It’s on to Australia and the third round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) this weekend, where Proton is hoping for a change in fortunes at the 2012 International Rally of Queensland.

The first two rounds, in the Rallies of Whangarei and New Caledonia, have made for a challenging start to the season for the team. Swede PG Andersson clinched second place in Rally Whangarei, but despite both Andersson and reigning APRC champ Alister McRae demonstrating incredible pace in the Satria Neo S2000 in New Caledonia, retirements meant they did not go on to secure an overall position

Rally Queensland will be run over a total distance of 863 km, consisting of 19 special stages. The longest special stage is some 33.25 km while the shortest measures just two kilometres. McRae returns to the grueling Australian rally having finished fourth last year, while for Andersson, this weekend’s three-day event will be his first time out Down under.

Meanwhile, out to defend his title in Australia will be reigning 2WD APRC champion Karamjit Singh and defending APRC junior champion Akira Bamba in the Proton Cusco Rally Team 1600cc Satria Neos – they will be joined by a third driver, Kenneth Koh.

Ahead of the race, Proton celebrated an early “victory” when the Satria Neo S2000 piloted by Andersson won a sprint test against a helicopter – the event was organised for the second year running to promote the Rally of Queensland.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The sixth and final My Proton Makeover project car was unveiled this afternoon, when R3 Head of Engineering Tengku Djan Ley handed back the keys of this 1991 Saga Aeroback to its first and only owner, Madam Lee Koon Gaik. The 54-year old homemaker was ecstatic, and couldn’t recognise her ride, which has been thoroughly “overhauled” by the R3 team.

Lee said she liked the new colour and “comfortable seats” the most. “The whole appearance of the car has changed,” she exclaimed, going on to explain that the although the 21-year old Saga was difficult to start at times, and the air con wasn’t as strong as she liked, it had no major problems. It’s the only car that serves her and her retired husband, and she uses it to visit the market and fetch kids to school.

The thrifty lady from Seri Kembangan even sewed the car’s torn cushions herself, although none of that can be seen now with black leather and alcantara covering the cabin. The “furry” material is also found on the dashboard and original steering wheel. R3 also threw in red piping and a Sony single-DIN player.

Tengku Djan explained that the goal for this car was to “keep it as stock as possible” with some R3 touches. The top drifter also revealed that Madam Lee’s Saga was one of the easier cars to do – some of the previous chosen ones had specific requests, and some cars looked decent but were less pretty under the skin.

“Understanding her driving patterns as she uses her car for daily errands, we worked to give the car a more pleasurable drive. The engine and gearbox were rebuilt without adding any performance enhancements or mods, with the exhaust system being tweaked to improve torque without making it loud or noisy.

“Considering that she does a considerable amount of town driving, the car’s suspension was upgraded to improve ride comfort. To improve the car’s stability, we went with 16-inch wheels which will enhance the car’s overall road holding ability,” Djan added.

As a Saga owner myself, I really like the fact that R3 chose to maintain the “classic feel”, retaining the car’s original grill and logo. They would have put in original tail lamps too, but new OEM ones are no longer available. As seen in the work-in-progress images posted yesterday, exterior enhancements include a slim rear spoiler, gunmetal highlights and subtle red pinstripes.

Let’s give the final word to Madam Lee. “I have always maintained that this car would be sufficient to serve me a lifetime. Thank you Proton for your commitment towards simple customers like me, going the extra mile to help me keep this car going,” she said.

Previous My Proton Makeover projects include Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback, Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI and Amirul Azim’s 2001 Satria 1.3.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The My Proton Makeover programme started in August last year with Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, and will end with a Saga of the same vintage. The sixth and final car chosen for a rework by R3 is Madam Lee Lee Koon Gaik’s 1991 Saga, and from these work-in-progress pics, we can see that the beat up Aeroback has been thoroughly refurbished.

R3 has given the homemaker’s trusty car a new (and badly needed) paint job, changing the Saga’s colour to silver. Contrasting gun metal trim with red piping have been added, along with 16-inch R3 alloys. The wheels look identical to those on Fadly’s Saga, but are finished in silver.

The cabin is a mixture of black leather and alcantara, with red piping. It’s quite a sporty look, so perhaps Madam Lee’s sons will also approve of R3′s efforts!

Previous projects include Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback, Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI and Amirul Azim’s 2001 Satria 1.3.

We will be at the final unveiling – stay tuned!

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Car number five in the My Proton Makeover programme has been reunited with its owner – Amirul Azim recently received his 2001 Satria 1.3, all spruced up from the refurbishment, from the good folk at Proton.

Petaling Jaya-born Amirul, who works for an IT management company, described his relationship with the Satria as one that has matured over the years. From his bachelor days, subsequently into marriage and now as a father of two, Amirul’s Satria has seen many miles doing daily commutes to Cyberjaya and regular family visits back to Kuantan.

In expressing his admiration for the brand and the work done by the R3 team when he sent his car in, Amirul mentioned a particular fondness for the Satria Neo R3, so the R3 lads decided to give his car a Fire Red exterior shade, along with a Satria GTI body kit and a limited-edition R3 race splitter, explained R3′s head of engineering Tengku Djan Ley.

Elaborating further, Djan said that Amirul stated his joy for fast driving, as well as his long-distance commuting – as such, in overhauling the car’s engine, tweaks were made to adjust to Amirul’s driving habits to enhance overall performance of his beloved Satria.

A coil-over system was installed to improve the car’s handling, and the rear brakes have been upgraded from drums to discs, giving the Satria better stopping power.

“With regards to the aesthetics, we gave the car’s interior a matching red theme, similar to that of the Satria Neo R3,” Djan added. “Topping it off, we opted to give Amirul a set of 15-inch wheels, so that the acceleration of his 1.3 litre car will not be compromised. This is definitely an impressive package presented by the R3 team, not just with regards to performance and drivability, but also in its styling,” he concluded.

Amirul was certainly a very happy bunny, thanking the R3 team profusely during the handover ceremony. “This unforgettable gift from Proton will forever be etched in my heart. The generosity, time and effort that have been shown to my car and I is immeasurable,” he enthused.

The 2001 Satria joins Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback and Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI as the five makeover specials done so far. The final car due out is a 1991 Saga belonging to homemaker Lee Koon Gaik.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Final two My Proton Makeover cars revealed – Saga, Satria
2. My Proton Makeover – the Satria GTI goes back to Hafiz
3. VIDEO: Proton Satria GTI Makeover #2
4. EXCLUSIVE: Proton Satria GTI Makeover Video #1
5. My Proton Makeover – Iswara goes back to Norzamzarini
6. My Proton Makeover – more in-progress pix of the Iswara
7. My Proton Makeover – and now, a Satria GTI gets redone
8. My Proton Makeover – Sashideran gets his reworked Wira
9. My Proton Makeover – next up, a 17-year-old Wira sedan!
10. My Proton Makeover – 1992 Saga to be first car reworked

I’ve had a go at the Proton Prevé, finally. After hearing so much about it from my colleagues (raves and rants, but more of the former) who attended the preview drive, and seeing the latest Proton in the metal at the launch, a drive event to Cherating in THE car of the moment was not to be missed!

The media drive was divided into two groups, and I drove the Prevé on the return leg from the East Coast to KL. Two variants out of three were brought to the event – the range-topping Preve 1.6 CFE (turbo engine and CVT gearbox) and the entry level 1.6 Manual, powered by the Campro IAFM+ engine.

Continue reading after the jump.

No need to go all technical – after months of teasing, a detailed launch report and drive impressions from two testers, I believe you already know what you need to know, technically.

