Proton confident of selling more with new models

SHAH ALAM, Aug 25 — National carmaker, Proton Holdings Bhd, believes the Proton Waja’s replacement model 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

Proton EXORA

Proton Exora

PROTON EXORA The Proton Exora is a New Lifestyle Family Mover which combines advanced styling, space and multi usage, high quality design, and good performance without neglecting the value for money factor. Proton Exora is built with a spacious interior which sits 7 adults comfortably. The dual blower air cond with individual vents for each row adds comfort for all passengers. Its safe cabin features high tensile steel cage coupled with hydro forming sub-frame providing high level of safety. It also features several intelligent functions such as programmable door lock and programmable front wiper speed which are controlled by an integrated module. Proton Exora High Line AT is available at OTR RM 75,998 and Medium Line AT is available at RM69,998. There are six (6) body colours offered for Proton Exora: Genetic Silver Tranquility Black Blue Haze Solid White Gaia Blue (new) Pyrite Brown (new) DEVELOPMENT The Proton Exora is a product designed and developed by Proton with engineering technology from its subsidiary, Lotus The Proton Exora is Malaysia's first home grown MPV, using a totally new platform from previous Proton models QUALITY The Proton Exora is the 7th product developed by Proton after Waja, Gen2, Savvy, Satria Neo, Persona and Saga.  Proton has been improving its products in terms of quality and reliability each time through its experience and lessons learnt. A lot of effort has been made to ensure that The Proton EXORA gives maximum driving pleasure, including the application of damping pads and noise suppressors in strategic location within chassis and body panels. Internal test shows that Proton Exora noise level is lower than previous models PERFORMANCE The Proton Exora uses a 1.6L Proton CamPro Engine, with CPS (Cam-Profile Switching). CPS benefit aids fuel efficiency as well as enhances uphill driving. The new hydro-forming material used to reduce its total bodyweight allows for 1.6L CamPro CPS to reach its maximum power of 125hp. Maximum speed for Proton Exora automatic transmission is 165km/h. EQUIPMENT Proton Exora is equipped with lots of features that are not commonly found in cars below RM76,000.  The unique feature, BCM, is really making new convenience technology accessible to Proton buyers. Customers have the choice of fitting additional accessories (e.g. Thule box) to the Proton Exora as long as it is approved by the authorities (JPJ/Puspakom). Any secondary defects caused by these installations will not be covered under warranty. BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) BCM is a module designed to control every basic plus additional functions of the car electronically e.g. central locking, alarm, timer etc Several additional features which is very useful for customers has been added to the BCM, such as: Programmable Wiper Speed Programmable Door Lock Battery Saver Function Follow Home Function Auto Door Unlock Auto Hazard Lights Function Auto Block Door Lock Function SAFETY Proton Exora’s body structure is engineered to offer the best crash protection among competitors in its class.  ABS and dual airbags, which is specially tuned for the Proton Exora’s extra weight and size, are part of the standard package offered for all variants.  High illumination LED rear combination lights is an extra safety feature. Proton Exora is developed with the international market in mind, and Proton has adopted European safety standards as guidelines.  Proton Exora now meets the strict European safety requirements which are also adaptable to other markets such as Australian Design Rules and GCC Gulf Standards.

PROTON EMAS COMFORT, COUNTRY, CITY FULL SPECIFICATION PICTURES – MALAYSIA 1ST CONCEPT CAR

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Proton EMAS, unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow is really amazing. Our first concept car which is planned to be in production line soon (might be in 2011) makes Proton leading in front of others with the most high tech compact concept car design. My trip to Geneva recently gave too many inputs of this superb Electric Hybrid Car from Proton which has been designed by Italdesign and Engine Technology By Lotus and soon will be produced by our car manufacturer, Proton. Read the full specification of Proton EMAS Hybrid Concept Car details below.

