India’s DNA Money reports that the Proton Saga and the Proton Persona have been spotted on test on the Greater Noida Expressway in India. These may be Proton’s initial model range in the Indian market which is good as niche cars like the 3-door Satria Neo do not make sense at the moment. Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues. When contacted by DNA Money, officials from Proton and rumoured partner Argentum declined to comment.
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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.
What?! “report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues”…if want quality then test drove the Mercs or BMW la! I wish Proton sell their Saga there slightly over their crappy Nano…then let the market decide. Our base model against theirs. Fair and square!
hahaha. i drive a car thats considered “high-end” but has nagging quality issues ;)
but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us. cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
and oh yeah, good news proton. its nice to see them making an effort overseas. thats the only place where they will be able to grow the company, and make some serious money. cannot be jaguh kampung anymore, and even then, perodua is a bigger jaguh kampung today than they are.
welcome to india, i confident proton doing well. forget about p2, they r not listed as car manufacterer. p2 only rebadging . never invest in r&d. only goyang kaki copy cat technology. vvt they cal dvvt. investment to set up p2 is only wasted of public fund, look at indo n thai they get huge investment frm toyota thier govt pay nothing. shame on p2………………………hope govt can allow open market for durian now, let all the towkay ladang die if durian frm thai ,indon,vietnam flooding. open market pls…
Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.
Off topic, but I read in some Australian magazine recently that Proton Australia is really keen on the R3, and they apparently have a turbocharged R3 doing some testing down under.
In a country where the average government employee takes home the equivalent of RM 1,200-1,500/month at the end of a 35-year career… yes, cars like the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz/i10 are aspirational models for most. To own something like a Civic/Corolla/Octavia, you’d have to be a seriously successful MBA with a decade of experience. If you drive anything upwards of a 3 Series/C-Class/A4, you (or your dad) are probably the owner of a thriving business.
The Nano, when it is launched here (probably in October, so that it coincides with a local religious festival), will bring mobility to people who could only dream of owning a car… that’s why it has to be priced so low (around RM 10,000 on-road, expected). If that means sacrificing a wiper blade, seat adjustment, an external fuel filler or even the rear hatch, so be it. At least a family of four won’t have to rough it out on a scooter in the rain any more !
And yes, in such a scenario, the Proton Saga looks a bit like a luxury proposition. If the company can get its marketing right (fewer than 1 out of 10 people here know the brand), it could strike gold.
believe it… the old Saga is considered spacious by the sub-continent. My colleague came from India and commented that Saga is spacious and Waja is luxury.
This is a good move by Proton. They should try to have an edge over competitors by having very good back up service. Proton also should be active in the second hand market by accepting trade ins without much hassle. I recall Tan Chong who was the agent for Audi many years ago. The marque was so unpopular then that Tan Chong promised to buy any Audi bought from them at the same price that the customers paid for. To a large extent, this created confidence and the brand flourished. Proton should therefore have a long term perspective rather than short term gains. A ‘hit and run’ policy will doom the brand into oblivion in a very short time.
Good to hear that they’re trying to tap into different markets. I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on. Perhaps a full line up of their models?
“Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues.”
>Such a bad repo.
So Proton try to fool Indians huh? Never underestimate India’s intellect competitive nature. Just make sure Proton Saga Persona just bit better than Bajaj Vespa scooter is good enough.
RotiNaan said,
“I’m sure there are other car brands that are marketed as low-end cars but sold with quality and finishes”
>You mean Tata Jaguar XJ perhaps? Ok, it’s Land Rover Telcoline pickup, new version soon.
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
“but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us”
>Sounds like their ‘taboo’ caste social system. The poor ‘untouchables'(southern tamils) versus the rich maharajahs (usually the northern hindustan Singhs).
But ours here differs only on titles: Encik pakcik versus Datuk Seri Tan Sri sh!t like that.
“cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
>Then Proton Saga, Tata Nano can be considered as ‘super meagre’ cars.
Allan said,
“Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.”
>Savvy is such a crying shame, isn’t it.
