The all new Proton Preve is ready to engage the world
Overseas carmakers especially in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia and Iran would have to worry about a possible market disruption posed by Proton’s new baby – the Proton Preve.
According to the Associated Press (AP) Proton, the national carmaker of Malaysia has unveiled its sleek sedan dubbed as the Preve (pronounced pra-vay) in the hope of gaining market share both locally and abroad. It is also seen by many as a bold move by Proton to rectify its fading brand name and dwindling sales.
Proton was once a dominant carmaker in Malaysia and most of the cars on the road during that time were primarily Proton made. However, sales began to stall when the market was opened to foreign competition and customers are open up to many other overseas made cars. In fact, Proton is suffering from perceptions of low quality and featureless models.
The company is however confident to elevate its position by the launching of its all new 1.6-litre Proton Preve sedan on Monday and it will be its flagship car for the global market and would sell both at home and abroad. The Preve features advanced technology, good looks and competitive price.
This latest model is also Proton’s first car to adopt a turbocharged engine which it will be selling at RM59,990 (US$19,600) for the entry level and RM72,990 (US$23,830) for the premium model.
Proton hopes to sell about 4,000 units a month and it will be selling for both local and foreign markets, plans to export to countries like Indonesia, Thailand, China, Iran and Australia are already underway.
However, it will not be easy for Proton to compete both at home and in the global market because of the steep competition posed by global giants such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda and many more.
On the home front, Proton has to win over customers who have many choices to choose from. It needs to build up confidence in them and slowly improved its own image.
Back in January, DRB-Hicom Berhad bought 43 per cent stake in Proton, leaving the company with a mere 30 per cent share from over two-third five years ago.
I have faith in Proton, the all-new Preve proved to be a very different car from those models previously made by the company. The new sedan has good looks, fitted with the latest technology and is competitively priced – a combination of factors that will help sales.
The all new Proton Preve is ready to engage the world
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