Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Proton Satria Neo S2000 starts pre-season testing

Proton has started pre-season tests for its Satria Neo Super 2000 rally car, which will compete a full season in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and selected races of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) in 2010, according to Alister McRae during our recent taxi ride session with him. The team plans to campaign more than one car, so it’s using a test session in Wales as a chance to “audition” new drivers.

Finland’s Anton Alen and Matti Rantanen and Belgian Francois Duval drove the Neo S2000 at the Sweet Lamb test facility in Wales. Chris Mellors, who runs MEM, the outfit that built the car, said: “We had three great drivers who gave us some very positive and valuable feedback. From our point of view one of the most encouraging things is that we put the equivalent of a world championship rally distance on the car without having to do any work to it.”

Alen, who is considering Proton as one of his options for next season’s IRC, said: “The car felt very stable and the engine had a really good spread of torque right from the bottom all the way to the top.”

A couple of days after the test, Duval slipped on some ice back in his homeland and broke two vertebrae in his back. He is expected to recover fully, but will be out of action for at least eight weeks

Friday, December 25, 2009

Miss Australia Universe endorses the Proton Saga!

The Saga is the latest model to join Proton Australia’s line-up, selling Down Under as the Proton S16. As its name suggests, the S16 is powered by the 110 bhp 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine paired to a five-speed manual ‘box.

Its drive away retail price of $11,990 makes it the lowest priced new car in Australia. Before launch, Proton billed the S16 as the cheapest sedan in the market, but latest currency exchange rates have given the S16 an even stronger selling point.

The auto version will debut shortly while July 2010 will see the introduction a GXR variant that adds dual airbags, ABS, alloys, reverse sensors and fog lamps to the kit list.

It’s clearly a very good deal, but since the Saga’s looks aren’t exactly what you’d call pretty, Proton Australia has signed on Miss Universe Australia 2009 Rachael Finch for some “look at me” appeal. She will be featured in all S16 ads in Australia. A clearer view of the lovely Miss Finch is available after the jump!

Proton S16

Friday, December 18, 2009

Lotus appoints ex-Ferrari man as head of design De

Lotus has announced the appointment of Donato Coco as the Group’s Director of Design. In this newly created position, Mr Coco will lead all design activities for Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering. He will assume the role on 4 January 2010.

The Italian was previously Director of Design and Development at Ferrari where he worked on the F430 Scuderia coupé and Spider 16M, Ferrari California, 599XX and the freshly launched F458 Italia. Prior to Ferrari, Donato was Chief Designer at Citroën and was responsible for the Picasso, C3, C3 Pluriel, C2, C1 and the Xsara WRC, amongst others. Coco holds an MA in Automotive Design from the Royal College of Art, London.

Head of Lotus Design, Russell Carr will continue to work on both Lotus products and third party design work, an area which is growing rapidly especially in emerging Asian markets such as China.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Lotus F1 Drivers in Malaysia made a short visit

lotus-visit-coe

Lotus F1 Drivers, Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen have a short visit to Proton’s Centre of Excellence (COE) in Shah Alam, Malaysia. They have a closed door meeting with the Proton management, possessing few pictures and what left. Heikkin looked really interested in Proton Satria Neo S2000 Rally car that just came from the second finish in Rally of Scotland, taking a seat and asked questions. Check out photos of the LotusF1 drivers after the jump. (Credit to Paultan for info and pictures.)

lotus-4_770

lotus-2_770

lotus-1_770

lotus-3_770

Monday, December 14, 2009

2010 Proton Persona facelift sighted on test!

Proton Persona Facelift
Click for high resolution image

Drex Chan sent in these great photos of what appears to be the Proton Persona facelift that’s due next year. The Persona was first launched in 2007, so mid next year would be about the right time for a facelift if you follow a 5 year model lifecycle, though most of us probably feel like a replacement is due since the Persona is actually a GEN2 sedan, and the GEN2 has been around a long time.

