KUALA LUMPUR: Proton and Honda have signed an agreement to explore collaboration opportunities in the areas of technology enhancement, new product line-up, and sharing of platforms and facilities.

DRB-Hicom, in a statement to Bursa Malaysia, said Proton Holdings Berhad, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company entered into a collaboration agreement Monday with Honda Motor Co, one of the leading global manufacturers and distributors of motor vehicles, to explore collaboration opportunities in these areas.

It said the agreement signified the potential of a long-term strategic collaboration with Honda.

"Having a strong and renowned global automotive player like Honda as the foreign strategic partner to Proton will provide Proton and the DRB-Hicom group with the opportunity to grow as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) as the opportunities are endless.

"This collaboration will provide positive impact to Proton and the DRB-Hicom group in the long run," it added.


SYDNEY: The latest Proton model has revved its way into the overseas market Down Under.

High hopes are on the Proton Preve to boost sales for its maker Proton Holdings Berhad, which made its debut in the Australian market in 1995.

Australia will be the first foreign market to receive the Preve, with the first consignment scheduled to arrive here early next year.

“The model is projected to help Proton achieve its aim of selling 4,000 cars per year in Australia in the near future,” said Proton Holdings executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil.

“I have been informed by our dealers that Proton has always been within the lower rungs of the automotive market in Australia on par with some of the Chinese brands but it is my wish to move forward, to place Proton to what it deserves to be,” he said.

“The quality of Proton cars, especially the Preve, is heads and shoulders over the Chinese cars.

“So, what we are going to do now is to reposition Proton so that people will buy Proton because it is Proton not because it is cheap,” Khamil told Malaysian journalists at the Australian International Motor Show here on Friday.

The show runs from Oct 19-28.

Earlier, Khamil unveiled the Preve and the Proton Exora before international pressmen and industry players, with some celebrity glitz lent by current Miss Universe Australia Renae Ayris.

The seven-seater Exora will make its entrance into the Australian market mid-next year.

The two models will join other Proton cars already being sold here, including the Satria GTi, Waja, Gen-2, Savvy and the Satria Neo.

“The S16, which is the name for the new Proton Saga here, is the car manufacturer's best selling model in Australia,” said Proton Cars Australia Pte Ltd chief operating officer Kaye Amies.

“We chose Australia as the first international market for the Preve because we think Australia has a demand for mid-size sedan cars which are considered very popular.

“With the headway made and advanced technology that we have done with the Preve, we believe that it can give other car makers a run for their money,” Khamil said.
KUALA LUMPUR: Proton is expected to roll out its electric cars by 2014.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed told Parliament that Proton, like many other car makers, is focused on moving towards producing environment-friendly cars.

Proton is working with UK-based Frazer-Nash Research (FNR) firm to develop the models.

In October last year, Proton had said the first EV rollout would be in 2013 but the DRB-Hicom takeover and re-organisation of the company has since pushed it back to 2014.

Mustapa said in a reply to Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) that Proton had allocated RM500mil for research and development (R&D) in green technology and is expected to gain profits after commercialising it in 2014.

Mustapa said that Proton's investment in green technology R&D compared to other multinational car manufacturers was much smaller.

For instance, General Motors spends about US$1.2bil to develop its green car Chevrolet Volt while Nissan-Renault had allocated US$5.6bil for the same purpose, he said.
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