SUBANG JAYA: The Proton Prevé (pic) has been awarded 5 stars in the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (Ancap).

The result came after the the completion of three crash tests – frontal offset, side impact and pole - conducted by independent specialist laboratories in Australia.

To qualify for ANCAP star ratings, new vehicles are assessed and awarded points collected from a combination of test categories and scientific criteria.

To earn 5 stars, rating – the highest award given by Ancap, the Prevé had to achieve the highest international recognised standards in all of its test categories.

The Prevé sold in Australia is equipped with specifications that meet Australian automotive safety standards.

Proton executive chairman Datuk Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil said the company's drive to improve its image is now further reinforced by this latest achievement.

“As we have reiterated time and time again, our models are not just affordable but more importantly we want our customers to know that they are quality products. An achievement of this level is yet another testament of the improving quality of Proton cars.

A technological first for Proton in engineering, all Prevé units produced for the Malaysian and export markets use Hot Press Forming technology that provides better protection and higher body as well as structural rigidity without compromising the overall bodyweight.

The Ancap rating came in the wake of the Saga FLX receiving 3 stars under the Asean New Car Assessment Programme.

Besides Australia, the Prevé is also sold in Thailand and Brunei.

KUALA LUMPUR: Improving the national car quality and rectifying past misconceptions will be the main drivers of the proposed turnaround plan drawn up for Proton Holdings Bhd, says former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the plan, slated to be unveiled by next month, envisages short-term and medium-term solutions to bolster the national car maker's image, while creating new sales avenues and income streams for Proton.

The turnaround plan would also see Proton paying more attention to its export market as the car manufacturer was now well aware that the domestic automotive market was getting "over-crowded" year-by-year, said Dr Mahathir, who is also Proton's advisor, to Bernama in an interview.

Admitting that better quality comes with a higher price, Dr Mahathir said Proton was at a crucial juncture as it has to produce globally-competitive cars to compete with foreign car companies which formed a significant portion of Malaysia's total automotive industry volume.

"We cannot be always producing cheap cars. If that is the case, we will lose the confidence of Malaysians as it is a general view that cheap cars does not come with quality," he said.

Expressing confidence in Proton's new owner, DRB-Hicom Bhd, Dr Mahathir said the conglomerate was committed to boost the image of the national car company from merely a local company to a global and well-respected car maker.

Dr Mahathir said the mentality of Malaysians that local cars are inferior in quality when compared with foreign-made cars must be changed.

"Malaysians must understand that Malaysia is not the sole market for foreign car makers, which is in contrast with Proton. Proton relies more on the domestic market.

"Foreign car manufacturers' overhead costs are very low. The money they are making here (in Malaysia) are mostly regarded as profit.

"That is why these companies can afford to offer discounts of up to RM10,000 during festive seasons, prompting locals to opt for foreign cars instead of the national car," he said.

Concerned over the "over-crowding" domestic market, Dr Mahathir said Proton had concrete plans to execute its export strategies in efforts to rake in higher earnings to the national car maker through an enhanced income stream.

The total industry volume (TIV) registered sales of 627,753 new vehicles last year while the number is expected to swell to 640,000 this year.

Proton and Perodua made up slightly more than 50 per cent of the TIV while foreign models made the other half. Proton, a brainchild of Dr Mahathir, was established in May 1983.

Early last year, DRB-Hicom bought a 42.7 per cent stake in Proton for RM1.29 billion from the government's investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and subsequently took the national carmaker private.

Prior to the takeover, Proton has already executed its turnaround plan. However, with new shareholders and a new top management team, the plan was revisited.
PETALING JAYA: Cost-competitive parts and better quality components might just be in the offing with the Malaysian Automotive Institute (MAI) taking the charge to rationalise the local automotive supply chain.

Both national carmakers Proton Holdings Bhd and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) will be joining hands with MAI to explore possibilities in streamlining their vendor system to reap synergies and the economies of scale for the vendors.

It was understood that meetings between MAI and the head honchos of both Proton and Perodua were held three days ago to discuss the matter.

A file picture shows a production line at Proton’s plant in Behrang Hulu 
near Tanjung Malim.

When contacted, MAI chief executive officer Madani Sahari confirmed that he had met up with Proton executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil and Perodua managing director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh. However, he did not reveal the details of the meeting.

“The rationalisation of the supply chain makes sense, as the vendors would be able to reap the benefits of economies of scale naturally,” he said.
<B>Madani:</B> ‘The rationalisation of the supply chain makes sense.’ Madani: ‘The rationalisation of the supply chain makes sense.’

He said a bigger base of vendors would surely make the initiative more sound and robust in its implementation, adding that there were currently about 100 vendors supplying parts and components to both Proton and Perodua.

“If generic components can be manufactured under one system instead of two, cost savings arising from the strategic collaboration could allow vendors to become even more competitive.

“These vendors could also venture into the global supply chain by collaborating with other international original equipment manufacturers via exports,” he said.

He said this would not only benfit the vendors but the effects would also trickle down to consumers who stood to enjoy competitively priced cars with better quality components.