To briefly recap, the C-segment Prevé is available in three variants – the 1.6 CVT Premium, the 1.6 Executive CVT and 1.6 Executive Manual. The Premium CVT is powered by a turbocharged CFE engine with 138 hp and 205 Nm, while the Executive models come with the naturally-aspirated CamPro IAFM+ engine with 107 hp and 150 Nm.

The turbocharged range-topper does 0-100 km/h in 9.6 seconds and has a top speed of 190 km/h. The cheapest manual variant manages 0-100 in 12 seconds and 180 km/h. The IAFM+ CVT combo is the slowest with 12.5 seconds and 170 km/h.

The most-booked variant so far is the Premium, by a huge margin. In contrast, the stick-shift Prevé is stuck in single digits, percentage wise.

We started the day driving the 1.6 Manual on twisty trunk roads, before upgrading to the Turbo CVT, a good sequence. The base stick-shift Prevé is slow as expected, with acceleration found wanting. This is evident when pulling off from low speeds and when momentum is broken.

Maintaining momentum is key in this variant, and the peaky engine needs to be worked hard in any case. More low to mid-end torque would definitely be welcome.

That said, bear in mind that media drives often involve all-out driving and fast convoys. We were also “chasing” the lead group in the Turbo (and even managed to hang on to some poorly driven examples), so the lack of grunt, especially at the low end, was amplified. The M/T Prevé is slow in context, but is usable in normal driving.

A car is so much more than “power” though, and the Prevé fares very well in other driving aspects. Especially nice is the balance between ride comfort and handling, as well as subjective things such as the feel of the controls.

What stands out the most for me is ride comfort and damping, which is unrivaled in the Asian C-segment sedan class. Many will say “Continental feel,” but I can think of some Euro hatches that could do with this level of composure. It makes bad roads feel good, the Prevé.

This unflappable feel extends to the road holding. Hit a dip or bump mid corner and you’ll know what we mean. The Proton sticks to its line, doesn’t gets thrown off course and the rear end doesn’t hop across horizontal obstacles.

This, combined with the natural feel of the steering and brake pedal, means that Prevé is a car that inspires confidence when driven fast – you always know what the car is doing, and can gauge how much it has in reserve. Not easy to measure, or explain for that matter, but I rather this than plenty of cold hard grip without the confidence.

Since this is a family car, the suspension is on the soft side of the scale, so there’s some roll in tighter bends, but nothing off-putting or too dramatic. The observations above were gleaned from fast country road driving – short customer test drives around the block will reveal a “comfortable” and “easy to drive” car, which is accurate.

What didn’t I like? The instrument panel. The fonts are too flat and stylised for me – difficult to read at a glance. If Proton was trying to achieve a “sporty” feel, they should note that Audi dials, and even those in the Lancer/Inspira, look good and are very legible. Jogging through the multi-info display, I noticed that the “TRIP A” font size is larger than the km reading, when it should be the other way round.

More on the interior. The Turbo comes with a head unit complete with sat-nav, and while this is a good addition, it’s could be better designed. It’s not efficient use of space when the border is so wide, and the screen so small. They could have easily put a bigger screen and just two vertical strips of buttons/dials, VW style, but I’m told that this is an off-the-shelf head unit, and not a clean sheet design.

I’m also not too keen on the gold-ish trim colour in the M/T, preferring the dark wood of the Turbo. No complaints on the ergonomics, though. Everything is on hand and the driving position is good.

Moving on, the 1.6 CVT Premium is a much faster car, obviously. But fast is not the first impression I get, and it’s most probably due to the stepless gearbox. I may not be a fan of CVT, but I recognise that this type of transmission – chosen here for both cost and fuel economy – can be painless and relaxing when done right. Nissan does CVTs well, and the Sylphy is a great example of how the ‘box can add to the driving experience.

Acceleration in the Turbo feels labourious. The key word here is “feels,” because a glance at the speedo needle shows that we’re making good progress. Initial lag, a low-rpm drone and a faint whine throughout means that the Punch CVT isn’t the most “regular automatic-like” CVT in the market. The manual mode feels artificial as well, and the steering paddles work with toy-like tactility.

The 1.6 CFE could be a great engine, but we’ll only get to know it better with a proper manual gearbox or a regular torque converter automatic. The latter is unlikely, because a five- or six-speed unit is costly, and Proton has already gone well down the CVT route.

I reached KL with mixed feelings. The Prevé is a good car to drive and live with (decent looks, lots of space, good NVH), and it has a great package of comfort, handling and feel. Many will be well served by Proton’s latest, I’m sure, but there’s not one variant that’s “just nice” for Mr. Picky here.

The CFE has the kit list, nicer cabin and pace, but its CVT isn’t on par with the best out there. The entry-level manual, on the other hand, has the correct gearbox (I own two manual cars) but lacks pace. I didn’t get to try the CVT/IAFM+ combo, but Anthony and Chris told me not to bother!

So my ideal Prevé doesn’t exist yet – as you can probably guess by now, it’s a 1.6 CFE Manual!

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Left-hand drive Proton Prevé caught testing in Shah Alam!
2. Proton Edar clarifies viral Proton Preve accident pix
3. Proton Prevé convoy brings the showroom to the people
4. Proton Prevé – rendering of the P3-22A hatchback
5. Proton Prevé Sapphire – hints of a coming SE version?
6. Much-anticipated Proton Prevé launched: RM60k – RM73k!
7. VIDEO: Proton Prevé – Interview with Tajul Zahari, Proton’s Director of Engineering Division
8. Proton Prevé – our first impressions of the IAFM+ and CFE
9. VIDEO: The new Proton Prevé name – Proton Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal explains the name
10. Hello P3-21A, are you called the Proton Prevé?

If you’ve been looking to kit up your Proton Inspira, Gen-2 or Satria Neo with R3 gear, then this will definitely be of interest. Came across a Proton Motorsports promotion on R3 performance parts and styling accessories while browsing the Proton corporate website.

On the going list are a number of styling, handling and performance parts – among the items are R3 4-2-1 headers for the Neo CPS and CamPro as well as the Gen-2 CPS, a Neo R3 spring set and Neo CamPro, Gen-2 and Inspira bodykits. The promo runs until June 30, so plenty of time to peruse the stuff, if you’re so inclined.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Volkswagen Polo R Line – gets more aggressive styling
2. BMW F30 3-Series launch: BMW M Performance kit display
3. New parts plant for UMW Toyota’s next generation Camry
4. Chevrolet Cruze and Captiva – promotion on both vehicles until Dec 31 in the Chevrolet Centennial Celebration
5. Honda Malaysia halts CKD plant due to parts shortage
6. Ford to buy 60 billion baht of Thai made parts per year
7. Proton and Mitsubishi strategic collaboration – Proton to build cars/engines for MMC, parts sharing for small car!
8. BMW Performance Diesel Power Kit for 320d – 197hp!
9. UMW Toyota expands its parts distribution centre facility

The Proton Prevé has been launched, so what are these testing pics doing here? Snapped by the male (it has to be) behind justanothermale.blogspot.com, these two pics are of left-hand drive Prevés undergoing testing in Shah Alam.

The first image shows the rear of the Prevé sporting an “LH DRIVE” sticker. In what looks like a highway rest stop, the blogger approached the cars for a chat with the testers and snapped a pic of the steering on the left side.

No surprise here, since the Prevé is Proton’s first global car, and exports are part of the masterplan. Traditional export markets for Proton are the UK and Australia, where the Prevé will be launched in September. More recently, the national carmaker started selling in neghbouring markets such as Thailand and Indonesia. These are all right-hand drive markets.

The emergence of LHD mules signals Proton’s intent to sell the Prevé in countries that drive on the right side of the road. Possible markets are China (where Proton has a collaboration with Youngman) and Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Click here to read our Prevé launch report and here for drive impressions.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Own a Perodua? Have a memorable tale to tell about it? Well, Perodua wants to hear from you about your Perodua experiences, and with over two million Peroduas on the road, there surely has to be a great many stories waiting to be told.