Proton Persona Facelift
Click for high resolution image

The front bumper is derived from the GEN2 CPS. The rear end shows tail lamps that have been taped up to hide an updated design. It looks like Proton has incorporated the use of LED lighting in the updated Persona’s tail lamps.

Proton Persona Facelift

Two more details – firstly the wing mirrors also appear to be taped up. The tape hides the use of turn signal indicators integrated in the wing mirrors. Secondly, in the engine bay we can see that the engine uses coil on plug ignition, which means it is a Campro IAFM engine. This means that Proton is continuing with the separation of the Campro into two different versions – the IAFM engine as an economy-skewed engine while the CPS engine is more for power. They should really just have one powerful and fuel efficient engine for the 1.6 liter size – I’m sure it will be better for economies of scale.

There are a few more photos that you can view at drexchan’s fotopic page. UPDATE: Drex has sent in the pix on his fotopic page to be hosted here instead, as his fotopic page has ran out of bandwidth. According to Drex, the test engineers informed him that the IAFM engine would get an improved ECU. Look after the jump for the rest of the pix.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX $18,990*

 

Drive Away No More to Pay

2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX

2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX

Total photo(s): 6

vehicle details

Vehicle
2009 PROTON PERSONA CM GX

Price
$18,990* Drive Away No More to Pay

Kilometres
0

Colour
metal grey

Transmission
4 speed Automatic

Body
4 door 5 seat SEDAN

DriveType
Front

Reg Plate
TBA

Engine
4 cylinder Unleaded Multi-point injected 1.6L (1597cc)

VIN
tba

Stock #
N89013

Comments

CAN YOU AFFORD $79 A WEEK never to be repeated price on the persona, over $2000 savings. this car has full option with alloys keyless entry and boot with rear sensors, come with 3 year wrrty and racv road side assis. dose 6.6 kms per 100 kms and its the same size as corolla or a focus and a mazda 3

vehicle features *(please confirm with seller)

12V Sockets - Auxiliary
Engine Immobiliser

15In Alloy Wheels
Floor Mats

4 Speaker Stereo
Fog Lamps - Front

Abs (Antilock Brakes)
Fog Lamps - Rear

Adjustable Steering Col. - Tilt Only
Headlamps - Clear Lenses

Air Conditioning
Intermittent Wipers

Airbags - Driver & Passenger (Dual)
Metallic Finish Centre Stack/ Hvac

Alarm
Metallic Finish Door Handles - Interior

Audio - Mp3 Decoder
Metallic Finish Gear Shift Gate

Body Colour - Bumpers
Metallic Finish Inserts

Body Colour - Door Handles
Metallic Finish Instrument Surrounds

Body Colour - Exterior Mirrors Partial
Multi-Function Steering Wheel

Body Side Mouldings - Colour Coded
Power Door Mirrors

Cd Player
Power Steering

Central Locking - Remote/Keyless
Power Windows - Front & Rear

Chrome Exhaust Tip
Remote Boot/Hatch Release

Chrome Rear Garnish
Remote Fuel Lid Release

Clear Side Indicator Lenses
Seat - Height Adjustable Driver

Control - Park Distance Rear
Seatbelt - Pretensioners 1St Row (Front)

Cup Holders - 1St Row
Seats - 2Nd Row Split Fold

Cup Holders - 2Nd Row
Sunvisor - Vanity Mirror For Passenger

Disc Brakes Front Ventilated
Tacho

Disc Brakes Rear Solid
Trip Computer

Ebd (Electronic Brake Force Distribution)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Mysterious clay model in Proton R&D video

proton-unidentified-clay-model-resized

The clay model you see above was captured from a Proton R&D video clip posted onto Youtube by a user. You’ll be able to see the clay model around the 41 second mark. I’ve no idea what it’s supposed to be, but anything that just might be a preview of a future Proton model is always intriguing. It could also only be some kind of old design study that’ll never see the light of day ;) But back to reality – it actually kinda looks like a GEN2/Persona, with unfinished headlamps, so it could be a half way done clay model on the way to becoming a GEN2/Persona. You can watch the video after the jump

