Proton launches Satria Neo in Singapore

small_astria_neo.jpg

Proton Singapore Pte Ltd has launched the Proton Satria Neo 3-door hatchback in Singapore, with only the H-Line model being offered at SG$51,488 for the automatic transmission model and SG$48,988 for the manual transmission model.

As a comparison, the Mazda3 5-door hatchback 1.6 Auto sells for SG$60,800, the Chevrolet Optra 5-door hatchback automatic goes for SG$58,488, the Kia Cerato 1.6 Auto 5-door hatchback goes for SG$48,499, while the manual Cerato goes for SG$45,499. The Cerato is actually Kia’s replacement for the Sephia. The Kia Rio 5-door hatchback is even cheaper at SG$43,499 for the manual and SG$46,499 for the automatic. It looks like Proton is pricing the Satria Neo in between the Mazda3 hatch and the Kia Cerato hatch.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • demio121 (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:12 am

    Is there a Mazda3 3-door hatch?

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  • Coogee (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 10:10 am

    Mazda3 only comes in 4 door sedan or 5 door hatch. The sedan sells for SGD60k. At the price Satria is selling, i doubt there will be many takers. Extra 8k for a made in japan 4 door sedan with much better quality and finishing, the choice is clear. Proton do not exactly have a sparkling reputation in SIN, a vast majority of their buyers are from a certain demographic group.

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  • e-nabilll (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 10:21 am

    thr are quite few gen2 there…so thr should be buyer for the NEO…and Coogee…ur last sentence is not true at all…ive been to sin so many times..n thr r othr ppl as well who have p1 thr…n try not to mention abt any 'demographic group' here…doest sound so smart to put it mildly

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  • armandd (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 10:26 am

    neo is a better proton car, except for the headroom. i think it should sell quite a few there.

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  • exodust (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 1:29 pm

    @nabilll: just because there are a few (& i mean very few) gen2 in singapore does not mean that the neo will sell well. but if you just meant it'll sell as opposed to no sales at all then i agree. but the pricing is hardly that competitive, and it is actually the gen2 that is in the same category as the other vehicles (5-door hatches) mentioned in the article. i'v been there very often, stayed there for long durations on several occassions with local friends so i can say that my view isnt that of a tourist, but what Coogee said about the demographic is correct. I dont get what doesnt sound so smart about following facts, as opposed to ignorantly saying there is no demographic group when there clearly is

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  • Joe Ooi (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 4:05 pm

    Hardly will make any significant present in Singapore and contribute to P1 income!

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  • auctioncenter2u (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 4:25 pm

    Let's see any Singaporean will give their comments soon.

    Singaporean you are WELCOME to leave your comments overhere! We will not Kutuk you.

    Just pity to Singaporean that, they have to spend nearly RM100k for a Neo Proton due to forex exchange.

    Siapa Sokong?

    Lee Kuan Yuan Sokong……

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  • 4G63T DSM (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 4:29 pm

    There is a bit of problem when you are trying to sell the Neo in Sing.

    2 doors.

    Only most people with families can afford a car. Those that can will very often have kids or at least expect one (you wont really think of getting a car until you have kids anyway…). Ever try to fit a child seat in a 2 door car? I have, and its not fun. The seat is fine, the kid is not.

    There is a reason why there isn't more 3 door cars in Sing.

    Gen2 sells well because its a 5 door hatch. 4 door convenience with hatchback utility. It makes sense in a country where you can only probably afford one, and you need "one size fits all".

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  • Khairy bin Tengku Ma (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 4:33 pm

    It's not going to do well in the Lion City.

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  • mycar_stolen (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 5:28 pm

    it is not going to do well in the whole world…not only Spore…Proton failed in China, Failed in Middle East, Failed in Turkey, In Iraq and Iran status never clear..going to fail in Tomyam Land….joke car in the UK…so many failure la this Born Loser Car Make

    that is why Proton sucks, they need Msian to support all those failures…

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  • sunlamp (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 5:41 pm

    Hi guys,

    This is an overall view.

    I have to agreed the comments from the gentlemen above on p1 car in Sing. To descripe the number of p1 car in Lion City, its like seeing any models from p1 around ONCE a day (other than Malaysia registered car coming here). Same as p2.

    Personal point (single) of view Neo is over price and i will never buy this model unless it is around S$35-38K.

    (Then Savvy how??? Why produce Savvy in the 1st place?)

    1st, p1 is never a high class car over here. Towkay wont even drive this brand of car. People definately will laugh (no joke). If buget Towkay will at least buy a VIOS. So far i have not seem any Towkay drive p1 car nor any of my local frds expect Malaysia frds. You may see that those who buy p1 here are mostly Malay.