How about Proton Arena Jambu there, any replacement? Gonna called as New Proton Saga Angkut pickup?
ALPINA BMW said,
“hope they can learn something from tata or mahindra”
>Sadly Proton didn’t buy Rover.
dodgeviper88 said,
“I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on.”
>Safe? Wait til Cherry or Geely copycat Gen2, then resells it here.
“Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues.”
>Such a bad repo.
So Proton try to fool Indians huh? Never underestimate India’s intellect competitive nature. Just make sure Proton Saga Persona just bit better than Bajaj Vespa scooter is good enough.
RotiNaan said,
“I’m sure there are other car brands that are marketed as low-end cars but sold with quality and finishes”
>You mean Tata Jaguar XJ perhaps? Ok, it’s Land Rover Telcoline pickup, new version soon.
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
“but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us”
>Sounds like their ‘taboo’ caste social system. The poor ‘untouchables’(southern tamils) versus the rich maharajahs (usually the northern hindustan Singhs).
But ours here differs only on titles: Encik pakcik versus Datuk Seri Tan Sri sh!t like that.
“cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
>Then Proton Saga, Tata Nano can be considered as ’super meagre’ cars.
Allan said,
“Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.”
>Savvy is such a crying shame, isn’t it.
How about Proton Arena Jambu there, any replacement? Gonna called as New Proton Saga Angkut pickup?
ALPINA BMW said,
“hope they can learn something from tata or mahindra”
>Sadly Proton didn’t buy Rover.
dodgeviper88 said,
“I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on.”
>Safe? Wait til Cherry or Geely copycat Gen2, then resells it here.
From the website:
“Though its vehicles are considered high-end, Proton cars have often faced quality and finishing issues.
Not only has the company been losing sales at home, it is also plagued by very high cost per car since there are no economies of scale.”
High end-Indian market, this is a luxury car already. Better equip.
quality finishing issues-don’t think people who buy this car over there mind it at all. Like its in their cars as well
Higher cost per car- definitely true. No need to be a rocket scientist to figure that. Regardless what Proton vendors say, overall it is higher cost per car. Smaller production, so higher cost.
This week I will get my new ‘high end’ Persona. Better than ugly Tata :p
Btw, Tata own Jaguar & Land Rover, In few years their quality will improve maybe. Don’t under estimate India, they have more billionaire compare to us and even United States.
Silicon valley of India are in South India(Bangalora,Hyderabad,Chennai). GDP percapita of South Indians are higher than the North Indians.There are noble winners from TAMIL community.In India there are low caste from all the community.South Indians are dark skin…nothing to do with caste,and of course nothing wrong with that.Anyway the caste system should be condemned.
Why must rip off other countries? wat u give u get back..so give the best to everyone..and we will receive the rewards in the end..dun get branded as a lousy country that rips off other pple..see china? unless they stop copy cat, they will still be branded as copy cat country..and pple see have set perceptions of thier products and pple.
funny… no matter what Proton does… there are always a negative preception levelled at them… is it really Proton or some people are just born to be pessimist no matter what the situation is.. maybe next time Proton shouldn’t announced anything… but then again it would hurt it’s corperate image.
by the way, caste system is illegal in India… just some traditionalist are still practising them. and why did the issue of caste has anything to do with Proton? they are there to sell cars… not make a social statement…
I thought this forum was about automobilia… perhaps we should stop digressing and get back to the topic: the potential for Proton in India.
ps – I’m going against my own advice here, but one thing mentioned earlier needs some clarification:
– “by the way, caste system is illegal in India”
Says who? One of the main classification systems used by the government for allotting quotas for college admission and jobs is based on the caste system. Anyone belonging either to a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) has special rights/privileges which ‘higher castes’ do not enjoy. The tables are quite the opposite way to what westerners think and portray (at least in towns and cities).
