.paultan.org/satrianeo/satrianeo_campro.jpg

^^ Proton's own engine - the 1.6 Campro ;)


http://media.paultan.org/satrianeo/satrianeo_dash3.jpg


http://media.paultan.org/satrianeo/satrianeo_rearspoiler.jpg


http://paultan.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/satrianeo_blue.jpg