    P1 and P2 are classific as same level of cars made in "Kim Chee" country. Meaning, cheap car, whatever type of car/suv/mpv produced. Price is the factors. Because the buyers are barely afforable class. Those who wants "quality" and drive a car that at least can show people are buying min from Japanese brands (don't care which country produce as long as Jap brands) then follow by contin car….etc

    That is why high end K cars don't seem to be around in our roads. People rather use that $ and buy other jap brands. Camery, Mark X, Edix,Jazz/fit,wish ….

    E.g

    Toyota Wish is one of the best selling MPV. I predicate 2007 Honda Stream will beat it which is selling at around the same price S$60-65K. Who will be looking at H trijet, Kia Caren MPV?? also rarely found on the road here….

    Off track too much, P2 as a company is working to a right direction and im proud for Malaysia. only tat the local p2 distributor don't seem to work things out right. price (still too high, should under 30k confirm will be best seller in 2 mths!),services…etc Wishlist is that there will be another distributor coming in for p2 here. Get chop here….. Sigh….

    If driving p1 car or QQ car, people will tend to ask questions on the quality of cars….etc any breakdown, FC , blar blar blar…etc

    Drive Jap car no question ask, normal

    Drive contin car, no question ask but see higher on them. (Got $$$)

    (expensive and high maintance cost, higher road tax, fuel…etc, everything high)

    My 2 cent worth

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  • REDDEVIL (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 5:46 pm

    No matter how good Proton has improved their made, most of the people still perceive it's a low quality car and prone to problems. It's a big disgrace for all Malaysians. I don't know why the G so stubborn & arrogant, just let Proton collaborate with other car manufacturers, I believe they are more qualified to lead the company compared to our "kampung kings".

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  • whatsoever (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:03 pm

    most of the poeple still preceive it's low quality because that campro engien is a poor engine. proton want to improve then must admit whatever their mistake like this stupid engine.

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  • pirate (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:04 pm

    So many viable alternatives lah in S'pore…

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  • stanleyshyeoh (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:13 pm

    auctioncenter2u:

    Just pity to Singaporean that, they have to spend nearly RM100k for a Neo Proton due to forex exchange.

    Well think of it this way, exchange rate aside, Sporeans can get a Mazda 3 for $60K. And a whole lot more choices at this price range. That their consolation.

    The real pity is when a Sporean is stupid enough to choose Neo for $51K.

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  • mycar_stolen (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:19 pm

    stanleyshyeoh said,

    September 13, 2006 @ 10:13 am

    auctioncenter2u:

    Just pity to Singaporean that, they have to spend nearly RM100k for a Neo Proton due to forex exchange.

    why pity them? the are not earning RM in Spore so they need to buy car in SingDollar…their earnings is 4to 5 times higher than Msian..and tell you what?

    PROTON IS NOT EVEN IN THE BUYING LIST.

    why want to buy a car from your neighbour as you have choices of CBU from US/GERMANY/UK/JAPAN…and you definitely afford it.

    This PROTON story in spore will br featured in Proton Series of Failure chapter Spore likely to be launch together Proton Series of Failure chapter Thailand.

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  • rexis (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 7:28 pm

    I couldn't see why S'porean will buy proton, serious. So many better choices there.

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  • renyeo (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 7:32 pm

    Proton desperately needs a brand revival in Singapore and that isn't happening at all and so their pricing strategy for the Neo is flawed. They are pushing Proton upmarket into Japanese car territory. A new Corolla Altis 1.6 Auto sells for SGD$55K. A boyracer wouldn't put a Satria Neo in his sight because a WRX (and even a TS) is more macho than a Neo in the local racing circuit scene. I am not even sure if a Neo could sell for a KIA Rio price…

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  • jules (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 7:32 pm

    I think for Satria Neo to sell well in Singapore, for them to buy a Satria, Proton have to come out something special or different like… Neo GTI version with the full attention from Lotus or a R3 version where it can excite someone.

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  • Makinen85 (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 7:47 pm

    hmm..i'm a malaysian who based in singapore…..over here ppl dun really buy proton cars….for the Satria Neo poprlarity here, we must see the sales in the near future….

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  • ckengyo (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 8:14 pm

    only patriotic buyer interested.

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  • Kaboda (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:06 pm

    I honestly think there arent enough patriotic Malaysians in Singapore or Malay Malays (who feel they need to support the ex mother land) to give this car half a chance of survive at that price range. Being Malaysian we ourselfs are sceptical of our own car, in Korea they are darn proud of their car and choose Kia Hyundai Ssangyong etc etc. At the end of the day STOP supporting Proton get something else hopefully they will finally find their demise.

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  • motorhead (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:10 pm

    If singapore gov want to make some income, they can charge 125% ED tax on neo CBU from msia…

    ps: bagus tak idea saya??.. tengok, ada org mau beli tak?