Aisey, apa ni? If Proton sell to many cars here, some people called them “jaguh kampung”. When they try to venture to other market, some people said they try to ripping people off. Now, let me give some CLEAR facts on this matters! Proton is just a BRAND and brand doesn’t cheat, lie or ripping people off…only PEOPLE which mostly cheat, lie and ripping people off for their own selfish greed. Sometimes…well, actually most of the time, when this “inconsiderate individual” intend on using this brand as a stepping stone for their on GOOD, it’ll lead to the brand having a BAD reputation! Guys, Proton cars doesn’t come out on you and says, “Buy me! Buy me! I’m the state of the art car which equip with a Lotus handling and my power window won’t malfunction in short time!” Only PEOPLE says that. We ALL know where most Proton cars bad quality comes from…why does Proton (the brand) have to take the worst blame while that “inconsiderate individual” gets so little? All I can say that the brand have suffer so much as well as WE do! So, lets us give this “new individual” a chance to refurbish the brand that have long been tarnish by a certain selfish greed individual. Am I making sense? :-)
Been to India many times and think Personas and Sagas are definitely good enough for the Indian market-much better finish than the Marutis, Tatas and Suzukis. Proton needs to work on the suspension and the ride as some Indian roads are pretty bad. The real competition is Honda City etc.Should do well in India if they adopt a competitive pricing and good after sales strategy.
“The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, in keeping with the socialist, secular, democratic principles that founded the nation.[2] Caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities,[3] though they persist in rural areas of the country. Nevertheless, the caste system, in various forms, continues to survive in modern India strengthened by a combination of social perceptions and divisive politics.” – Wikipedia
as you can read, it is illegal to practise the caste system. but it still presist due to political gain and belief in the rural areas. In most cities, people don’t care that much about caste as long as you have the money… :D
agree with torque… stop being critical of Proton. give them time… if you yourself made some mistake, wouldn’t you asked for forgiveness? and no, don’t asked for Proton to give you discount or the like… Proton is still a company out to make profit.
agree with peter1… Proton should study the market and geography of India before launching their cars there. Adjust the product to suit the demand there.
“The Government of India has officially documented castes and subcastes, primarily to determine those deserving reservation (positive discrimination in education and jobs) through the census. The Indian reservation system, though limited in scope, relies entirely on quotas. The Government lists consist of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes” – Wikipedia.
The caste system exists for the benefit of the downtrodden (positive discrimination, as mentioned above) and not the other way round, at least in theory. A simple Google search on “SC ST OBC” should be insightful.
Getting back to the topic – almost no one outside the automotive circle here in India has heard of Proton. Don’t you think a massive-scale marketing campaign should precede any potential launch? Brand umbrellas like GM and VW had it easier when they came to India – they were already well-known. Hyundai, if I remember correctly, had to build its credibility (against established market leader Maruti-Suzuki) first, because not too many had heard of the brand.
I can imagine the same situation if Perodua or Daihatsu were to enter the Indian market.
ALPINA BMW said,
“max 88, if proton bought rover, it’d be worse than what bmw did to rover when they bought it.”
>Really? How about Proton buying up Chrysler(or Cry-sler?) since it’s going on the cheap now? I mean for staying long term in Indian market, Proton gotta beat Maruti Suzuki by cross-breed Jeep Wrangler and Proton Juara to face off popular Maruti Jeep SJ410. Something fugly but practical, enough to scare off all the baddies just like inside Tamil movie.
If it’s fail then Proton can still sell off Chrysler for Rp1.00, tax-free.
Kingbrutal said,
“maybe next time Proton shouldn’t announced anything… but then again it would hurt it’s corperate image.”
>Better for us to review Proton here than being embarrassed worldwide in Top Gear or Times Motoring News.
We need a lot of good news like this actually.
What?! “report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues”…if want quality then test drove the Mercs or BMW la! I wish Proton sell their Saga there slightly over their crappy Nano…then let the market decide. Our base model against theirs. Fair and square!
“Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues”…
What does that means? It is saying the car is marketed as high end but with nagging quality and finishing issues?
I’m sure there are other car brands that are marketed as low-end cars but sold with quality and finishes.
“high-end” – not really.