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Persona Problem

Done regular service at 44k mileage.
Engine sounds tep tep tep. It was canistor problem. Order and wait 2 weeks
until service centre call me back.
Another sound like 'kelukkkk' when make U-turn or hard cornering.
Mechanic said, it was steering valve problem. Order and wait for 2 weeks also.
Lucky it was in warranty period...will update soon when finish changing both item.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Proton Exora To Hit Thai Market Next Week

BANGKOK, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- With over 7,000 of its cars already on the road, Proton is set to launch its maiden multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Exora in the Thai market at the Thailand International Motor Expo next week.
Based on initial feedback from the media and industry experts, Phranakorn Auto Sales general manager (operations) Apichart Wangsatorntanakhun said they were expecting a good response from Thai buyers.
"We took more than a dozen journalists to test the Exora in Malaysia. Exora received excellent reviews from the media, as well as those who came for discussion with us and saw the car at our showroom," he said in an interview here.
The Nation daily, in its review Friday said that Exora, with good handling and ride balance for its class, combined with versatile interior, was a good value as a family-mover against the smaller Toyota Avanza and the pricey Honda Freed.
Proton made its entry into the Japanese manufacturers-dominated Thai market at the end of 2007 to take advantage of the low five per cent import duty imposed under the Asean Free Trade Area agreement. Phranakorn was appointed as its official distributor.
According to Apichart, Exora's competitive pricing matched with quality, interior design and various accessories like leather seats and DVD player would enable it to compete with other MPVs in the market.
"It's value for money...it's similar to what Japanese manufacturers have been doing and is their secret for success. But now, their cars are a bit over priced," he said, adding that Honda Freed launched here two weeks ago was priced at between 894,000 Baht and 1,074,500 Baht (RM1 = 10 Baht).
Apichart said the 1.6-litre engine with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic Exora in five colours would hit the market in the price range between 699,000 Baht to 799,000 Baht.
Launched on April 15 in Malaysia, the Exora model has received 26,000 bookings todate, and 17,000 units were already registered in the domestic market there, as well as making its debut in Indonesia and Singapore.
Apichart said since its entry into the highly-competive market, Proton had sold more than 7,000 cars, with the top model being Savvy.
Asked on Phranakorn's sales target for Exora, Apichart said they had set a high target but declined to reveal.
"Overall, we hope to get about 900 bookings for all our models during the motor show.
"In fact, we are giving free insurance and free leather seats for Savvy buyers," he said.
Last year, Proton, which has 35 dealers nationwide, received 863 bookings during the popular expo attended by more than 1.5 million people. There were 14,000 orders.
Other Proton models available here are Neo, Gen 2, Persona and Persona CNG.
He said the overall sales was good, considering the weak Thai automotive market where sales dropped by 20 per cent for passenger cars and 28 per cent for pick-ups.
-- BERNAMA

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Proton’s profit up from higher sales and bigger mart share

SHAH ALAM: Proton Holdings Bhd reported a higher profit and revenue during its second quarter as the company sold more cars and enjoyed cost savings from the consolidation of its sales and vendor network.

The national car maker, which saw its market share rise to 29% from 26% a year ago, is seeking to ratchet up export sales as it engineers a new cost efficiency programme that aims to bring in an additional half billion ringgit.

“The consolidation effort has given us significant improvement,’’ said managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir when announcing the group’s results yesterday.

For its second quarter ended Sept 30, Proton posted a net profit of RM82.1mil, or 14.9 sen a share, compared with RM43.8mil, or 8 sen a share, in the previous corresponding period.

Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir announcing the group’s second quarter results on Monday. Beside him is CFO Azhar Othman and behind them the Proton logo

Revenue rose 14% to RM2.1bil from RM1.85bil as the company’s sales bucked the industry-wide trend by showing a strong increase.

“Proton has beaten the consensus by a mile,’’ said AmResearch Sdn Bhd analyst Hafriz Hezri.

Hafriz attributed the strong performance to a favourable model mix where larger numbers of the higher margin Exora were sold and also cost gains from the consolidation of the vendor and dealer network.

“Improvement on our operating profit was largely due to the increase in domestic sales volume and profit margins which continued to strengthen through a better product mix,” said chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Salleh in a statement.

“Our domestic sales volume grew by 11% compared with the immediate preceding quarter and this was primarily driven by the increase in sales of our top three models – the Persona, Saga and Exora.’’

The best selling models account for 86% of total sales and demand for the Saga has exceeded initial expectations with the company having to ramp up production to meet the 7,500 bookings a month.

Proton will be exporting the Saga to Australia and Egypt

Apart from better domestic sales, ongoing efforts to cut cost – the latest through the rationalisation of its dealer and vendor network – has borne fruit.

Syed Zainal in the briefing said the cost per unit was down, along with administration and manufacturing charges.

To help cut cost further, Syed Zainal said consultants had been hired to look at the entire process and systems of the company.

Proton is going to spend RM150mil on new systems and information technology infrastructure but aims to reap conservatively RM530mil in EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) savings by its 2012/13 financial year.

Proton is also expecting a revenue and profit bump from its partner in China Youngman as the latter starts with its CKD programme.

“As we move forward, volume from China will be more significant,’’ Syed Zainal said.

Apart from expecting gains from the China market, Proton is also seeking export growth from other markets in the Middle East and in the future, India.

“As for export, next month we will be launching the Exora in Thailand, as well as the Saga in Australia and Egypt. Notwithstanding the challenges, the group believes that sales volume prospects will be resilient,’’ said Syed Zainal.

In the pipeline is a global car, where styling and design, along with key components, are done outside of Proton.

Proton is already exploring green technology and aims to launch a fleet programme with the Government where between 50 and 100 of its electric cars would be used by the civil service.

Proton is also looking to develop a new powertrain.

“We will continue to focus on enhancing our returns by investing in the development of new value-for-money products, expansion into key selected markets and the execution of operational efficiency initiatives such as the rationalisation of dealers and suppliers, improvements in quality and capacity optimisation,’’ Syed Zainal said.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Malaysian carmaker Proton posts quarterly profit

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

Malaysian national carmaker Proton reported an 87 percent jump in its quarterly profit and said it was not threatened by the launch of a seven-seater multipurpose vehicle by its domestic rival Perodua.

Proton said in a statement Monday it posted a net profit of 82 million ringgit ($24.3 million) for the quarter through September. Revenue rose 13.5 percent to 2.1 billion ringgit ($621 million) as Proton expanded its market share to 29 percent from 26 percent a year earlier.

Proton's Managing Director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said sales had risen 11 percent from the previous quarter, thanks to strong demand for its Exora multipurpose vehicle which was launched in March as well as the Saga and Persona sedans.

The Exora marks a turning point in Proton's product range, which previously focused only on passenger cars. The Exora accounts for at least a third of sales, but faces a stiff challenge after compact car maker Perodua launched a multipurpose vehicle touted to be the cheapest in the market.

"We expect some impact to the overall sales ... but our network has been prepared. We have a plan. We are not going to be threatened," Syed Zainal told reporters. "We believe the Exora has a better value proposition but we let the customer judge."

Perodua, partly owned by Japanese mini-car maker Daihatsu Motor Corp., overtook Proton in 2006 to become the top selling car maker in Malaysia and has maintained its pole position since.

Earlier Monday, Perodua launched the Alza, its first multipurpose vehicle and first 1.5 liter engine car. All its other vehicles have engines of between 0.6 and 1.3 liter.