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  • cyborgx (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:16 pm

    proton competing with mazda? NO PLEASE.. LOL!

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  • NoToLowQuality (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:34 pm

    Neo should sell at SGD 30 k in singapore, cause converted to RM is about RM 60k, still earn ma.. don understand y proton pandai pandai put SGD 50k…

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  • NoToLowQuality (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:36 pm

    or may be proton is selling at SGD 30 k, but due to tax and excise duty from sing gov, it cost SGD 50 k to buy neo… hmm… it could be this case to make sure every car makes have fair competition.

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  • outspoken (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:50 pm

    maybe the chinese car from mother land china will make the cut there.. they made it here in malaysia..

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  • blunt (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:54 pm

    wish all the best to P1, When something relate to P1, sure got good response..i'm envy some of you for having so many free times and religously give an opinions. As for me, not much time la..job responsibility too much.

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  • Akazamabamaboo (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 10:08 pm

    Let's just wait and see how the sales go before making unforgiving comments here…hahaha… :D

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  • Coogee (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 10:42 pm

    e-nabilll : "quite few gen2" in SIN? yes, quite A FEW gen2. Can count them on 2 hands! Of the small number of protons on the road in SIN, most of them are actually wiras, very few gen2 and even less wajas. That sums up proton's delimma, reliance on old mitsubishi-based models.

    A spade is a spade. P2 has publicly acknowledged a certain group is now close to half of Myvi's buyers. It would not be very 'smart' if a car company don't know who their target market is would it?

    Just did a little rough calculation. The Mazda3 retails for sgd60k and its declared value b4 tax is roughly sgd16k, which makes the neo b4 tax roughly sgd14k and at the present rate of 2.32 = rm33k. And it sells for rm54k in malaysia? This is only a very rough calculation but you get the idea. Any idea on neo pricing in OZ?

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  • SoMeOnE (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 11:06 pm

    well the calculation factors aside..basically proton wants to try and test the market there by being ambitously pricin…yes build quality aside..its a lot more stylish then kia's cars at least…they are just bankin on tat for it to sell.. it seems like dun dun wanna go back to scratch and just try the short way to sucess..good luck…u need a lot of it proton

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  • e-nabilll (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 11:07 pm

    if u tink of it…p1 was neva meant to sell in huge number in sin..i mean how many can u sel thr…u sel 10 cars n ur alreay out of population! its more of a brand tingy…beside…sins wer hardly fond of p1 probably bcos its a msian n noting else..its such a tiny market…so its jus making the brand more 'advertised'…

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  • Phisto (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 11:37 pm

    I am a Msian who is based in Singapore for 10 years and I dun think it's gonna sell well.

    Wiras still sells in small volume here because it's dirt cheap and support from Malays but I think Malay Singaporeans are smarter than to put money in a car thats more EXPENSIVE than made in Japan models.

    Let's put things into perspective now. Sporeans are extremely pratical bunch. The average joe will buy car with certain expectations mainly (in no sequence) : brand, price, maintenance, country of origin AND manufacture.

    Let's look at the price of cars that around Neo's price (all prices in SGD)

    Proton Neo

    $51,488 Auto

    $48,988 Manual

    Mitsubishi Lancer, 1.6, Made in Japan

    $47,988 Auto

    $44,988 Manual

    Nissan Sunny (Sentra in Msia) 1.6 Made in Japan

    $50,300 Auto

    $47,300 Manual

    Nissan March 1.4 Made in Japan

    $50,800 Auto

    Toyota Vios 1.5 Made in Thailand

    $47,988 Auto

    $45,988 Manual

    Toyota Yaris 1.5 Not sure made where

    $51,988 Auto

    $48,988

    Honda City 1.5 iDSI Made in Thailand

    $52,500 Auto

    $50,000 Manual

    Daihatsu Sirion (Myvi's long distance cousin) 1.3 Made in Japan

    $47,300 Sports

    $47,800 Auto

    $45,300 Manual

    Let's not forget Hyundai Verna/Getz, Kia Rio/Picanto/Cerato. They are all priced cheaper than Neo and the Kimchis are not to be trifled with. Hyundais and Kias are well regards in Sg and the western market for great value and quality that's very very close to Japanese cars.

    Neo's target market should be young guys who's into sporty cars. Mitsubishi has that covered with Lancer manual. Extremely moddable and comes with racing pedigree. Fully imported from the land of the rising sun and it's cheaper too!

    Toyota has that covered too with Vios; another potential performace car for modding. Romours has it Vios's Thai made quality is so-so but i dun think Proton made can be any better.

    I think they better lower the price to Korean price or even lower by a little bit; like Kelisa is cheaper than Picanto by 1k and it's selling well. Both local chinese and malays buys them.