“but with quality and finishing issues” – bad impression over the historical record?
hahaha. i drive a car thats considered “high-end” but has nagging quality issues ;)
but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us. cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
and oh yeah, good news proton. its nice to see them making an effort overseas. thats the only place where they will be able to grow the company, and make some serious money. cannot be jaguh kampung anymore, and even then, perodua is a bigger jaguh kampung today than they are.
welcome to india, i confident proton doing well. forget about p2, they r not listed as car manufacterer. p2 only rebadging . never invest in r&d. only goyang kaki copy cat technology. vvt they cal dvvt. investment to set up p2 is only wasted of public fund, look at indo n thai they get huge investment frm toyota thier govt pay nothing. shame on p2………………………hope govt can allow open market for durian now, let all the towkay ladang die if durian frm thai ,indon,vietnam flooding. open market pls…
I think what they meant was “high end” relative to the INDIAN market.
Cars like the Tata Nano are considered low end there.
Tata Nano’s arent even sold elsewhere as they are too low end :p
Hmmm…point taken there BMW and Ezralimm, thanks! Forget that India economics are different than ours.
Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.
Off topic, but I read in some Australian magazine recently that Proton Australia is really keen on the R3, and they apparently have a turbocharged R3 doing some testing down under.
Allan, care to share the scanned image(s) of the magazine with all of us here?
In a country where the average government employee takes home the equivalent of RM 1,200-1,500/month at the end of a 35-year career… yes, cars like the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz/i10 are aspirational models for most. To own something like a Civic/Corolla/Octavia, you’d have to be a seriously successful MBA with a decade of experience. If you drive anything upwards of a 3 Series/C-Class/A4, you (or your dad) are probably the owner of a thriving business.
The Nano, when it is launched here (probably in October, so that it coincides with a local religious festival), will bring mobility to people who could only dream of owning a car… that’s why it has to be priced so low (around RM 10,000 on-road, expected). If that means sacrificing a wiper blade, seat adjustment, an external fuel filler or even the rear hatch, so be it. At least a family of four won’t have to rough it out on a scooter in the rain any more !
And yes, in such a scenario, the Proton Saga looks a bit like a luxury proposition. If the company can get its marketing right (fewer than 1 out of 10 people here know the brand), it could strike gold.
believe it… the old Saga is considered spacious by the sub-continent. My colleague came from India and commented that Saga is spacious and Waja is luxury.
This is a good move by Proton. They should try to have an edge over competitors by having very good back up service. Proton also should be active in the second hand market by accepting trade ins without much hassle. I recall Tan Chong who was the agent for Audi many years ago. The marque was so unpopular then that Tan Chong promised to buy any Audi bought from them at the same price that the customers paid for. To a large extent, this created confidence and the brand flourished. Proton should therefore have a long term perspective rather than short term gains. A ‘hit and run’ policy will doom the brand into oblivion in a very short time.
hope they can learn something from tata or mahindra
Good to hear that they’re trying to tap into different markets. I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on. Perhaps a full line up of their models?
“Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues.”
>Such a bad repo.
So Proton try to fool Indians huh? Never underestimate India’s intellect competitive nature. Just make sure Proton Saga Persona just bit better than Bajaj Vespa scooter is good enough.
RotiNaan said,
“I’m sure there are other car brands that are marketed as low-end cars but sold with quality and finishes”
>You mean Tata Jaguar XJ perhaps? Ok, it’s Land Rover Telcoline pickup, new version soon.
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
“but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us”
>Sounds like their ‘taboo’ caste social system. The poor ‘untouchables'(southern tamils) versus the rich maharajahs (usually the northern hindustan Singhs).
But ours here differs only on titles: Encik pakcik versus Datuk Seri Tan Sri sh!t like that.
“cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
>Then Proton Saga, Tata Nano can be considered as ‘super meagre’ cars.
Allan said,
“Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.”
>Savvy is such a crying shame, isn’t it.
How about Proton Arena Jambu there, any replacement? Gonna called as New Proton Saga Angkut pickup?
ALPINA BMW said,
“hope they can learn something from tata or mahindra”
>Sadly Proton didn’t buy Rover.
dodgeviper88 said,
“I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on.”
>Safe? Wait til Cherry or Geely copycat Gen2, then resells it here.
“Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues.”
>Such a bad repo.
So Proton try to fool Indians huh? Never underestimate India’s intellect competitive nature. Just make sure Proton Saga Persona just bit better than Bajaj Vespa scooter is good enough.
RotiNaan said,
“I’m sure there are other car brands that are marketed as low-end cars but sold with quality and finishes”
>You mean Tata Jaguar XJ perhaps? Ok, it’s Land Rover Telcoline pickup, new version soon.
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
“but actually, in india, the car market is very different than us”
>Sounds like their ‘taboo’ caste social system. The poor ‘untouchables’(southern tamils) versus the rich maharajahs (usually the northern hindustan Singhs).
But ours here differs only on titles: Encik pakcik versus Datuk Seri Tan Sri sh!t like that.
“cars like the persona or vios are considered “luxury” cars, whereas the likes of bmw and merc are considered “super luxury”
>Then Proton Saga, Tata Nano can be considered as ’super meagre’ cars.
Allan said,
“Rumour also has it that the Saga will be coming to Australia, and will be replacing the Savvy which isnt selling well.”
>Savvy is such a crying shame, isn’t it.
How about Proton Arena Jambu there, any replacement? Gonna called as New Proton Saga Angkut pickup?
ALPINA BMW said,
“hope they can learn something from tata or mahindra”
>Sadly Proton didn’t buy Rover.
dodgeviper88 said,
“I think it’s safe to try and sell in China as well although I know they have the whole Gen 2 rebadging thing going on.”
>Safe? Wait til Cherry or Geely copycat Gen2, then resells it here.
good market for second-hand proton… :d
From the website:
“Though its vehicles are considered high-end, Proton cars have often faced quality and finishing issues.
Not only has the company been losing sales at home, it is also plagued by very high cost per car since there are no economies of scale.”
High end-Indian market, this is a luxury car already. Better equip.
quality finishing issues-don’t think people who buy this car over there mind it at all. Like its in their cars as well
Higher cost per car- definitely true. No need to be a rocket scientist to figure that. Regardless what Proton vendors say, overall it is higher cost per car. Smaller production, so higher cost.
Waa, so many Proton supporters here.
This week I will get my new ‘high end’ Persona. Better than ugly Tata :p
Btw, Tata own Jaguar & Land Rover, In few years their quality will improve maybe. Don’t under estimate India, they have more billionaire compare to us and even United States.
this is really pathetic…
not the news… but some of the guys here….
Silicon valley of India are in South India(Bangalora,Hyderabad,Chennai). GDP percapita of South Indians are higher than the North Indians.There are noble winners from TAMIL community.In India there are low caste from all the community.South Indians are dark skin…nothing to do with caste,and of course nothing wrong with that.Anyway the caste system should be condemned.
its Bangalore..
mazri said,
Waa, so many Proton supporters here.
I guess it’s time for proton to stop ripping off Malaysians and start ripping off other coutries.
dodgeviper88,
Why must rip off other countries? wat u give u get back..so give the best to everyone..and we will receive the rewards in the end..dun get branded as a lousy country that rips off other pple..see china? unless they stop copy cat, they will still be branded as copy cat country..and pple see have set perceptions of thier products and pple.
funny… no matter what Proton does… there are always a negative preception levelled at them… is it really Proton or some people are just born to be pessimist no matter what the situation is.. maybe next time Proton shouldn’t announced anything… but then again it would hurt it’s corperate image.
by the way, caste system is illegal in India… just some traditionalist are still practising them. and why did the issue of caste has anything to do with Proton? they are there to sell cars… not make a social statement…
I thought this forum was about automobilia… perhaps we should stop digressing and get back to the topic: the potential for Proton in India.
ps – I’m going against my own advice here, but one thing mentioned earlier needs some clarification:
– “by the way, caste system is illegal in India”
Says who? One of the main classification systems used by the government for allotting quotas for college admission and jobs is based on the caste system. Anyone belonging either to a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) has special rights/privileges which ‘higher castes’ do not enjoy. The tables are quite the opposite way to what westerners think and portray (at least in towns and cities).