Priced between $56,000 ringgit ($16,570) and $70,000 ringgit ($20,700), officials said they expect to sell 4,000 units of the Alza a month -- far more than Proton's monthly target of 2,500 units for the Exora.

Perodua has a 31 percent market share so far this year in Malaysia -- the largest passenger car market in Southeast Asia -- and expects to increase its share to 33 percent next year, officials said.

The Exora, which has a 1.6 liter engine capacity, is priced at below $76,000 ringgit ($22,480). Proton recently introduced a basic Exora model minus the frills to lower the price to $58,000 ($17,160) -- closing the gap with Perodua's Alza.

Syed Zainal said Proton would introduce new facelift next year to its cars to sustain sales.

The company remains cautious about the outlook for vehicle demand amid the weak global economy but it will invest in new product development including hybrid and electric vehicles, and accelerate exports to grow its earnings, he said.

He said alliance talks with Volkswagen AG were ongoing and hopes they would be finalized soon but declined give further details.

For the first half of its fiscal year ending March 2010, Proton's net profit rose 42.5 percent from a year earlier to 136.61 million ringgit ($40 million) while revenue was up 11 percent to 3.96 billion ringgit ($1.17 billion).

Monday, November 23, 2009

2010 Proton Persona facelift sighted on test!

Proton Persona Facelift
Click for high resolution image

Drex Chan sent in these great photos of what appears to be the Proton Persona facelift that’s due next year. The Persona was first launched in 2007, so mid next year would be about the right time for a facelift if you follow a 5 year model lifecycle, though most of us probably feel like a replacement is due since the Persona is actually a GEN2 sedan, and the GEN2 has been around a long time.

Proton Persona Facelift
Click for high resolution image

The front bumper is derived from the GEN2 CPS. The rear end shows tail lamps that have been taped up to hide an updated design. It looks like Proton has incorporated the use of LED lighting in the updated Persona’s tail lamps.

Proton Persona Facelift

Two more details – firstly the wing mirrors also appear to be taped up. The tape hides the use of turn signal indicators integrated in the wing mirrors. Secondly, in the engine bay we can see that the engine uses coil on plug ignition, which means it is a Campro IAFM engine. This means that Proton is continuing with the separation of the Campro into two different versions – the IAFM engine as an economy-skewed engine while the CPS engine is more for power. They should really just have one powerful and fuel efficient engine for the 1.6 liter size – I’m sure it will be better for economies of scale.

There are a few more photos that you can view at drexchan’s fotopic page. UPDATE: Drex has sent in the pix on his fotopic page to be hosted here instead, as his fotopic page has ran out of bandwidth. According to Drex, the test engineers informed him that the IAFM engine would get an improved ECU. Look after the jump for the rest of the pix.