    Neo can't even touch the cars listed above with a long pole with that kinda price.

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  • domoteka (Member) on Sep 13, 2006 at 11:40 pm

    All they are trying to prove is that Proton is a "world wide" brand, all I say is bah humbug! Do you think Sings are going to rush to buy bolehland crap car? They dont have any sentiment or issue of patriotism to fall back on, same goes to proton trying to sell in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, blah blah blah….the list of self egoism goes on. The only fact that we bolehlah people buy proton is we are forced to buy the stupid cheap but expensive lousy nasty proton is because of AP, NAP, Excise duty, Import Duty and all the other regimes of protection which our Mrs 30% and Close one Eye Ministers impose on us submissive bolehlah people.

    Oh not forgeting Proton wet dream of penetrating virgin china market? yeah in china proton will surely be labelled "Pen Tan" – STUPID for those who dont understand.

    We Bolehlah Submissive people of bolehland are like "Lai Mah" for our G's 20+ year old over protected baby-proton where we nurse it with our blood,sweat and soul. Until when? You people decide.

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  • chiliq (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 12:48 am

    we should our motherland's product.

    so for those who think they want to support malaysian product can buy the so called "low quality" proton.

    and to those who think that they want to support other countries that can produce "better quality" cars designed by highly intelligent people can buy german, italian,swedish marque and not forgetting china's marques like ALADO and CHERRY

    at the end of the day, its your money.buy what you want!!

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  • redragon (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 1:54 am

    I'm not a Proton supporter but I think the Neo is not a bad effort. Have you guys try it ? Why are we so against IT ? Maybe we should give Proton a break since it needs all the support it can get now. Afterall, we are Malaysian. I'm proud to be one.

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  • e-nabilll (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 2:16 am

    redragon…

    u r right…most ppl neva try..thy jus ASSUME…and expect a car that costs less dan rm55k to have all leather interior n all dat…thy want the absolute cheapest n the absolute best at the same time…most of the ting said is bcos 'last time dis' and 'last time dat'…it wil take weeks to explain to thse ppl bt no point wasting time…this is getting all so boring..

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  • accordmania (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 2:33 am

    if only "proton" satria neo change it badge to any japanese badge than it will do well in everywhere.. 'proton' this name is rotten oledi

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  • raybrig85 (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 3:11 am

    good work frm p1…but…if i were singaporean…better buy jap cars…

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  • jzkzlz (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 3:31 am

    wow!!

    over RM100K if converted back to RM..

    Why buy proton if almost same price with Japanese car…??

    The buyer must be a Proton Fans!!

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  • cyborgx (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:02 am

    redragon,

    You can support Proton as much as you want but dont tell us sh-t about being patriotic Malaysian to support Proton. We have had enuf of this BS, being victims on our own government (ED, NAP, Tax).

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  • chenyl (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:04 am

    jzkzlz in singapore there is a cert for the car call COE so it is that high in price

    but i heard fr my s'pore friend a red plate(weekend car) noe cost under S$40k

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  • jzkzlz (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:17 am

    OIC, the buyer hav to bid for the COE cert and only valid for 10 years, right??

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  • mystvearn (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:17 am

    slightly cheaper than mazda 3…:D

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  • szw (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:29 am

    how much is mazda 3 in m'sia ar ?

    i would love to know da price tq.

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  • seantang (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 5:50 am

    The Suzuki Swift costs only S$53K thereabouts. Maybe a couple thousand more now since the COE bid prices have gone up recently. The Swift Sport is about S$6K more.

    Here's a car with 4 doors, better quality, BETTER HANDLING, better service support and none of the pariah connotation when you drive a Proton – at virtually the same price.

    If it was me, it'll be a cold, cold, cold day in hell before I pay 50K for a Proton when just a little bit more will get me a bona fide Swift Sport, with all its homologation goodies.

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  • ck (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 6:34 am

    Actually I kinda agree with Red Dragon. How many of us have actually tried the Neo? Having said that, this does not mean that I support Proton. Proton needs to rebuild it's image. Like a spoil brat, u expect ur fren or teacher to belief that you really change when there is no concrete changes? All cakap only.

    Show that you really care about ur customer. That will speak for itself. As customer, if you have the budget, I do believe even the loyal Malaysian will put their money in a Jap or Korea made.

    And of course, if you need to rebadge just to sell, just do it then. No point of wasting millions of R&D on something that doesnt sell. Perhaps their Marketing team sucks… I suppose Proton should relook at the people they are hiring. Perhaps, they are not using their head CORRECTLY. Like the chinese saying, "Don't think from you axx!"

    The only way they can rebuild their image, sell cheaply and ensure quality and customer service is there. Rebuild the image. Proton has the price advantage. But no, instead they want to take further advantage on the average earning Malaysian. With the internet, consumer are getting smarter. We know how to compare unless they still think that we are from kampung.

