We were at Proton’s Centre of Excellence this afternoon, where the carmaker and Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) unveiled the Teksi 1Malaysia. As revealed last month (click here to read more about the taxi revamp), the 1Malaysia taxi is a Proton Exora MPV with a factory-fitted NGV system and tank.
The NGV tank is situated inside the car, behind the second row of seats. Since this modified Exora is meant to be a five-seat “budget taxi” (with RM3 starting fare, as opposed to the executive types) the third row of seats have been removed to create a big boot, which can swallow up quite a few large trolley bags, as demonstrated below.
Available as a manual or automatic, pure petrol or NGV-equipped (up to the driver, although most will opt for gas), the 1Malaysia taxi comes with two airbags, ABS, EBD leather seats and special cab accessories such as a taxi meter and credit/debit card reader. Yes, you can now pay cab fares electronically, like in Singaporean taxis.
SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar explained that the taxi’s price is around RM64,000, before a RM5,000 government grant disbursed by the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB). This 1Malaysia taxi is for individual drivers, who can get special loans from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) of up to nine years. The daily cost is around RM28.50 for the driver, payable monthly like regular HP loans, journalists were told.
Deliveries of the 1,000 units of the Proton Exora NGV 1Malaysia taxi will start in June this year.