PROTON EMAS COMFORT, COUNTRY, CITY FULL SPECIFICATION PICTURES – MALAYSIA 1ST CONCEPT CAR

At the eightieth edition of the Geneva International Motor show (4-14 March 2010),Italdesign Giugiaro is introducing Emas, a family of low environmental impact cars that is set to revolutionise traditional segmentation in the car market.
The design, created with the Malaysian manufacturer PROTON is based on a plug-in hybrid drive system designed with Lotus Engineering and was developed with the aim of optimising the available on-board space and car access ergonomics. “We have created a family of models in different configurations but all offering the passenger room of a medium-category car while maintaining the exterior dimensions of a compact mini. The architecture has been designed in such a way as to allow us to outfit an infinite number of variants without compromising the car’s great comfort and extensive interior space” explained Giorgetto Giugiaro, Chairman of Italdesign Giugiaro.
With 25 years in the automotive sector PROTON has produced 15 car models to date that have sold more than 3 million units throughout the world and is now ready to expand its horizons with a range of revolutionary cars that meet international standards. The name, Emas, meaning “gold” in Malay, is the acronym for Eco Mobility Advanced Solutions.
Emas: the three configurations Italdesign Giugiaro is exhibiting three configurations of the compact car family produced with PROTON at the Geneva motor show:
Emas Comfort: hatchback
saloon, five doors, four seats,
length of 3550 mm, hybrid
drivetrain in Comfort
Emas Country: hatchback
saloon, three doors, five seats,
length of 3550 mm, hybrid
drivetrain in a Country
Emas3 City: hatchback saloon,
three doors, 3+1 Plus seats, 3
metres in length in City outfit
with plug-in electric drive

A compact car with the passenger room of an SUV “With this project, we have shown that the car layout can remain unchanged irrespective of the type of fuel system; be it conventional, hybrid with petrol engine, hybrid with natural gas engine or fully electric”.
The platform, specially designed by Italdesign Giugiaro for this car family, includes a raised floorpan that is able to accommodate the hybrid or electric system batteries in the centre. The raised position of the seats, all electrically adjustable, allows passengers to make the best possible use of the interior space. The combination of these two design features makes the actions of getting into and out of the car very user-friendly, particularly at the rear. The levels of convenience are comparable only to those of a few other higher-category cars.
The seat H point (corresponding to the passenger hip position) is located higher than that of mass-produced cars but lower than that of an SUV. “This is the outcome of several years of study: the solution allows interior roominess on a par with that of a segment D saloon despite maintaining the exterior dimensions of a segment A car”, explained Giorgetto Giugiaro.

“These new PROTON cars are higher than other compact car models to make the best use of interior space; the seat H point is at the same height as the passengers’ hips: you do not get down into your car as in a coupé, you do not climb up as in an SUV but you enter in a natural way. Rear seat comfort when you enter and leave the car is absolutely unprecedented, the distance from the front seat is comparable to that of an SUV”, added Giugiaro.

The five door version packs a 320 litre luggage compartment able to house two medium-sized suitcases with ease into a length of just 3550 mm. The forerunner of the Emas family is a five door hatchback with the emphasis on Comfort, because the rear seats are the same as the front seats to create four business class seats within just 3550 mm of total length. The front-end features the PROTON Shield housed in a longitudinal slot below the bonnet. This also incorporates the light clusters and is enhanced by two distinctive diamond-shaped fog lights. The engine cooling air intake, located between the fog lights, is concealed within a dark grey trapezoid motif. Its size varies according to
the type of engine installed, without altering the look of the front-end.
The side is dominated by a belt line that drops down decisively toward the windscreen pillar to increase side visibility during parking manoeuvres. The side is enlivened by a sculpted shape, enhanced by a rib that runs from the front wheel
arch then swoops up toward the rear. The large wheel arches are perhaps the most distinctive and substantial aspect of
the car body; the wheelbase is generous: 2590 mm for a total length of 3550 mm. The wheels are therefore located at the end of the Emas: this gives the impression of a car much bigger than it actually is.

The B pillar is painted black to create the sensation of visual continuity with the side windows, while the C pillar features a motif based on an “E”, the initial letter of Emas. Oceans of glass allow plenty of light into the interior. Only the lower part of the side windows – the part you actually need to open to pay tolls or car parks – is mobile in order to keep the window opening system simpler and lighter. The windscreen extends along three quarters of the roof to create a sky-dome effect that dominates the view from above. Protective sun blinds are housed in the central crossmember and extend longitudinally toward both the front and rear Seats.
The rear view is dominated by a generous rear window incorporating all the taillights, which are entirely based on LED technology. These are located beneath the glass and are invisible when the car is turned off. A subtle lip joins both light clusters and surrounds the reversing lights and direction indicators. When the tailgate is open, the lights are replicated by two supplementary tail-lights located in the lower part of the bumpers on either side of the rear air intake.