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  • drM (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 6:56 am

    I dont think Neo will sell well there. but if P1 sell 10 units, then 5,6 will be sold off. Neo handling and overall better than Wajas and Wiras. Should try out that Neo la guys. and the pricing in SING, definitely people will go Japanese!

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  • nutsaboutcars (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 8:08 am

    wow…. this shows how seriously bad the image is for p1 in the eyes of the people outside m'sia… yup, we may be buying p1 bcoz they're much, much cheaper as opposed to the other makes… any other reasons?

    hope the p1 guys taking care of the brand image read this… i really do.

    c'mon guys! quality is indeed an issue here, but p1 need to have that one 'special' thing that people can relate to. example? toyota for design, honda for engine, bmw for head-turning-abilities, merc for pure luxury etc…

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  • topgunthang (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 9:00 am

    just because its a better car than the car it replaced doesnt mean anything. other makes are still way way ahead and beyond the reach of proton.

    mazda 3 on paper already pummels the neo into the ground. the question here is if you are willing to wait a few more months to buy a car that will make that difference back and more when it comes to selling. and also the quality will hold up alot longer than the neo (which is a main thing when it comes to budget cars). thats guaranteed. and also the chassis of the mazda3 has alot more potential and looks way way better and desireble.

    for me there is obviously no competition and the neo poses zero threat for the mazda. which is a worldwide runaway success. it's closest competitor is the 2.0 litre civic apart from the close relative ford focus. given mazda 3 base starts at 2.0litre as well. thanks to tax laws mazda has to offer puny engines to singapore and malaysia.

    you are right you cant judge the neo until u have sat in it. but you should also sit in the mazda as well. for most singaporeans and the rest of the world, they will not have the need to test drive the neo nor the urge to. they wouldnt bother.

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  • oranglulu (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 4:44 pm

    NO PRICE ADVANTAGE,in KIASULAND,who want to su and better buy a japs or korean,definately won't SU,so my prediction is satria neo oredi SU lah in KIASULAND.

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  • blunt (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 5:35 pm

    pening..pening..

    if jual murah for xport market, u all mentioned, menganaktitirikan anak sendiri lah, kera di hutan di susukan lah, subsidised the foreign people lahlah..bla and bla and bla..

    if jual mahal pun,,u all x agree jugak…this lah..that lah..

    do not understand…true..some of u very funnylah..i'm reading all the comments as my theraphy,,feel very relaxed after read it..thanks

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  • whatsoever (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 7:21 pm

    if anyone of you think that only those driven neo can give comment. then let me give my comment because i drove this for 2 weeks that borrow from my friend. It's suck. the engine is totally is a disaster. if you want to feel the power of the engine, you must push your engine rpm up to somewhere 4k~5k which also the time you will feel annoying of the stupid sound. is this call improvement?

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  • bmpower (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 7:44 pm

    you're right blunt..

    like everyone here thinking like they're those proton CEO.

    if selling cheap outside = stupid proton.

    but then, overpirce lorrr.. not competitive etc.

    Peoples asking = "51K? Why so expensive? Does this car is really great? does this car best handling in the world (in it's class? ) .. "

    then people… come and test drive that neo.

    if they satisfied = buy. else = not buy. easy..

    good move proton..

    A… savvy it a hotcakes in UK too.. most people underestimated it before.. like mee too.. but todays news, it's a hot cakes in UK .

    erm.. hotcakes? maybe not.. but MANY people buy it there.. and they not even complain 'kepala kene bumbung' like very tall malaysian.. ;)

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  • ezralimm (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 8:04 pm

    Proton does not have economy of scale. It is also an infant compared to other companies. Even Hyundai, a relative newcomers to the auto industry are only 60+ years old.

    It takes time and perseverence to break into any market. Personally, I applaud Proton's purchase of stakes in Lotus, they have already developed their own platforms and an engine. Keep in mind that this is only 20 years after the release of their first car, a rebadged Mitsubishi. Note: Holden (aus) rebadged Ford cars initially. Even today, Holden still rebadges foreign cars! (their Barina is a rebadged Daewoo)

    To assume that Proton's first try at an engine could match the more evolved powerplants used by the Japanese care makes is a bit unreasonable. For me, as long as it provides decent power and value (eg low maintenance) for the local buyer its ok. Then again, im not a motorsports fan.

    I must admit many of the flaws (Power window failure etc.) attributed to Proton cars did give it a bad image – but look back, wasn't there a time where japanese cars were deemed inferior to their continental counterparts? Proton's quality dropped when they switched to local vendors, and now they learnt a lesson the hard way (by losing customer confidence). All in all, it was a brave move, but a necessary one.