The company has kicked off an initiative called What’s your Perodua story?, essentially a means to connect with its drivers and hear from them. In a nutshell, Perodua is looking to understand what matters to owners, and is hoping to find out what their needs and wants are.

So, it could well be a story about your car and the journey you’ve had together, or maybe a suggestion on how the company can further improve its cars or services. The point is, the company wants to hear what you, the Perodua owner, has to say.

The company is hoping to put the stories from the campaign to good use; bouquets will undoubtedly be appreciated and savoured, while suggestions will provide an avenue for change and improvement.

Perodua’s MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh will be closely involved with the campaign, and says that he’s keenly anticipating what owners have to say – as he puts it, who else better is there to learn from than the people who drive the cars?

You can share your Perodua story by clicking here.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. BNM guidelines hurting Perodua, first quarter sales down
2. BNM new guideline: Perodua seeks staged implementation
3. Perodua donates RM300k to School in Hospital project
4. Perodua to go the sedan and above 1.5L capacity route?
5. Perodua to acquire Yayasan Melaka land for new 3S Centre
6. It’s not called SE – Perodua Myvi Extreme 1.5 spotted!
7. Perodua sales up by 85%, orders for new Myvi hit 25k units
8. Perodua Myvi Jet and Perodua Myvi Sport Silver special editions launched for the UK market
9. 2011 Perodua Myvi – last of the spyshots before launch?
10. Join the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia: Stories That Drive You, Drive Us Facebook Photo Story Competition

Round 2 of the 2012 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) has ended, and the New Caledonia rally was won by Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill. The Indian driver’s teammate Chris Atkinson made it a 1-2 for the Skoda Fabia S2000 powered team. In third spot was Kiwi Brian Green in his Mitsubishi Lancer.

Team Proton headed to the Pacific island with high hopes but failed to convert strong pace into strong results. APRC debutant PG Andersson led the rally from the start and set fastest times in three of the four special stages, but the second day saw the Swede’s car experience an abrupt loss of power as a result of a water crossing, a predicament that would later cost him to lose more than 14 minutes.

After a new head gasket at final service. Andersson’s final day fightback lasted only 6km before the engine stopped once again, this time for good.

Things didn’t go well in the other Proton, too. APRC defending champ Alister McRae retired in SS2 but continued on the final day under Super Rally format, winning three of the day’s six special stages to secure seven championship points. But he wasn’t eligible for a podium finish.

“We had hoped for a repeat of last year’s double podium results in New Caledonia but the reality of rallying is such that all the hardwork and preparation is never a guarantee of a strong finish,” said Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood, Head of Proton Motorsports.

The next APRC round is the Rally of Queensland in late May. The Aussie rally will be the third of six rounds this season, and it’s vital for Proton to get back to winning ways Down Under if they are to prevent Team MRF from running away with their title. Still early days, though.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The second round of this year’s FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) will happen in New Caledonia this weekend. Defending champions Proton return to the Pacific island in search of their first win of the year, after finishing second and fourth in the opening rally in New Zealand.

The drivers in action are APRC reigning champion Alister McRae and Swedish driver PG Andersson – the latter is in his first full APRC season and will be competing in New Caledonia for the first time. Proton’s main rivals will once again be the Skoda Fabia S2000s of Team MRF.

As defending champion, McRae will again be in the unenviable position of having to start the rally first, clearing the road for the other drivers behind him.

“Winning the championship last year means I am first on the road on all the rounds this year and that was quite a disadvantage on the first round in New Zealand, but I don’t think it will be so much in New Caledonia. The rain is likely to have washed away much of the loose gravel from the surface before we got there and it’s possible that running at the front might even give us a small advantage,” said the optimistic Scot.

Teammate PG is ready to bounce back from the Kiwi bad luck which cost him an outright victory in the opening round. Comfortably setting fastest times en route to winning 11 of the 16 special stages in New Zealand, Andersson caught a puncture to surrender the lead. “One thing for sure is that I’m starting this event as I start every event – to win. I have never been to this rally before, so it’s always exciting to try some new roads,” he said.

Based in Noumea on Grande Terre, the largest island in New Caledonia, Rally New Caledonia moves through beautiful lush vegetation and farming plains, and will be contested over a competitive distance of 252.82 km covering 19 special stages.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The Edge Financial Daily reported today that Proton Holdings Bhd is well on its way to being delisted from Bursa Malaysia after new owners DHB-Hicom had secured over 90% equity interest through its takeover offer. As of 5pm yesterday, DRB-Hicom owns 90.02% stake in Proton as announced by the company’s advisers Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd.

DRB-Hicom now has the freedom of restructuring Proton without the need to answer to the minority shareholders. There is also speculation that Proton’s Shah Alam plant will integrate its operations with those of Tanjung Malim. Consequently, the land in Shah Alam will be sold or redeveloped.

The report continues to note that the privatisation of Proton will create a sizable automotive entity that would rival the Perodua-Toyota Malaysia alliance that lists Toyota Japan, Permodalan Nasional Bhd and Daihatsu Japan as its key shareholders. The shockwaves of DRB-Hicom’s move will send tremors to certain parts vendors; DRB-Hicom is known to have an extensive automotive parts manufacturing business and it might be sourcing parts from its own backyard.

When asked about the fate of Lotus Group, DRB-Hicom was quick to put the stopper on the rumour mill. The conglomerate also renounced the knowledge that Lotus would be sold to Youngman or be put under administration. As of now, DRB-Hicom is still supporting Lotus Group financially and management-wise.

Read the full report here: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlights/212366-drb-hicom-on-track-to-delist-proton.html

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. SEAT Ibiza Cupra close-to-production concept in Beijing
2. Proton P3-21A meter panel shown at Proton Power of 1
3. VIDEO: Proton P3-21A slalom demo at Proton Power of 1
4. Proton P3-21A handling prowess to be showcased at Proton Power of 1 showcase event at Bukit Jalil
5. Proton POWER OF 1 automotive showcase – five-day mega display of all things Proton at Bukit Jalil on March 14-18
6. Proton & YES 4G to unveil special edition Proton Inspira?
7. Trading of Proton and DRB-Hicom shares suspended on Bursa, official announcement to come soon
8. Three-way fight for Proton stake shaping up – DRB-Hicom, Naza and Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi involved?
9. Proton and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia sign MoU to collaborate on innovation activities in automotive sector
10. Proton and Mitsubishi strategic collaboration – Proton to build cars/engines for MMC, parts sharing for small car!

Ni hao from Beijing! Youngman Lotus took the wraps off this relatively handsome high-rider at the very busy Auto China 2012 earlier today. We’re here covering it live. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is hardly earth-shattering news, but this vehicle may become the base for Proton’s first SUV in the near future.

Dubbed the T5, the front-wheel-drive pre-production vehicle is based on the Proton Gen-2 platform and therefore shares the same 2,600 mm wheelbase. A four-wheel-drive version is also planned.

It will have two engine choices when it officially goes on sale in China at the end of the year: the Campro CPS and its turbocharged CFE variant, both displacing 1.6 litres. The Campro engines are built under license in China and Proton receive royalties from Youngman in exchange for the usage of their engines.

Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin, who was present at the Youngman stand, said that talks are ongoing between Proton and the Chinese-British joint venture, and Proton may adopt the T5 as its first SUV if things pan out – Syed Zainal added that if this comes about, there will be some repackaging involved for the local model.

The T5′s nose shares some similarities with the recently-launched Proton Preve‘s front end, particularly in the visual relationship between headlamp and grille. However, Lotus engineers declined to comment on Proton’s involvement in the project.