The Proton Emas Country interpretation portrays the Emas as an urban SUV, keeping to the length of 3550 mm but switching to a three-door architecture. Access to the car is still easy due to generous doors measuring no less than 1350 mm in length and the ergonomic and rational position of the rear seats, that are set 120 mm further forward than in the five-door version. In particular, the amount of passenger room rises from 4 to 5 seats by replacing the
two independent rear seats with a sliding three-seater bench seat. This means that the amount of foot room for passengers in the rear can be adjusted according to requirements.
The bench seat can also be folded completely flat to increase the load volume: this boosts the luggage space from 390 to approximately 780 litres. A few telling touches create a distinctive off-road exterior look: wheel arches, sidesill
perimeter base, bumpers toughened by radial ribbing and the lower part of the tailgate are highlighted by a bronze metallic finish. The roof features a rollbar/roofrack. The front-end differs from the urban, five-door version due to its more aggressive look: the PROTON shield is now fitted at the top of a grille surmounting a large longitudinal air intake. The two fog lights are round and sunk into the body. The lower part of the front and rear bumpers and the side-sills are toughened by metal inserts.

Proton Emas3 is the City interpretation: the five-door configuration has been left unchanged while the architecture has undergone drastic changes to reduce the wheelbase by 550 mm to contain the total length within just 3 metres. The doors used are the same as on the Country version, 1350 mm and allowing easy access, even to rear seat passengers.
The front-end emphasises the different outfit: unlike its big sister, the fog lights are trapezoid in shape and joined by a large rectangular air intake. The tailgate, produced specifically for this version, is more upright in order to ensure plenty of passenger headroom and acceptable load capacity despite the compact exterior.
The passenger room drops to 3+1 Plus seats. The passenger seated behind the driver has less leg-room but there is still enough space even for an adult. Depending on the number of batteries chosen to increase the range of this version, devised with solely plug-in electric traction, the passenger room could drop to three or two seats if necessary, with a large luggage compartment. In addition to the three interpretations on show in Geneva, Italdesign Giugiaro has also come up with other possible permutations of the Emas family developed with PROTON, including:
- Coupé Comfort: slightly more raked windscreen and low roof for a sporty interpretation.
- Coupé Sport: even more steeply raked windscreen to accentuate the sportiness, underscored by a special door and longer front and rear overhangs.
- Country Cabrio: the Country version loses its roof to become a four-seater cabriolet.
- Compact Wagon: the Comfort version with longer rear overhang to increase the load space and become a compact station wagon. Both five-door and three-door versions are envisaged, the latter could come with panels instead of the rear side windows for commercial use.
- H-van: identical to the five door version to the front door and then complemented by a generous load compartment that is extended by a high top to the windscreen and a lengthened rear overhang.
A glance at the interiors

The first aspect that strikes you, even before you discover the car interiors, is the door handle: an ergonomic design that incorporates a set of secondary controls that vary from place to place. The driver can use the handle grip to control all four power windows, door locking and unlocking, the courtesy lights, side mirror adjustment and electrical lowering of the rear head restraint to improve visibility while reversing.
The front passenger can also adjust the hi-fi system as well as his or her own window. The rear passengers can also adjust their seats from the handle grip. Two TFT panels dominate the dashboard. They are housed side by side in the
centre of the dashboard, at a concave angle. The right-hand monitor shows the speedometer and the main car operating indicators in addition to hybrid system energy flows. The left-hand monitor shows secondary information such as screens for the hi-fi system, telephone and internet access browser plus personalised car set-up parameters.
A third display, located beneath the central console, is a touch screen that controls all the car’s main and secondary functions. The right part of this TFT screen permanently displays the climate system temperature and air flows.
The lower part of the central console, housing the ignition button and gear selector, extends towards the tunnel and can be folded down. When parking in a tight spot, forcing the driver or front passenger to leave the car from the opposite side, this central element can be lowered and the seat moved back so that they can get out on the other side without hindrance.
The central console also houses two USB ports to connect digital music players and mobile phones, plus an SD card slot for satellite navigation maps. The central part houses a dock specially designed for the Apple iPhone. This dock is interchangeable and can house other phone and smartphone models. It can recharge the phones and connect them automatically to the car without the need to use other coupling systems. Powered by Lotus Engineering The drive system is a series hybrid plug-in developed by Lotus Engineering, a Proton Group company. It includes a 3 cylinder 1.2 litre internal combustion engine developing 51 horsepower (38 kW) at 3500 rpm that can run on petrol, ethanol, or methanol.