    By locally sourcing parts, money is recirculated into the Malaysian economy. The person on the street does not see it, but Bank Negara does. It's a good thing, and that is the main reason why I support the concept of having a national car maker.

    Always remember, it is very easy to bash with (seemingly) witty rethoric… but sometimes it is good to take a step back and see the situation from a different perspective. I will not elaborate on the perspective of those who oppose the national car concept as they have a strong voice *here* and in other online forums.

    It is understandable that many people complain about the poor build quality and finish of Proton cars, but at least they are now improving. Do you think Proton cars are unreliable? well, ask any Fiat or Audi owner about their maintenance costs. Of course, Proton wont be able to match the Japanese car manafacturers. Toyota's average no. of (minor) faults per 100 vehicles (within the first 6 months i think) is only 80. Yes, 80 may sound like alot, but it isnt. Even with that no. of flaws, it is still the no. 1 car in the States in terms of reliability. My point is, any car owner will likely report a fault with his/her car a few months after purchase. Proton is definitely worse than toyota…and many owners of Proton cars have never owned other cars and have no real idea of what car maintenance can be like. Im not saying Proton is good, but they are bearable. (offtopic: when my family downgraded from a volvo to a perdana, maintenance & repair costs went down by about 75% – excluding the money saved on road tax, btw.)

    -ezra

    blogmalaysia.com/ezralimm

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  • Joe Ooi (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 8:07 pm

    blunt said," if jual mahal pun,,u all x agree jugak…this lah..that lah..

    do not understand…true..some of u very funnylah..i’m reading all the comments as my theraphy,,feel very relaxed after read it..thanks"

    bmpower said, "you’re right blunt..like everyone here thinking like they’re those proton CEO."

    ————————————

    Joe Ooi – Let me put in the right perspective so that hope both you never confuse or feel funny: –

    What most of the comments complaint/disagree are as follow: –

    P1 adopt very bad biz model as below: –

    1. Local market – selling at relatively high price but with low specs car – that is the root of local consumer "dianak-tirikan".

    2. Export Market – selling at relatively low price but with high specs car – that is also the root of consumer perception that P1 subsidize export market by squeeze local consumer? Means suck local RM to dump at oversea for every car export.

    Currently, most of P1 car is "expensive" yet make the owner live so "cheap" on the road.

    The above bad biz shall discard and P1 shall act "patriotic" as responsible corporate citizen, protect local consumer and take care of people welfare including built safe car so that less probability of people will die on the road in the event of accident.

    So, good biz for P1 are:

    1. Local market – sell at relatively lowest price with best specs car.

    2. Export market – sell at relatively competitive price with high specs car in its class.

    This shall be the case so that the more car export by P1, then it will make more money to bring back USD, GBP, Yen, Yuen, Dinar, Rupiah, Aus D, Sing D, etc, etc, to enrich Bolehland.

    No one including both of you are funny and/or disagree without basis – the real culprit is P1 and the funniest is also P1 – big joker in Bolehland ……….

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  • sunlamp (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 9:20 pm

    well said…

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  • intermilan (Member) on Sep 14, 2006 at 10:33 pm

    i second that.

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  • mycar_stolen (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 12:01 am

    to blunt and bmwpower

    just dig that…

    er just hope you get the other people point of view…

    PROTON SUCKS IT MADE A FIRST CLASS UNIVERSITY GRADUATE A HALL OF THE LOSER BECAUSE HE NEED TO OPEN DOOR WHEN PAY TOLLS, and also have to push the remote control button 2 or 9 before able to access the car, or he need to double or triple check the car evrytime because the rear exhauset top might fall off

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  • sunlamp (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 12:11 am

    Since we are talking selling car to Singapore in this colume.

    Let me express my pt of view in Sing.

    -P1 is to increase maket share here so that parts and services will be more affortable and insurance lower.

    -Crowd follow crowd: Once p1 models is common here, pepl preceived tat p1 car is "Drive-able" hence sales increase

    Just like TOYOTA, pepl here just buy because of words of mouth and they see the models so common on the road here. No doubt over the quality. JUST BUY LOR….

    Solution:

    As car market is quiet now and no much surprise.

    P1 can give an ultimate SALES!!! just like clearing stocks at ultra low price with services and maintence throw in.

    Say small car price

    Gen2 1.3 at S$28K

    Savvy at S$28K

    Neo at S$32K

    Gen2 1.6 at 31K

    Waja 1.6 at 32K

    CONFIRM THE SHOWROOM FULL!!!!! and order leadtime till next year CHINESE NEW YR!!!

    That how to attack Singapore peopl and win swiftly!