DSC02859b
DSC02865b
DSC02863b

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Knowing Your Tyre Spring

Devices for measuring tyre spring rate are classified depending on the following criteria:
* Time-variation of tyre applied forces:
o static measurement;
o dynamic measurement;
o both type measurement.
* Direction of applied force:
o vertical (radial);
o longitudinal;
o lateral.
* Part of device that is moving:
o tyre hub;
o contact surface.
The test rig for measuring static vertical spring rate of passenger tyre and the vertical force transducer are shown, respectively, in figure 1 and figure 2 [1]. The test rig consists of several subassemblies: wheel attachment, loading system, measuring systems for vertical displacement and force.
Click to open on a new window
Figure 1 - Set-up for measuring vertical tyre spring rate [1]
Click to open on a new window
Figure 2 - Vertical force transducer [2]
Some device specifications are:
* wheel diameter = 12' to 15';
* fixed spindle, non-rotating wheel;
* vertical movement is effected by contact patch of the force transducer;
* vertical force up to 5000N.
Operation mode: a small vertical displacement of contact patch is induced, in such a way to primarily increase, and secondarily decrease tyre deflection. For every vertical position of contact patch, tyre deflection and vertical force are measured, using, respectively, a inductive transducer and strain gauge transducer shown in figure 2. The results are plotted vertical force vs. tyre deflection (figure 2 at chapter "Truck tyre spring rate").
A machine to measure vertical stiffness and damping coefficient of agricultural tractor tyre was built at Louisiana State University [2].
Measurement type, performed on a rigid surface for non-rolling tyre are:
* static stiffness and contact area;
* dynamic stiffness and damping coefficient.
The tyre loading machine subassemblies are: frame, axle, wheel attachment, loading system, oscillatory mechanism, displacement transducer, tyre load scale, and data logging system, figure 3.
Click to open on a new window
Figure 3 - The loading machine [2]
Some machine specifications are:
* tyre axle shaft can move in the vertical direction and can rotate, allowing for measurement at various tyre angular positions;
* wheel attachment system allows for various tyre sizes;
* for static measurements, a hydraulic cylinder pinned to the top of the frame provides up to 31 kN of compression force;
* a scale with three load cells, supporting the steel contact pad, is located directly under the tyre;
* a linear displacement transducer gives the position of the axle relative to the frame;
* during dynamic experiments, a sinusoidal motion is imposed to the axle by an eccentric shaft actuated by a hydraulic motor through a chain drive; the motor rotational speed can be adjusted to impose a certain oscillation frequency to the axle.
The data from the three load cells and from the linear displacement transducer are collected by a 48-channel data logger and transferred to a portable computer.
Some aspects of static experiments
* the vertical load is increased until it just exceeds the maximum value recommended for the set inflation pressure;
* the vertical load is slowly reduced to zero.
The increasing-decreasing load cycle is repeated two to four times to reduce measurement errors and to detect any hysteresis. Also, sets of measurements are made for different inflation pressures. A schematic static experiment is shown in figure 4.
Click to open on a new window
Figure 4 - Schematic of static experiment for tyre spring rate [2]
Deflections versus load curves are plotted for various tyre angular positions to study the effect of lug position on stiffness. Measurements effected on 14.9R30 agricultural tyre shown the lug position did not appear to affect static tyre stiffness significantly.
Some aspects of dynamic experiments
* the tyre is lowered onto the contact pad;
* the oscillatory mechanism is attached to the axle and it is adjusted until the desired preload is obtained;
* for 15 seconds tyre load, axle position and hydraulic motor angular speed are recorded;
* measurements are performed for different hydraulic motor speed, inflation pressure and preload.

Friday, November 20, 2009

proton previews the Proton Saga EV Concept



Proton Saga EV

Proton previewed an all-electric version of the Proton Saga sedan in University Putra Malaysia, Serdang during the “Proton Exora – The Making” seminar organized by SAE International earlier this week. The “Proton” name would definitely make sense on this particular car!

You might expect this plug-in electric vehicle to have been co-developed with Detroit Electric which have a deal to produce electric cars based on the Proton GEN2 and the Proton Persona for certain overseas markets under the Detroit Electric brand. But on the contrary, what you see above is an in-house project done with the help of unnamed suppliers and partners.

Proton Saga EV

This means that unlike the Detroit Electric e46 (based on the Proton Gen 2) and the Detroit Electric e63 (based on the Proton Persona), the electric Saga (officially called the Proton Saga EV Green Propulsion Concept for now) is probably being considered for the local market, although the auto maker is very tight-lipped about possible launch dates. It could take years.

The emissions-free Proton Saga EV on display features a 125kW (168hp) brushless DC electric motor, mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. It has a 20kWh Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack (12 separate batteries stored in the trunk). Because of the batteries, truckspace is pretty much non-existent but this is quite normal with concept electric cars based on a chassis that was originally designed to take a regular combustion engine and fuel tank. A production car would ideally have neater integration of the batteries.