The front transverse internal combustion engine is coupled to a generator and serves exclusively to recharge the 11.5 kWh capacity lithium ion batteries. Drive is assured by an electric motor with continuous power of 45 kW and 75 kW peak power. The high maximum torque, 240 Nm, does not require the use of a gearbox. Acceleration 0-100 km/h takes place in 14 seconds, top speed is 170 km/h and battery range in the hybrid configuration is 50 km. Full recharging of the battery pack takes three hours using a traditional 240-volt outlet.
The performance and range of the City three door electric plug-in version are currently being assessed.
Technical specifications of Proton Emas:
Dimensions and weights
Length (mm) 3555-3000
Height (mm) 1576
Width 1699
Wheelbase (mm) 2590-2035
Front tyres 215/45 R18
Rear tyres 215/45 R18
Front rims 18”
Rear rims 18”
Boot capacity 320-390 litres
Mechanical units and performance
Mechanical architecture hybrid, series, plug-in

Proton's Price

Proton has announced a number of pricing changes to its existing model lineup as it prepares to offer several new models in the later half of 2010.

Already offering the cheapest sedan in Australia, Proton has maintained the price of its bargain S16 model (pictured above) at $11,990*. The value for money deal means some variants of the Proton S16 now face a four-week wait on delivery.
The S16, which is available in three variants, now also receives 14-inch alloy wheels, power mirrors, front fog lamps and reverse sensors on GX automatic models. The Proton S16 GX automatic is priced from $14,990*.

Proton has also announced new pricing for its Satria Neo, Persona and Gen.2 models.
The Satria Neo range (as pictured above) now starts at just $14,990* for the entry-level Satria Neo G. The mid-spec Satria Neo GX manual is priced at $15,990* while the top-shelf Satria Neo GXR manual receives a $1000 discount to now retail at $16,990*.
The option of all automatic transmission is available on all Satria Neo variants for an extra $2,000.

Moving up the range, the entry-level Proton Persona G manual is now priced from $15,990* while the upper-spec Proton Persona GX manual is priced at $17,490*.
Both Persona variants are available with the option of an automatic transmission for $2000 more.

Proton’s five-door Gen.2 G hatch is now priced from just $16,990* for the manual variant with its mid-spec Gen.2 GX manual model now just $18,490*. The range-topping Gen.2 GXR manual, which features leather upholstery, side airbags and front fog lamps, has been reduced by $1000 to now retail at just $19,990*.
All Proton Gen.2 variants are available with the option of an automatic transmission for an extra $2000.

The Proton Jumbuck, a recent long-term evaluation vehicle here at CarAdvice, will no longer be imported into Australia and is officially on run out.
As Australia’s lowest priced ute, the entry-level Proton Jumbuck GLi is priced at $14,990*. Its upper-spec sibling, the Jumbuck GLSi is priced from $16,990* and includes 14-inch alloy wheels, power mirrors and power windows.
The Proton Jumbuck is not available with an automatic transmission.

Also on run out are Proton Savvy models. The Proton Savvy manual is priced from $13,990* and includes free metallic paint if purchased in black. An automatic transmission is available for an additional $2000.
Proton Cars Australia general manager of sales and operations, Billy Falconer says Proton’s value for money proposition continues to build with more models and keen pricing.

“Our philosophy for Proton is to provide the best priced cars, with great handling, quality and features ensuring a compelling purchase proposition for our customers,” said Mr Falconer.
“Buyers are embracing S16 because of the $11,990 price which includes 3 years warranty and 24 hours roadside assistance and as a result we now have a four week waiting list on the car.”

As part of its 2010 marketing campaign, Proton also unveiled an fresh new website. The revised site is more straightforward to use with a number of enhancements, including improved functionality.
The new website comes ahead of the biggest new model onslaught in Proton’s 15-year history in the Australian market.

Proton will unveil several new models to the Australian market this year including its first people mover, the Proton Exora (pictured above) and a sporty version of its three-door Satria Neo, dubbed Lotus Racing Satria Neo R3.
The Proton Exora will feature a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, offer seating for seven and be available in both manual and automatic when it is released here in November.