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  • sunlamp (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 12:39 am

    If p1 dun do anything.

    they might as well give up fighting in Singapore. No point telling the world how many countries they are in but not bringing any gd results, right?

    p1 Not high class:which boss want to buy Malaysia car in Singapore????

    p1 Not even middle class: the quality and standard not qualify to fight jap and K and paralled import cars

    Left low class: price too high as in "affordable" in sing, over this range there are many options to choose, why need to buy p1. Not even in the buying list.

    Last resort is to chong out and see how the market response.

    I wonder how much the salesman make a month? maybe only one salesman to handle all sales…..

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  • peromyvi (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 1:53 am

    PROTON SALES BY MODEL (UNTIL END JULY 2006)

    Wira – 18,282 units

    Iswara – 16,868 units

    Waja – 14,593 units

    Gen2 – 12,657 units

    Savvy – 5,143 units

    Perdana 1,567 units

    Satria Neo – 1,149 units

    Arena – 67 units

    Satria – 24 units

    Juara – 12 units

    after so many years wira is still the best selling model damn

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  • blunt (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 2:28 am

    mycar_stolen, not sure whether to laugh or not after reading ur response,,,

    anyway, i respect ur opinion, since you are among the regular here and u keep posting your thought every now and then as u have soo many free time,

    for me i have to work ma..so my participitation here is very limited..

    anyhow, thanks for ur remarks directed to me and bmwpower.

    last but not least, i realised that, this paul blog do not ceria w/out u..

    mind to ask..you in what line, since u're having soo many free time..

    gudbye..

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  • szw (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 4:42 am

    mazda 3 ?

    price ?

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  • ck (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 5:16 am

    Blunt, you are really sarcastic.

    I do believe many malaysian want's to support their national car. But atleast give us a far value. If you are saying that other's car maker has the economy of scale, yet their so called cheap car are almost the same as our Proton. Look no futher but Jazz and Yaris.

    Without NAP, u think people will buy Waja or Jazz / Yaris? When u don't have economy of scale, increase the quality and service. If you buka mata besar besar dan guna otak fikir, people are writing quality issue. Everyone in this forum understand that P1 is not an infant, yet they are not big enough to fight outside.

    Like I said, if you cannot give some good quality stuff out, rebadge another brand. You know why P1 fails? Most probably their staff thinks like you. Perhaps you are working in Proton. No wonder you are busy.

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  • oranglulu (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 4:44 pm

    be realistic,is the words,if proton want to sell in singapore,must be a lot lower then those japs and korean imports,then only visible for getting sales,if proton think thats they are compatible to toyota,hyundai,etc.just ask any consumer in malaysia ,you get the answer.my dissatisfaction with proton is mainly they are not benefiting the PPL in malaysia,selling us low spec high priced cars,what we want is fair price,what proton want to do outside malaysia,cheap cheap,or rocket high priced is their buisness,my comments is just friendly gasture of pointing out their shortcoming,mr, blunt,i think you like to see satria neo fail in singapore as you agree they should sell high price and not be realistic and not helping proton by pointing out their weaknesses.pampering proton is not going to help our national proud,comments,guides,mistake correcting,punishments are best in bring up a good and got future P1.

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  • blunt (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 6:01 pm

    Thanks CK,

    sad to say i'm not working in P1but i drive Wira and Kembara Aero,,,

    Gudbye..got other work to do..

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  • mycar_stolen (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 6:19 pm

    Dear Mr Blunt,

    No offense to you just that I cant really help with people trying to highlight on Proton favour to Msian.Enjoy your work just be grateful because other people maybe jobless.

    p/s I'm freelancer and I'm always bumps into so called "patriotic msian" (WHO DRIVE A PROTON) and all of them actually doesnt like their ride.have you seen a wira with mitsu emblems….thats funny I'm not and guess what proton drivers usually joking around in msian road.(not all lah)

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  • raybrig85 (Member) on Sep 15, 2006 at 6:33 pm

    wa…perang lagi…btw…g luck to u all…

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  • blunt (Member) on Sep 16, 2006 at 1:50 am

    Dear all,

    Actually, no War lah..just different in opinion only.

    to be honest, i'll accept your remark, in good faith..nothing personal.

    actually, i'm not that patriotic..i keep raising the issue on P2 b4 this also.as i posted earlier..P1 is in catch 21 position..if they sell cheap,as in UK and Aust, some of us keep harping, keep banging that P1 not being fair to malaysian lah, malaysian people subsidised fot the ang moh etc..etc. But, if they dont want to sell cheap, the very same people response that..sure cant sell one, better get Mazda ..bla and bla. So, how..jual murah pun salah..jual mahal pun salah. what is your standing,,,,funny izzit.

    And IMHO the issue of car pricing structure in Malaysia, is diff. issue altogether.this issue have been discuss on and on and on..non stop.now we discuss abt Neo enter Sing market.