Proton Saga EV

According to Proton, the Saga EV can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds, up to a top speed of 161 km/h, with a driving range of 109 kilometers over a full charge. Both the Detroit Electric e46 and e63 will feature a 150kW Axial Magnetic Flux motor instead.

There is more! The “green-mobil” also features re-generative braking and an electric power steering, apart from a built-in Batter Management System (BCMU), a plug-in charger (with a household power outlet), air conditioning as well as an In-Vehicle display screen that displays various information pertaining to the electric vehicle functions. Sources also revealed that Proton has plans to built an electric Exora MPV, and, is currently working on some hybrid vehicles as well, for research and development.

Proton Saga EV

Since Proton took the trouble to produce a fully functioning Saga EV Concept, I am sure it is a matter of time till we actually see Proton-built electric cars on the road, but it doesn’t end at just producing such emissions-free vehicles. There has to an infrastructure ready to accommodate charging in the outdoors, which is something that will involve the government, apart from the private sector.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

PROTON PERSONA

PROTON PERSONA 1.6 litre, 1600cc ( rm 90 for road tax) (Manual) RM41k on the road, silver, B-line, new car, low down payment

Monday, November 16, 2009

Detroit Electric to sign RM 1.2 billion agreement with Proton for electric car development

Detroit Electric

It appears that Detroit Electric has finally settled on Proton for its partner in producing its electric cars. According to a release by Detroit Electric, the company is set to sign a RM 1.2 billion (US$331 million) agreement with Proton to produce pure electric cars based on protons, beginning with the Proton Persona.

When we attended Detroit Electric’s press preview back in September 2008, we got to sample some electric cars converted by the company, such as an electric Lotus Elise. There were also various prototype electric cars there such as a Persona and a Savvy.

According to Detroit Electric head Albert Lam, a 100% electric powered Persona could be available in the regions of RM 80,000. Detroit Electric will use a production line at Proton’s Shah Alam manufacturing plant to produce the electric Protons.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Proton Persona and Proton Saga on test in India

India’s DNA Money reports that the Proton Saga and the Proton Persona have been spotted on test on the Greater Noida Expressway in India. These may be Proton’s initial model range in the Indian market which is good as niche cars like the 3-door Satria Neo do not make sense at the moment. Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues. When contacted by DNA Money, officials from Proton and rumoured partner Argentum declined to comment.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Proton Persona 1.6 SE (IAFM)

 

Getimage

Proton Persona 1.6A SE

Interest Rate at only 3.65% p.a.
100% finacing package**
15 years financing**
Both conventional & Islamic Loan available(Al Ijarah)
Fast approval
Trade in accepted
Free gifts**

Priced at only RM59,800.
Available in two colours - Blue Haze and Brilliant Red.
Powered by the Campro IAFM engine.
Leather-wrapped seats, steering wheel, gear knob and trim
Meter panel from the Gen2 CPS
Different alloy wheel design (15 inch)
Cruise Control
Smoked headlamps
Silver matte door handles and front grille
A bodykit consisting of front, side and rear skirts and a subtle spoiler
GPS navigation device

 

Price: RM 59800.00

Friday, November 13, 2009

Proton Persona – name of new Proton Sedan?

When a new national car is about to be launched, many will start to speculate on the name, and this is also the case with the new Proton sedan.

Word passing through the grapevines is that the new Proton sedan will be called the Proton Persona, and there was even a little photo being circulated of the sedan with the word Persona on it’s number plate.

Today we get a little confirmation – though not 100% sure as it is not from Proton’s mouth. The Edge carries an article on the new Proton Sedan and it calls the new car the Proton Persona. This name is not new, as it has been used by Proton in the past as the export market Proton Wira’s name in the UK.

The article also mentions Proton targets to sell about 4,000 units of the Proton persona a month, though industry analysts from RHB Research Institute thinks a figure of 2,000 to 2,500 Proton Personas a month is more achievable and sustainable.