However, this potential merger of sorts by both Proton and Perodua needs to be studied carefully following the enactment of competition laws that might deem this collaboration as anti-competitive.

Besides, it has long been rumoured that the two national carmakers might collaborate but speculation in changes in the ownership of Proton has ceased.

Talks have since been revived and while a full-blown merger might be too far fetched, the rationalising of the supply chain would still leave space for both car manufacturers to compete with each other in the open market among the other players.
Bandar Seri Begawan, Malaysian automotive manufacturer PROTON today unveiled and launched its new family sedan, the Prevé in Brunei Darussalam.

The Prevé was unveiled in a launch ceremony held at the Radisson Hotel Mutiara Ballroom in Brunei Darussalam by His Excellency Dato’ Abdullah Sani bin Omar, the Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei. Also present were PROTON Holdings Berhad Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Lukman bin Ibrahim and United Motors Sdn. Bhd. Managing Director Mr. Simon Gelan. United Motors Sdn. Bhd. is the sole distributor of Proton cars in Brunei.

With the unveiling, the stylish midsized sedan is now officially open for booking in the Sultanate, adding to the current line-up of Proton models available to PROTON’s customers in Brunei.

“We are very excited with the arrival of Prevé in Brunei. We have been waiting to introduce this model to our customers ever since it was launched in Malaysia in April 2012. From today, Bruneians will be able to purchase a new Proton model that has raised and set the bar for new generation of PROTON cars in key aspects of safety, performance, comfort, build quality, technology, overall design and convenience,” said Dato’ Lukman at the launch ceremony.

In recent months, PROTON has been aggressive in introducing the Prevé to its overseas markets. In October it introduced the model to the Australian market during the Australia International Motorshow 2012 and very recently in November, the Prevé was launched in Thailand at the 2012 Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok. Brunei is the third international market for the Prevé, with fourteen Proton models having already entered the Sultanate preceding the Prevé.

“With the introduction of Prevé in Brunei, PROTON reiterates its commitment and determination to strengthen itself as a reputable, trusted and preferred car brand in this region. And as PROTON’s sole distributor here, we also believe that United Motors is equally determined to help PROTON emerge stronger as a global car company and a brand that is defined by its philosophy of producing the right car, at the right time and at the right price,” added Dato’ Lukman.


Proton Prevé
The Prevé is offered in three variants; the Executive variants are equipped with the CAMPRO IAFM+ 1.6-litre engines and are available with Manual Transmission as well as 6-speed Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) to provide smoother gear change and responsiveness. The Premium variant is powered by PROTON’s new generation 1.6-litre turbo engine, which delivers power and torque equivalent to that of larger 2.0-litre normally-aspirated engines - and is mated with a 7-speed ProTronic CVT transmission, also renowned for its fuel economical attributes.

PROTON’s latest family sedan is also its most technologically-advanced, as it utilises a method defined as Hot Press Forming (HPF) that provides better protection and higher body as well as structural rigidity without compromising the overall car bodyweight.

The Premium variant will also include features like steering mounted paddle shifters, as well as satellite navigation, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, reverse sensors, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, and an engine push start button. Safety features of the Prevé includes dual front airbags, side and curtain airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), and Brake Assist, Traction Control and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) in the Premium variant.

Additionally, the Premium variant is also equipped with a Smart Information Display system (SID) that displays vital information and status updates on the Prevé’s various functions such as average fuel consumption, distance to empty, battery health and faulty bulb indicator, gear shift lock indicator, home lamp indicator, vehicle intrusion warning and many more.

The Prevé showroom price is at BND$ 26,900 (MT) and BND$ 28,550 (CVT) for the Executive variants, and BND$ 32,650 for the Premium variant. Six colour choices are available for the Prevé: Blue Lagoon, Tranquility Black, Solid White, Fire Red, Elegant Brown and Genetic Silver. PROTON is also offering a five year or 150,000km (whichever comes first) warranty for the Prevé.

Note:
Photo caption (L to R): Pehin Dato Hj Mohd Ariffin bin Dato Haji Abd Wahab (Chairman of United Motors), HE Dato Abdullah Omar Sani (High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam), Dato Lukman Ibrahim (Deputy CEO of PROTON Holdings Berhad), Mr Simon Gelan (Managing Director of United Motors)
SUBANG JAYA: The Proton Saga FLX has been awarded three stars in the Asean NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme).

The first Asean NCAP frontal collision test results were announced today at the Asean NCAP Open Day held by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research at its PC3 Crash Lab at the Road Transport Department Academy in Malacca.

According to Proton executive chairman Datuk Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil, the result was "testament  of  the  improving  quality  of  Proton  cars."

The Saga FLX.
“To be able to offer such standards in even our entry-level models is proof of our commitment to providing  Malaysians  value-for-money  cars."

Under the first phase of the Asean NCAP, new cars were bought from the market and crashed at Miros' lab in Malacca.

The cars tested were the Proton Saga, Perodua Myvi, Toyota Vios, Inokom i10, Honda City, Ford Fiesta and Nissan March.

During the test, four dummies, including a child dummy and a baby dummy, are placed in a car travelling at 64kph as it crashes into a barrier.