    Yupp..i grateful i have a job and i'm enjoy it because there are some other jobless people and i also grateful, i have a car whereby for some other people in other country that i've visited, driving a car only exist in their dream…

    To all, have a productive weekend and spend ur time more with people u love.

    Gudbye…

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  • NeedGoodCar (Member) on Sep 16, 2006 at 10:47 pm

    Ok, let's talk about "nude" entering "kiasu land", for another 10K or so, kiasu people can have mazda3, if that 10k is not significant to them, i believe 8 out of 10 will go for mazda3, what is p1 trying to achieve there? p1 has got to tag their cars dirt cheap in order to attract kiasu people, when we have something to offer to consumer, we must understand what they want and how they see us…try ask kiasu people, how does p1 compare to other marque? to me, it has to be dirt cheap to seize their interest, get them to buy the product and let the quality do the talking later…sad…it's only in our dream to drive a decent car at reasonable price…thanks to nap and p1, to certain extent, we are robbed of the rights to choose what we want at reasonale price…one thing keep on bugging my mind is…folks, check how much a 2.4 accord is selling in "langjauwi" and how much it is selling here…what a joke!!! blunt price discrimination…i do really want to see p1 go down NOW and so nap becomes irrelevant…why do we all (people not benefit from p1 directly or indirectly, e.g. employees, vendors, big crocs, cronies, ect) need to pay for such a wasteful burden???

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  • Celicazz (Member) on Sep 17, 2006 at 12:03 am

    niche market, i repeat, niche market…

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  • domoteka (Member) on Sep 20, 2006 at 2:25 am

    blunt said,

    September 14, 2006 @ 9:35 am

    pening..pening..

    if jual murah for xport market, u all mentioned, menganaktitirikan anak sendiri lah, kera di hutan di susukan lah, subsidised the foreign people lahlah..bla and bla and bla..

    if jual mahal pun,,u all x agree jugak…this lah..that lah..

    Mr Blunt and all other Patriotic anak watan Pasca Merdeka,

    the point is not whether it is cheaper or more expensive. However, now we have to susukan beruk di zoo. the beruk being proton,perodua and the zoo being the metaphor of the world market.

    We are getting lousy crap nasty expensive cars to susukan the beruk(also means Mrs 30%and her close one eye MP buddies) while the beruk try to impress the visitors in the zoo(world market)

    So i choose not to be patriotic the next round of elections and put my vote for a more responsible government. the rest is up to you people.

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  • Norman on Apr 12, 2009 at 12:13 am

    True and not true.I've ever owned Toyota Corolla before,Yes it's the horse mouth that spreading like disease that made this model darn popular.During my 5 years driving it there's also rattling sound came from the interior.And mind you Toyota parts can be varied too.Borneo Motors cahrge around $100 for a certain parts w/o installation and some pariah workshop charge $130 with installation but quality wise is much more than meet the eye.Some Toyota parts made in China mind you.I rather chose the former..My second car is a used Proton Wira 1.5 Auto with Off Peak plate(Red plate).Yes the car looks suck and dont even mention accesories,All i either DIY or change it.Grounding cable,Air filter,Full exhaust,Leather seats but i really salute this ugly car.In my 3 years driving it,Thsi ugly duck has never breakdown anywhere on the road be it Malaysia or Singapore roads!My Corolla ever been towed before in Senai last time.Yes Proton Singapore sucks but doesn't mean the cars sucks too.They lack promotion,after sales service but then again you have those pariah workshops over there where the mechanics is 90% Malaysians what.I have friends be it Chinese,Indians,Malays,Singh and even Caucasian driving you so-called boleh land car ranging from Wiras to Persona.None of them complaining.Yes when the first Neo enter SG the price is ridiculous but now you can get it under $45K for the Auto!Just imagine there's an offset for OPC cars for $17k,Yes you can buy the Neo Auto for $28K if you dont mind the restricted timing hours(Mon to Fri you can drive from 7pm to 7am,Sats and eve of PH from 3pm and full day for Suns &PHs).Now i'm a proud owner of Proton Saga M-Line auto.This car served me well over the past 6 mths.That's true that some SGreans had this stereotype that Malaysian,Chinese and even Koreans cars are that bad but then again some drivers just bother about the engine reliability not the accessories.Hmm the beruk is Proton but dun forget that some western peoples do labelled us Asians as Monkeys too.

    PS:In SG if you can afford a car is good enough as the the cost of owning a car here is good as owning 2 cars in Malaysia.Happy driving!And if you think we Singaporeans is earning much think again our utilities bills,Education that cost a bomb,Housing financing that costs as much as owning a three storey bungalow hse in Malaysia.The only advantage is those living in Malaysia but working in Singapore

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