 

UPDATE: Proton Persona SE now on sale for RM59,800!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Proton S16 ‘cheapest car’ to be launched in December

Proton_S16

The four-door sedan is powered by a 1.6-litre twin cam petrol engine, producing 82kW and averaging 6.3 litres/100km.

Proton Cars Australia general manager of sales and operations Billy Falconer says the S16 is a unique prospect and offers great value for Australian motorists.

“S16 will be the only new four-door sedan available in Australia for less than $16,000 and will outpoint low-cost hatches and three-door models by offering a 1.6-litre engine and great equipment levels,” said Mr Falconer.

But the sub-$12,000 price tag is for a limited time only, with the manual GX model due for an upgrade in July 2010.

Despite this, Mr Falconer says interest in the new baby sedan has been strong.

“Our dealer network has embraced the new S16 already and there is a two month waiting list on dealer stock.”

The GX manual will be joined by an automatic in February, both cars coming standard with power steering, drivers SRS airbag, remote central locking with immobiliser and alarm and a CD player.

The refreshed line-up in July will welcome the higher-spec GXR model, which scores dual SRS airbags and ABS as well as alloy wheels, reverse sensors and fog lamps.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

proton persona reviews

Review
i had bought the Pesona car in July 09. So my experienced for now is that this car is easy to maintain. The feature is very simple and straight forward so i didnt take long to adjust to the system. So far, i had drove up to 120km/h. It steering does wobbling when i reach that level but the car are very stable.For a family of five including myself, this is generally the suitable car i can see in the market. With big spacious booth and room for my leg, i enjoy driving as i can feel the comfort especially long journey. Simple yet afforable typical family car.

What I like
Simple car so nothing to mentioned. I like what it have now.

What I do not like
The aircon outlet does not have open and close door. So when you feel cold, you have to shift the outlet to other direction and still feeling cold.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Next Proton Persona Will Be Designed By Italdesign ?

The Business Times report revealed that a clay model of the car already exists at the design house’s headquarters in Turin, Italy.

The sedan is aimed at widening Proton's market, which at present is largely limited to Malaysia and its Asean neighbours.
It will be engineered to meet tougher European and North American standards although its marketing in these regions has not been finalised.
Strategies are being thought of and one option would be to market the car in some of the new markets, such as in Europe and North America, through collaborations with local established brands under which Proton could earn revenue from intellectual property rights.
Syed Zainal Abidin said the new car will incorporate plenty of new technologies and Proton is already talking to potential global suppliers on several inputs for the car.
"The objective is to produce a car very different from current Proton vehicles," he said.

Other strategies are also being explored for its other models. The Waja is headed for an enhancement programme through a collaboration with Japanese giant Mitsubishi and the same arrangement is being undertaken with another company to study options for the Perdana.
Eventually, Proton will produce a sport utility vehicle (SUV). Syed Zainal Abidin has said that the company intends to have a full range of products for its customers.
Exploratory talks with potential partners on an SUV programme have started, including with a Chinese car company.
It is also inevitable that Proton will have to look into the hybrid car segment.
Although it may be a while before it mass-produces an electric car, Proton, through UK unit Lotus Cars, has started talks with a South Korean battery company and an electric motor corporation.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Proton Persona “Our Pride and Joy” campaign wins 2008 PMAA Gold Dragon award

Proton LogoProton’s Our Pride and Joy campaign for the Proton Persona by McCann Erickson Malaysia has won the Gold Dragon award at the 2008 PMAA Awards. The Gold Dragon was for the Best Brand-building Campaign category. Another Proton campaign, the Proton Sneeze campaign won the Silver Dragon in the Best Cause of Charity Marketing Campaign.

Look after the jump for a few sample ads from the campaign.
Click any of the ads below to view the hi-res version.

Persona Pride and Joy
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Persona Pride and Joy
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Persona Pride and Joy
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Persona Pride and Joy
Click to enlarge

Persona Pride and Joy
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proton persona © 2008 Template by:
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