MALACCA: Proton has been busy over the weekend, unveiling its sportiest Suprima S yet - the Suprima S Super Premium.

Proton said the car was its most fully-equipped model in terms of performance, styling, safety, driving dynamics and sophistication. It is aimed at prospective customers who give priority to car specifications, it added.

As such, it comes with 17-inch lightweight rims, an R3 body kit with a revised rear bumper finishing, and front and side skirt, as well as the R3 Emblem on its side skirt.

Powered by Proton's 1.6-litre turbo engine and mated with its 7-speed ProTronic CVT, the new Suprima S variant delivers power and torque equivalent to a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine.

The 1.6L power plant produces 140 PS at 5000rpm, and with a maximum torque of 205Nm from 2,000 to 4,000rpm. Its driving dynamics has also been said to be improved with "Lotus Ride and Handling".

Proton said the car comes with high levels of safety as before, allowing it to earn a 5-Star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. Such rating is the result of the car having a stiff chassis, six airbags, Hill-Hold Assist, ESC with brake assist, Traction control and ABS brakes with EBD.

The Suprima S Premium also includes full leather seats, reverse camera, Push Start Button, paddle shifts, and auto cruise.

The RM87,929.45 Suprima S Super Premium - in two colour choices of  Fire Red or Solid White - is open for booking now. It is backed by a five-year or 150,000km manufacturing warranty (whichever comes first).

The launch of the latest variant was the highlight of the Proton Sales Carnival held from Jan 17-19.

The carnival gave the public a chance to test drive various Proton models and the opportunity to buy them at attractive discounts.

The next round of the carnival will be held in Juru Auto-City Penang from Jan 25-26.

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KOTA KINABALU: With more affordable vehicles to be launched in the first half of this year, Proton is confident of achieving higher sales in 2014, compared with 141,000 vehicles sold last year, said deputy group chief executive officer Datuk Lukman Ibrahim.

He said the national carmaker was working on a plan to maximise the features of the present models without compromising on the quality, and to be sold at affordable prices.

"We are trying to make the car more advance in terms of safety and sophistication.

Lukman
"It is not necessary to come out with new models, but expanding on what we have currently and giving more variants is more important to us," he told reporters on the sidelines of the three-day DRB-Hicom "Ke Bawah Bayu" programme, here.

Lukman said the company had previously come out with the new Saga SV and Persona SV and it would continue with the exercise and "it's just a matter of delivering them at the right time to the market".

He also said that Proton aimed to give the best after-sales services to its customers.

Recently, Proton had eliminated the 5,000-kilometre (km) service as it said a new car can actually last until 10,000km.

"Having customers with the right maintenance mentality is more important, and we want to continue educating them and not overcharge them for something that is unnecessary," he added.

He also said that Proton would come up with a campaign, covering states like Melaka, Pahang, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, to promote its affordable cars, besides giving good financing packages on parts and so on.

The promotion will also include Lotus.

Meanwhile, commenting on the speculation that it had received a RM200 million grant from the government for its research and development (R&D) programme, Lukman denied it.

"Proton is the only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that has a R&D centre in the country and we have been receiving some grant from the government for many years but it never reached that amount," he said.

He said the company spent more than that amount using its internal funds for the research facility, products and even to train the staff. - Bernama
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