Unfortunately, the interior was shut from prying bodies, but a quick peek inside revealed an elegant-looking interior, complete with leather seats – we did manage to get a shot of the gear shift column, if only to hint at how it shapes up.

Prices for the T5 variants have not been confirmed, but are estimated at 115,000 to 130,000 RMB (RM57,500 to RM65,000).

Founded in 2001, China Youngman Automobile Group predominantly produces buses and trucks, but sells the Gen-2 and Persona in China under the Youngman Lotus and Europestar brands.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Proton in talks with Turkish company to assemble Protons in Turkey – JV to develop a Turkish car probable
2. Welch Motorsport to expand to running two NGTC Protons in 2012 BTCC – current BTCC Persona goes on display
3. Youngman SUV spied in China – based on the Lotus APX?
4. Saab sale to Pang Da and Youngman to be reworked, after GM makes objections over the deal
5. Saab ends investment deal with Youngman, Pang Da
6. Saab and Youngman to form joint venture to develop three new models: the 9-1, 9-6 and 9-7
7. Saab-Youngman JV to build three new models in Sweden
8. Saab’s adventure continues – Youngman joins the party
9. IRC Yalta Rally Ukraine: Two Protons in top 10 after Leg 1
10. BREAKING: Group Lotus is sole owner of “Lotus” name in F1, but Team Lotus can still race under its present name

Its architecture design is similar to that of Proton’s Platinum Showroom in Mutiara Damansara, PJ. Among the exterior features are the slanting façade and frameless glass walls. It also boasts a huge glass entrance, a spacious and comfortable customer lounge, dedicated discussion rooms, a pantry, restrooms and Surau.

This latest Platinum Showroom occupies 619 square metres and has an ample floor area to display six Proton models. The Showroom also features a dedicated covered car delivery area that fits two more cars.

The opening ceremony also saw the presentation of keys to the five early bird customers of the Prevé. Feroza Ghulam Sarwar, Ng Chee Thong, Ahamad Shahril Zainuddin and Zainal Abidin Sulaiman took delivery of a Prevé CVT Premium model while Nurhafizah Hamrun drove home her Metallic Blue Lagoon Prevé CVT Executive model.

The showroom’s opening also marks the conclusion of the five-day Proton Prevé Motorcade, which toured the country to share the excitement of the car company’s first global car.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Proton Prevé convoy brings the showroom to the people
2. Nasim opens Peugeot 2S centre in Balakong
3. World’s largest BMW showroom opens in Abu Dhabi
4. Volkswagen opens its latest showroom in Kuantan
5. Jalan Tun Razak flooded – be careful with your cars!
6. New Volkswagen showroom opens in Ipoh, 10th in M’sia
7. Infiniti opens new KL showroom, unveils range – EX and FX crossovers, M Sedan and G Coupe, RM380k to RM435k
8. Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC and Dorsoduro 1200 launched in Malaysia – new Aprilia flagship showroom opens
9. Proton Saga FLX with CVT and ABS seen in showroom!

A set of images picturing a Proton Preve suffering accident damage causing the front right wheel to appear crushed in has been making its way all around the internet today, especially on social media spaces such as Facebook and forums.

Proton Edar’s Facebook account has posted a clarification on what they are claiming actually happened with the car. According to Proton Edar, the accident happened around 4.45pm yesterday where the red Proton Preve in the picture driven by a Proton Edar sales advisor hit a divider and landed in a such a manner that caused the lower arm to break, resulting in the awkward position of the front wheel in the photo.

We think Proton Edar has used its social media channel effectively in this case – rather than try to bury the story it has come out to try to explain what actually happened (many people were coming up with their own conclusions on how the wheel ended up in such a position), and signed off with an advice to everyone to drive safe so that such accidents would not happen. Of course, only those at the scene would have really 100% known what really took place exactly. There doesn’t appear to be much other damage that can be seen on the car other than the wheel.

Perhaps the sales advisor was too enthusiastic about the new turbo engine’s torque. We at paultan.org would also like to remind everyone to drive safe. Proton has entered a new era with turbocharged engines in two of their models now – the Preve and the Exora Bold. The new turbo engine makes more torque at a lower RPM than most people are used to, so don’t go crazy before you learn your new car’s limits.

Give yourself some time to get acquainted with the car, which is especially hard to do if it’s a test drive unit – there’s definitely not enough time to learn the car’s full behaviour! It’s really not necessary to drive a test drive car as if you stole it just because you can – after all how often are you going to trash your car during your course of ownership?

You can click the image above to view the full message or head onto Proton Edar’s Facebook.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Proton’s Prevé is a crowd puller all right – not only did it push this website’s April 17 pageviews to over 1.6 million hits, Proton showrooms were full of people wanting to touch, feel and drive Proton’s global car. For those who haven’t yet seen the car, Proton will be bringing the showroom to the people, so to speak.

The Prevé nationwide motorcade was flagged off from Sri Pentas in Bandar Utama two days ago. The convoy consists of eight Prevés, four Inspiras, and one unit each of the Persona and Exora.

The first stop was Proton’s Platinum Showroom in nearby Mutiara Damansara, where Group MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin presented keys to the Prevé’s first few owners. Next stop was the EON showroom in Jalan Chan Sow Lin, KL. The motorcade then proceeded to make two more stopovers – Menara Maybank on Jalan Pudu, and at the Ambank HQ on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.

After the city tour, the convoy headed south to Senawang and Melaka before stopping for the night in JB. Yesterday saw the fleet travel 560 km covering Yong Peng, Segamat, Bahau, Temerloh, Mentakab and Kuantan.

A 450 km journey awaits them today, where the Prevé will visit East Coast towns Kemaman, Dungun, Kuala Terengganu, Jerteh, Bachok and Kota Bahru, followed by the towns of Tanah Merah, Jeli, Baling, Sik, Alor Setar, Sungai Petani and Penang. The final day of the five-day tour will see stopovers in Juru, Ipoh and finally at Jalan Ampang, where Syed Zainal will launch a new Proton showroom.

We have covered the Prevé extensively. Click here for the main launch report, here for some videos and here to view the Sapphire concept. We’ve also driven the car, read the report here.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

At the preview drive of the just-launched Prevé earlier in the month, mention was made that the next Proton offering on the cards will be the P3-22A, which is a hatchback variant of the form. The word on the grapevine hints that the car is “ready,” though at exactly what level remains a mystery.

Automotive manipulation guru Theophilus Chin offers a take on how things might shape up with the next one, working on the assumption that it’s a hatchback (and not a notchback). The hatch version of the Prevé is likely to have export markets set squarely in its sights – what do you think of Theo’s venture of a Prevé without a tail?

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Perodua released a statement yesterday announcing sales figures for the first quarter of the year. Unusually for the market leader, it wasn’t another record breaking quarter, but a drop in sales.

Sales fell 11% in March to 16,000 vehicles sold, compared with 18,000 vehicles sold in the same month last year. In a quarter-to-quarter comparison, Perodua’s sales eased 2.2% to 44,700 vehicles for the first three months of this year, from 45,700 units recorded in Q1 2011.

The company attributes this drop in sales to the new guidelines on responsible financing introduced by Bank Negara Malaysia in January, which tightened the criteria for hire purchase loans.

“Based on the data we have compiled, the Viva is the worst hit with a 19% drop in sales in the first quarter of this year to 13,000 units from 16,000 units registered in the first three months of 2011,” Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said, adding that the current loan approval rate by banks were significantly lower than usual. He also said that BNM’s move is delaying loan approvals, while some loans were approved at a much reduced amount.

“Due to this delay it takes an average of 20 days to know the outcome of a loan application instead of three days previously, and this is having a huge impact to not just the manufacturers but also to the entire automotive eco-system,” Aminar added.