Aisey, apa ni? If Proton sell to many cars here, some people called them “jaguh kampung”. When they try to venture to other market, some people said they try to ripping people off. Now, let me give some CLEAR facts on this matters! Proton is just a BRAND and brand doesn’t cheat, lie or ripping people off…only PEOPLE which mostly cheat, lie and ripping people off for their own selfish greed. Sometimes…well, actually most of the time, when this “inconsiderate individual” intend on using this brand as a stepping stone for their on GOOD, it’ll lead to the brand having a BAD reputation! Guys, Proton cars doesn’t come out on you and says, “Buy me! Buy me! I’m the state of the art car which equip with a Lotus handling and my power window won’t malfunction in short time!” Only PEOPLE says that. We ALL know where most Proton cars bad quality comes from…why does Proton (the brand) have to take the worst blame while that “inconsiderate individual” gets so little? All I can say that the brand have suffer so much as well as WE do! So, lets us give this “new individual” a chance to refurbish the brand that have long been tarnish by a certain selfish greed individual. Am I making sense? :-)
Been to India many times and think Personas and Sagas are definitely good enough for the Indian market-much better finish than the Marutis, Tatas and Suzukis. Proton needs to work on the suspension and the ride as some Indian roads are pretty bad. The real competition is Honda City etc.Should do well in India if they adopt a competitive pricing and good after sales strategy.
max 88, if proton bought rover, it’d be worse than what bmw did to rover when they bought it.
rover or roewe isn’t doing that well in china.
sorry PDK… have to disagree with you there… :D
“The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, in keeping with the socialist, secular, democratic principles that founded the nation.[2] Caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities,[3] though they persist in rural areas of the country. Nevertheless, the caste system, in various forms, continues to survive in modern India strengthened by a combination of social perceptions and divisive politics.” – Wikipedia
as you can read, it is illegal to practise the caste system. but it still presist due to political gain and belief in the rural areas. In most cities, people don’t care that much about caste as long as you have the money… :D
agree with torque… stop being critical of Proton. give them time… if you yourself made some mistake, wouldn’t you asked for forgiveness? and no, don’t asked for Proton to give you discount or the like… Proton is still a company out to make profit.
agree with peter1… Proton should study the market and geography of India before launching their cars there. Adjust the product to suit the demand there.
just my opinion… ciao…
“The Government of India has officially documented castes and subcastes, primarily to determine those deserving reservation (positive discrimination in education and jobs) through the census. The Indian reservation system, though limited in scope, relies entirely on quotas. The Government lists consist of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes” – Wikipedia.
The caste system exists for the benefit of the downtrodden (positive discrimination, as mentioned above) and not the other way round, at least in theory. A simple Google search on “SC ST OBC” should be insightful.
Getting back to the topic – almost no one outside the automotive circle here in India has heard of Proton. Don’t you think a massive-scale marketing campaign should precede any potential launch? Brand umbrellas like GM and VW had it easier when they came to India – they were already well-known. Hyundai, if I remember correctly, had to build its credibility (against established market leader Maruti-Suzuki) first, because not too many had heard of the brand.
I can imagine the same situation if Perodua or Daihatsu were to enter the Indian market.
ALPINA BMW said,
“max 88, if proton bought rover, it’d be worse than what bmw did to rover when they bought it.”
>Really? How about Proton buying up Chrysler(or Cry-sler?) since it’s going on the cheap now? I mean for staying long term in Indian market, Proton gotta beat Maruti Suzuki by cross-breed Jeep Wrangler and Proton Juara to face off popular Maruti Jeep SJ410. Something fugly but practical, enough to scare off all the baddies just like inside Tamil movie.
If it’s fail then Proton can still sell off Chrysler for Rp1.00, tax-free.
Kingbrutal said,
“maybe next time Proton shouldn’t announced anything… but then again it would hurt it’s corperate image.”
>Better for us to review Proton here than being embarrassed worldwide in Top Gear or Times Motoring News.
my own car is saga,but i really regret……..handleling bad,signal position bad,gear change bad………..n more