Combined, all these have resulted in high inventory levels at Perodua’s stockyards, which in turn has increased cost for the independent dealers, it was revealed. “We are currently compiling the data on the effects of the new guidelines to share with the relevant stakeholders and are still hopeful that a solution could be found and that the loan application process could be brought back to normal soon,” the Perodua boss said.

Another vocal opponent of BNM’s new guidelines is the Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA). Read their list of grouses here. Media reports have quoted the Malaysian Automotive Association as saying that the total industry volume (TIV) for Q1 2012 shrank 12.6% to 138,544 vehicles year-on-year.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Subaru BRZ set for fourth quarter Malaysian launch – first impressions and full gallery from Singapore
2. Clarion launches Mirage, the first Android-based OEM grade car stereo – retail sales to start in fourth quarter
3. Proton Edar Dealers Association reports only 30% loan approval rate in Jan, asks for review of BNM guidelines
4. Hyundai sells 2.95 million units worldwide through third quarter 2011 – sales up by 10% over same period in 2010
5. BYD sales decline by 20%, sales boss resigns as a result
6. Perodua sales up by 85%, orders for new Myvi hit 25k units
7. Chevrolet Hari Raya Sales and After-Sales Campaign 2011
8. Perodua Myvi Jet and Perodua Myvi Sport Silver special editions launched for the UK market
9. New Hyundai Elantra to be launched in fourth quarter 2011

We grabbed three videos off the wall last night during the launch of the Proton Prevé. Just in case you have not read our launch report yet, click here.

In the first of three videos, which Proton calls “The Making of Proton Prevé”, shows the work that went into making the national car company’s first global car. The video also features the respective head of departments and their insights into the thought that goes into the different aspects of the car. Then the video moves on to the hopes and dreams that the citizens of Proton have for the Prevé.

The second video is the launch of the Prevé by the Prime Minister. Three colours were on stage – Genetic Silver, Fire Red and Blue Lagoon. Directly after that was the debut of the Prevé’s TV commercial.

Final video shows Jean Alesi at the wheel of the Prevé. He gives us his thoughts on how the Prevé drives – the power, the braking and the handling. Then he moves to the design of the car and how he likes its shape. Also, watch out for French tiger claws.

Thanks for watching.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. VIDEO: Proton P3-21A full teaser video at Power of 1
2. VIDEO: Proton P3-21A teaser video at Proton Power of 1
3. VIDEO: Proton P3-21A teased on TV3′s Buletin Utama
4. Great Wall making great strides in its Dakar programme
5. Volkswagen to start making electric cars in China by 2014
6. Malaysia in discussions with automakers about making the country a hybrid and EV assembly/distribution point
7. French flair: Peugeot 508 test drive report from Spain
8. Peugeot 4008 – French Mitsu ASX, with the lion badge
9. Citroen C4 Aircross – the French Mitsubishi ASX
10. BMW ConnectedDrive – making for a smarter, safer drive

At the Proton Prevé launch last night at the MIECC, a special version of the car was also seen – the Sapphire, as it’s called, is a concept drawn up by Proton Design to showcase the possibilities with the Prevé.

The car features a matte gun-metal finish, and the shade does look very fetching in the metal. Changes from the base version include a dark tan leather interior and two-tone five-spoke 18-inch alloys wrapped with Yokohama S.drive 225/40 series rubbers. Oh, and the braking system elements and ride height have seen changes as well.

There’s also a new, dynamic-looking front bumper, which transforms the nose and tightens the frontal presentation of the car – Proton’s head of styling, Azlan Othman, mentioned that the bumper is set to see the light of day at some point in the future.

Also on, new side skirts and a revised rear bumper, with additional lip strapped on.
There’s plenty of contrast play against the matte exterior shade finish – silver highlights on the bumpers, brushed metal bits and window-frame chrome bezels dress things up further.

It looks sharp, the Sapphire. Word has it that this is a bit of a peek into what may turn out to be a Special Edition version in the months ahead. Like what you see?

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The wait is over. Proton has officially introduced its latest addition to the fold with the arrival of the Prevé. The car was launched an hour ago by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, at the Mines Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan.

It’s a huge car for the company, as its managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin stated at the launch. “The Prevé is a very important milestone for Proton in many ways. It represents a new and higher level of standard for Proton cars in all aspects encompassing safety, performance, comfort, build quality, technology, overall design and convenience,” he said.

“More significantly, it reflects on Proton’s maturity, technical knowledge and technological capability as a car manufacturer and to evolve from a domestic and regional player into a global car company,” he added.

As mentioned in our preview article about the car, the Prevé is available in three variant forms at point of launch, with two engine permutations and three transmissions – the list is led by the 1.6 CVT Premium, in turbocharged CamPro CFE form, followed by the 1.6 Executive CVT and 1.6 Executive five-speed manual, which both feature the normally-aspirated CamPro IAFM+ mill.

Both CVT-equipped variants feature a Punch CVT drivetrain – the High-line CFE variant gets the seven-speed VT3, dubbed the ProTronic, while the Medium-line spec’d IAFM+ runs with the six-speed VT2. The VT3 transmission is a derivative of the VT2 – both share the same package, but the VT3 is capable of higher maximum input torques (215 Nm as opposed to the VT2‘s 186 Nm).

Speaking of output, the CFE – which features a low-pressure turbocharger – is good for 138 hp at 5,000 rpm and 205 Nm between 2,000 – 4,000 rpm, and performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 9.6 seconds and a maximum top speed of 190 km/h. As for fuel consumption, the CFE manages 6.6 litres per 100 km, based on a combined cycle.

As for the IAFM+, the mill equips the two M-Line versions of the car, and output numbers for this one are 107 hp at 5,750 rpm and 150 Nm at 4,000 rpm. As for performance specs, the CVT version has a 170 km/h top speed and a 12.5 second 0-100 km/h time, while the manual does 180 km/h tops and does the century sprint in 12.0 seconds.

Consumption-wise, Proton states that the IAFM+ offers 5.8 litres per 100 km for the CVT version, while the five-speed manual manages 6.2 litres per 100 km, both sets on a combined cycle measurement.

Dimensions-wise, the Prevé measures in at 4,543 mm long, 1,786 mm wide and 1,524 mm tall, and has a 2,650 mm wheelbase. Both the front and rear track is identical at 1,542 mm each, and the car has a ground clearance of 155 mm, and all the numbers are universal across the Prevé model range.

As mentioned in an earlier story about its dimensions, the Prevé is larger than its two predecessors, the Waja and the Persona – here’s a recap of the comparative figures. The earlier figures were accurate, with only a single mm difference in the width (earlier reported as 1,785 mm) as well as with the boot capacity of 508 litres (earlier, 506 litres) being the only items needing revision.

Elsewhere, a recap too in comparing the Prevé with other C-segment sedans, including its own Mitsubishi-derived stablemate, the Proton Inspira, as the table below shows. The comparison is based on models with the biggest engines and specs (and thus the heaviest). The only thing missing from the table is the boot space capacity of the Inspira – it’s not the same as the Lancer, since the boot floor is raised to fit a full-sized spare.

Meanwhile, in terms of kerb weight, the 1.6 Premium CFE tips the scales at 1,340 kg, while the 1.6 Executive CVT is 1,325 kg and the Executive manual is the lightest of the trio, at 1,305 kg. The car comes with a 50 litre capacity fuel tank.

Suspension type is a MacPherson front and multilink rear, and all three variants wear 10-spoke 16-inch alloys, with GT Radial Champiro 205/55 series tyres, and features ventilated front /solid rear disc brakes. Water-resistant fabric seats feature across the range, as does hydraulic power steering – the choice for the latter was explained in our preview story.

Kit-wise, the Prevé comes with front and rear fog lamps, follow-me-home lights, driver’s seat height adjustment, vehicle immobiliser, projector headlamps with LED position lamps as well as ABS with EBD and dual SRS airbags as standard across the entire model range.

The top-of-the-range CFE gets brake assist and traction control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Isofix seat mountings as well as two side airbags on top of that found as standard fare. It also gets tinted window film as part of the kit.

As expected, the CFE also comes loaded with the bells and whistles in terms of features and functions, with a push-start ignition, cruise control, auto headlamps, auto wipers, auto climate air-conditioning, a rear spoiler and a CD/MP3 player with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectivity and integrated touchscreen GPS navigation unit.

There’s also a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto fold side mirrors and steering-mounted paddle shifters. Both the Executive variants don’t get leather for the steering wheel, but all three variants feature steering audio controls. Likewise, the CD/MP3 player on the two Executive versions come with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectivity, but the GPS navigation is an external (portable) unit.

The vehicle is also equipped with a Smart Information Display system (SID) that displays information such as average fuel consumption, distance to empty, battery health and faulty bulb indicator, gear shift lock indicator, home lamp indicator and vehicle intrusion warning, among others. And also on is on the move WiFi – the Prevé comes YES 4G-enabled.

Six colours are available across the range for the Prevé, and these are Blue Lagoon, Fire Red, Genetic Silver, Solid White, Tranquility Black and a new shade called Elegant Brown. Ah, yes, prices are as follows (on-the-road, inclusive of insurance):

• The Prevé 1.6 Premium CVT: RM72,990 (metallic) and RM72,540 (solid)
• The Prevé 1.6 Executive CVT: RM62,990 (metallic) and RM62,540 (solid)
• The Prevé 1.6 MT Executive: RM59,990 (metallic) and RM59,540 (solid)

A first for Proton – the Prevé comes with a full five-year or 150,000 km warranty (whichever comes first). As of tonight, there have been 1,200 bookings for the car, with around 75% being for the CFE-equipped version.

By the way, about the surprise mentioned in our preview … we still don’t know what it is, because it was never mentioned during the launch!

Update: More pictures of launch in the gallery, and studio shots as well as brochure scans incorporated. Also, the official TVC of the Proton Prevé in all three languages, as seen below.

Proton Prevé Official TVC: English

Proton Prevé Official TVC: Bahasa Melayu

Proton Prevé Official TVC: Mandarin

Report by Anthony Lim, Danny Tan and Chris Ng. Photos by Sherman Sim.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

The Proton Prevé is set to be officially launched by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, later tonight. We’ll be there to cover the event, and will be bringing you all the details about the car when it’s formally introduced, so do check back tonight.

We’ve already previewed the Prevé in both its 1.6 litre turbocharged CFE and normally-aspirated IAFM+ forms through a test drive session a couple of weeks ago, but you’ll finally get to know everything about the car tonight, from price to the entire features and kit to be found on it. Stay tuned for more!

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. VIDEO: Proton Prevé – Interview with Tajul Zahari, Proton’s Director of Engineering Division
2. Proton Prevé – our first impressions of the IAFM+ and CFE
3. Jaguar F-type confirmed, full details later in the year
4. VIDEO: The new Proton Prevé name – Proton Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal explains the name
5. Proton Prevé – test drive vehicle a sign of arrival soon?
6. Proton Prevé app – more proof of the P3-21A’s name?
7. Hello P3-21A, are you called the Proton Prevé?
8. Proton “The Transporter” contest – win a 4-day/3-night all-expense-paid trip to watch the Singapore GP
9. 2011 Perodua Myvi – full details and first impressions
10. 2011 Perodua Myvi D54T to be launched tomorrow night

As a follow-up to our previous breaking news, here’s the official statement from Proton that just came in:

“We refer to the news report in The Edge Financial Daily dated April 10, 2012 on the resignation of Proton’s group managing director, Datuk Seri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir. Proton is not aware of the source of this speculation. Datuk Seri Syed Zainal is still holding the position of the group managing director of Proton, and his services are still required in the company.

The post-acquisition exercise is still proceeding smoothly and upon the completion of the same, Proton is expected to have a strong synergy of current and new management team members that will provide Proton with the necessary impetus to lead the company in its aspiration to become a globally successful automotive player.”

Read the statement closely and you’ll see that Proton is not denying nor confirming the speculation of the resignation. As far as Proton is concerned, Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin is still in the driving seat.

However, according to The Malaysian Insider, Syed Zainal has indeed resigned and will remain in Proton until the middle of the year, when he will have completed his notice period. This means that Syed Zainal will be present to launch the Prevé, Proton’s global car that was conceived under his watch.

The report adds that the person being lined up to fill DSZ’s position is DRB-Hicom COO Datuk Lukman Ibrahim who, like Syed Zainal, once held a top managerial position in Perodua. What is undeniable is the fact that the post-acquisition exercise is still on-going and there are more changes to be expected once the dust settles.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. BREAKING: Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin resigns?
2. VIDEO: The new Proton Prevé name – Proton Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal explains the name
3. Lotus appoints Mansory as Official Customisation Studio
4. Proton P3-21A handling prowess to be showcased at Proton Power of 1 showcase event at Bukit Jalil
5. Proton POWER OF 1 automotive showcase – five-day mega display of all things Proton at Bukit Jalil on March 14-18
6. Renault Sport is Official Sponsor of MegaLAP Time Attack
7. Trading of Proton and DRB-Hicom shares suspended on Bursa, official announcement to come soon
8. OFFICIAL DETAILS: Proton Exora Bold Premium & Prime
9. BMW Dynamic Light Spot helps drivers be aware of pedestrians or animals in pitch black situations
10. Proton and Mitsubishi strategic collaboration – Proton to build cars/engines for MMC, parts sharing for small car!

This one is just in. A report from The Edge suggests that Proton’s managing director, Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin, has tendered his resignation from the national automaker.

Sources within the company say that his bow out has apparently been brought about by differences with the future owners of the company, DRB-Hicom, over the change in Proton’s future direction.

The report adds that according to the sources, senior management personnel may follow suit with a flurry of resignations in the coming weeks in light of Syed Zainal’s departure. Senior politicians and government officials have been unsuccessful in persuading Syed Zainal to reconsider his decision, they said.

The resignation is news to many at the national automaker, even with corporate comms, according to the report; meanwhile, a top management source in Proton also said that he is not aware of the resignation. If the news is true, then the resignation and those to potentially follow suit might create a massive power void within the company.

We’ve been informed by Proton that an official statement is being prepared. More news to follow later in the day.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. VIDEO: The new Proton Prevé name – Proton Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal explains the name
2. BREAKING: Datsun brand comeback is confirmed
3. Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil is Proton’s new Chairman
4. Proton chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi resigns – who will DRB-HICOM’s replacement be?
5. BREAKING: CKD Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI available now for RM170,888, same spec as CBU model
6. BREAKING: Subaru BRZ coming to Malaysia next year!
7. Hyundai Motors CEO Steve Yang resigns – his role to be taken up by domestic and foreign sales chiefs
8. BYD sales decline by 20%, sales boss resigns as a result
9. Datuk Seri Najib visits Group Lotus HQ in the UK
10. BREAKING: FHI and Tan Chong to make Malaysia the ASEAN production hub for Subaru, compact SUV first up!

The name of Proton’s P3-21A was officially confirmed yesterday, and the date of its arrival has also been mentioned – the Prevé is set to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on April 16.

Ahead of the car’s premiere, Proton invited the media to a preview and test drive session with the car yesterday in Putrajaya. Photography wasn’t allowed, so we don’t have photos of the Prevé aside from what you see here, which is a selection of highlight shots provided by Proton.

The test drive route was comprehensive enough though, spanning 157 km in total, with both the normally-aspirated IAFM and turbocharged CFE variants driven, so both Anthony and I gained a fair bit of input about the car, which you’ll read about later in the story, but first, other aspects about the Prevé.

Examining the proof a little closer

The Prevé is built on the P2 platform, which is currently used by the Exora. This makes the P2 platform the base in which all larger-sized Protons will be built on. It will also be used for the Exora replacement, code named P6-XXA, due about five years down the road. As for B-segment cars, Proton will be utilising the P1 platform, which is yet to be revealed.

At the preview, Proton revealed its plans in other cars, based on these two platforms – there’s the P3-22A, a hatchback that’s next on the list, as well as the P3-30A, P3-31A and P3-32A.

So, if you add in the Prevé and the P6-XXA to the list, you’ll get six cars in total. It’s unclear as to how the other four will shape up, but the streamline to have two platforms and six products will be achieved by 2014.

Meanwhile, the Prevé will enter the scene not as a Persona replacement, as earlier thought, but placed between the Inspira and the Persona, at least in the immediate term.

To ease segmentation and offer clear differentiation, the Persona will now only be available in its B-Line entry-level specification, ahead of its retirement from the Proton model lineup in about a year and a half from now. Meanwhile, the Inspira 1.8 litre variants will be dropped, though a 2.0 litre manual version is set to join the 2.0 litre CVT in the Inspira lineup.

The Prevé will come in three variant forms, with two engine permutations and three transmissions, and indicative prices are from RM62k to RM75k, as mentioned previously. The two engines are the IAFM+ and the CFE, both 1.6 litre powerplants, and a five-speed Getrag manual is joined by two Punch CVT variations, the VT2 and VT3.

The CFE, to be seen in the High-Line version, comes with a low-pressure turbocharger that delivers 138 hp at 5,000 rpm and 205 Nm between 2,000 – 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed CVT Punch gearbox, the VT3, dubbed the ProTronic.

Figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 9.6 seconds and a maximum top speed of 200 km/h. As for fuel consumption, the CFE gets 8.2 litres per 100km. In all, the numbers that the 1.6 litre CFE generates is said to be similar to that of a 2.0 litre N/A engine.

As for the IAFM+, the mill equips the two M-Line versions of the car, one with the five-speed Getrag manual and the other, a six-speed CVT, in this case the VT2. A thing to note here: the engine and gearbox is the same as seen in the Saga FLX SE, but retuned for the Prevé (no output figures were given at the preview, but it should be the 108 hp as seen on the FLX). Even the accelerator pedal is tweaked to make the best out of the powertrain and drivetrain.

A quick aside on why there are two variations of the Punch CVT box. Essentially, the VT3 transmission is a derivative of the VT2 – both share the same package, but the VT3 is capable of higher maximum input torques (215 Nm as opposed to the VT2‘s 186 Nm).

Currently, the IAFM+ engine is tuned for Euro 4 emissions, and the CFE with CVT is good for Euro 5 emissions. Now, you may think that the Malaysian government has not enforced emission regulations, so why bother. Call it future-proofing, although everyone else has arrived earlier. Already, Thailand is on the verge of starting its eco-car program that gives all sorts of tax breaks to cars that have low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions. Proton is looking at penetrating the Thai market, hence the readiness of more efficient offerings.

Indeed, Proton says that with this car, it has taken its standard operating procedures, shaken it and turned it on its head. Two notable processes, among many others, have been implemented: simultaneous engineering and early vendor involvement. Proton claims that it has already nipped many problems in the bud. It is something they desperately and urgently need to get right.

The point is, Proton has a different goal, and is no longer content with making cars that are just ‘good enough’ for Malaysians, but something with a far more global outreach. The term ‘domestic market’ to Proton now means the whole of ASEAN, specifically, Thailand and Indonesia. And this ‘rethinking’ starts with the Proton Prevé.

As we already know, the Prevé will be Proton’s first global car. The first launch will happen in Malaysia, which is obvious. Three months down the road, Thailand and Indonesia will be getting the car, and the Aussies will see the Prevé a few months after that. While right-hand drive cars are the immediate focal point, a left-hand drive version is on the cards, aimed at the Middle-Eastern market.

One of the major changes done is how the car is manufactured. The Prevé’s body structure incorporates Hot Press Forming (HPF) tensile parts, which ensures better torsional body rigidity without incurring the penalty of extra weight. The Prevé measures in at 19,000 Nm/degree, which is pretty stiff.

In total, there are 12 HPF parts in the car, strategically placed at crucial points and centered around the cabin to reinforce the passenger cell to improve occupant safety; the company even has a snazzy acronym for it – RESS, which stands for Reinforced Safety Structure.

Still on safety, the Prevé’s top shelf variant comes with four airbags, while the two M-Line units will feature two airbags. Interestingly, at the preview, Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin mentioned that the car has been designed to hold up to six airbags. As for crash test safety, the Prevé will be tested based on Australian NCAP specifications, although no results have been announced yet.

Aside from ABS, which is standard across the range, the High-line Prevé will offer Electronic Stability Control. The system was tested extensively in Australia, where three test mules and three pre-production cars were driven on various road conditions to find the optimum delivery package.

The promise is a less intrusive system, which progressively nudges things in terms of assist – it will first trim off the yaw and the roll of the car before sawing off the speed, which is its last option.

We were told that you can turn the ESC off on the car. Hold the switch button for three seconds and you’re driving without tethers. Almost. Even with the ESC set to off, the system will turn itself on once the speed goes past 150 km/h and when you brake, and will turn itself off once again when you you drive below said speed and off the brakes.

Speaking about brakes, Proton claims that the Prevé has the best braking distance among its competitors, stopping in 36.8 metres from 100–0 km/h. The three benchmark segment competitors do the same in 37.6, 41.2 and 51.9 metres, in case you’re wondering.

The suspension system consists of MacPherson struts for the front and a multi-link with stabiliser bar for the rear. Proton looked to the Civic and Focus as a benchmark for the Prevé’s handling, and the car borrows a bit of inspiration from the Focus’ Control Blade rear, with a hybridised version of things known as a knuckle blade. As for its ride, Proton looked to Germany – BMW and Mercedes – for inspiration. Again, more on that later.

What’s also interesting is the fact that the suspension setup has been developed together with the tyre that is worn by the Prevé, in this case a 205/55 series GT Radial featuring a new silica compound and offering the promise of low rolling resistance but good grip. The Prevé wears 16-inch wheels across the range.

A last technical aside, with the choice of traditional hydraulic power steering for the car – Proton has stuck to the tried and tested, saying that its unfamiliar with electronic power steering as yet and would want to put out a product that they have little knowledge on. You’ll see it eventually, once things are sorted out in how its possible to offer all the advantages of an electronic power steering with most of the feel and feedback of a hydraulic-based system.

In terms of placement, Proton is gunning for a piece of the C-segment pie, and puts the Honda Civic 1.8 and Toyota Altis 2.0 in its gun-sights, and the Kia Forte 1.6 is also in that mix (in development, the outgoing C307 Ford Focus sedan was also benchmarked). Already, test numbers have shown that the Prevé out-paces and out-brakes its competitors.

It’s also playing up the interior space card – Proton says that with 930 mm in front and 815 mm at the back, the car offers the best leg room in its class, and for luggage space has a boot volume of 508 litres. Indeed, with all this, and allied to offering more equipment than its main competition, the company believes that the Prevé gives good value for money.

One last thing to chew on, it has been revealed that the Prevé has one last card up it sleeves, and it’ll be made known during the launch.

The Preve is in the pudding

Chris says:
I’ll start my preview at the back seat of the Prevé CFE, and I have to say that it’s a rather comfortable place to be. Definitely, there’s plenty of legroom for someone that is 5’10”, with enough headroom to clear.

The shoulder room wasn’t too bad as well. It certainly didn’t feel like the car was caving in around me. Importantly, the touch points of the car – like the door armrest – didn’t feel like it was procured for a song. I didn’t mind the quality of the materials of the door card; the rough bit is placed out of sight and the one that you’ll frequently look at is textured and soft enough to rest my head on it.

I expected the ride to be soft and bouncy, but instead experienced the total opposite. It rode towards the firmer side, much like how – dare I say – continental cars are setup. But unlike some of the European cars that crash into the road every time a bump or a hole happens, the spring and dampers dissipated the shocks with top marks. It was comfortable enough that I started to doze off when my turn at the wheel was called.

I got into the hot seat and immediately felt the want for more space, primarily in the foot well area, where my left knee seemed to be jostling for room with the centre console. Guess who won.

It could also stem from the fact that my legs are bent more than usual because one notch to the back and my arms would not be in in their ideal driving position. Even if I did move back and adjust my back rest, I would be sitting in a too-upright position. Sorry, that doesn’t work for me either. So there was this constant debate in my head if I should slide the seat back and try to get used to the arm’s length. Adding a telescopic function to the steering wheel would have helped the situation. End of rant.

Unlike Anthony, I wasn‘t too big on the design of the dashboard and the centre console; it looks rather flat to me. I also thought that the buttons and knobs could have been designed better to fill up the blanks.

Time to go and the Prevé peeled off the line without drama. It felt quick considering it has a rubber band for a transmission. It also responded quickly to the accelerator pedal and automatically kicked down when I pushed the pedal closer to the floor. The acceleration was as smooth as cream on an ice blended coffee.

There was something that I did not notice and Proton gets a huge pat in the back for it – it was the noise levels, or lack of it. Proton must have packed the Prevé with so much insulation that the volume of the road, wind and the CVT-whine have been lowered to near mute. I peeked at the speedometer and got caught off guard – the Prevé managed to remain hushed even when driving over the speed limit. Nice sorcery, this.

Another characteristic that I found impressive was the handling. Proton has got this one right on the mark. The increased rigidity of the body helped so much in making the car track flat around the corners. I could feel the amount of grip and how much I could still push before impending break happened.

The steering was responsive and accurate, although I thought the steering needed a bit more weight. Still, it was all too easy to attack the corners and come out champ. The seat also had a hand in this. It held my body firmly, so that I didn’t need to fight the physical forces to keep myself in place.

Next, I got to test the Prevé equipped with the 1.6 litre IAFM+ with the six-speed CVT. Maybe I was spoiled by urgency of the turbocharged engine, but the normally-aspirated version felt slow.

It wasn’t helped by the fact that when I depressed the accelerator further, the noise that was delightfully missing in the Prevé CFE was unhappily found in the Prevé IAFM+. Forced as such, the engine roar and the CVT whine was loud, and the only solution that I could find was to let the car come to speed on its own. Clearly, some more work is needed on this front.

Ride and handling in the Prevé IAFM+ was similar to that of the turbocharged variant, so at least there was some consolation as I returned the car back to home base.

There was a mixed bag of feelings with the Prevé. The overall package is sound, the features and equipment are value for money, but it is the small nagging things that still bug. As a package, the Prevé is impressive enough, but based on the short drive, that only extends to the CFE variant.

Anthony says:

I started out in the CFE version of the car, and first impressions upon getting in were positive enough – I found the overall dashboard layout very appealing on the eye, despite its rather conventional styling.

As far as interior colour schemes go, the turbo variant’s mix of black, dark grey and silver accents, replete with a gloss grey faux wood grain relief panel, is a pleasing enough composition. On the IAFM+ variant the grey is a lighter shade, and the contrast panel is a brownish-gold shade, but the surface texture on it is less visually impressive and doesn’t look like its hard-wearing.

Some fitment gaps and rough spots were evident, but to be fair the cars we were in were all pre-production units, so it’ll be interesting to see if tolerances get better for the series production vehicles.

In general, switchgear operation is ergonomically sound, the silver-coloured paddle shifters on the CFE in particular offering ease of reach and good tactile feel in use. As for the function buttons flanking the audio head unit on the centre stack, no issues with the grouping intuition or feel, but perhaps more use could have been made of the available deployment area.

The cruise control stalk, located at the lower right hand side behind the steering wheel rim, may seem a bit out of place, but activation and operation is an easy enough process – press the button on the end of the stalk, pull the lever down and you’re in cruise mode.

About the only main minus point, at least where I’m concerned, is with the ergonomics of the shifter on the CVTs. The movement of the stick to and fro between sport and drive modes could be smoother, and the gearshift knob looks more function than form; it has a painted silver top, and its angled design means that the surface will inevitably be a magnet for scratches (from rings and the like).

Elsewhere, the front seats offer good, firm support. Points too for the choice of fabric material, which looks quite premium and good to the touch. I managed to climb in the back seat in the full preview car earlier in the day, and the rear offers good scope in terms of space, both legroom and headroom wise; the curvature of the roof line also affords decent headroom perception to the door/C-pillar.

Speaking of the full preview car (the test mules were all still disguised), the lines of the car, especially at the rear, have been softened for the series production model compared to the full-scale clay sampler previewed to a small focus group of motoring writers a couple of years ago, of which I was a part of.

Then, the initial lines of the rear were inherently tauter and sharper, and closer to the Tuah concept in profile. I rather liked the original intent, but the finished article works well enough, I suppose. I do have some reservations about the inner section of the tail lamp cluster, the one that sits on the boot – it’d have looked cleaner in terms of integration shaped and sized accordingly through to the outer part. You tell me when you eventually see the car if that’s so.

As far as the CFE goes, it’s not an outright stonker in terms of off-the-line pace, but there’s enough poke to keep most happy, and I liked the midband response coming off the car. The problem is the association with the term – turbo equates to greyhound for many. If you take it for what it is, a RM75k family-oriented sedan, then the perspective shouldn’t be on absolute pace but usable pull, and the CFE has enough of that.

In terms of running speeds, the CFE Prevé will get to 200 km/h, and while it takes some time to get there in the final fifth of the equation, hauling it to the 150 km/h region is an easily repeatable affair, accomplished without huffing and puffing. The Punch VT3 does well enough, considering its operational characteristics – on the CFE you do detect the familiar whine associated with the transmission, but nothing that becomes too intrusive.

A bit on the Sport mode and its RPM range association – on the CFE, there’s about a 1,000 rpm difference at 160 km/h between drive and sport mode (3,400 compared to 4,400 rpm) on the VT3 box, while on the IAFM+’s VT2 tranny there’s a 500 rpm difference in between the two modes. And the IAFM+/VT2 combination won’t go past 5,000 rpm, no matter how long you floor the pedal; the CFE nudges nearer the 5,300-5,400 rpm mark or so on full acceleration before shifting up.

Going into the normally-aspirated 1.6 after the CFE meant retuning expectations, and truth be told, it feels underpowered. Still, part of that perception about a car lacking power is also reinforced by the point that the stiffer the car is, the more noticeable the apparent lack of power becomes, and the Preve is plenty stiff.

What I found more disconcerting was the lack of powertrain refinement vis-a-vis the CFE – the IAFM+ is a more raucous proposition, certainly a far zingier one when pushed to its higher limits. If it can be made smoother, without sounding like it wants to tear its hair – and yours – out each time you stand heavy on the pedal, it’ll go a long way.

Plenty of appeal in the hydraulic steering’s weight though (I thought it was heavy enough, as opposed to Chris’ view on it), as well as its off-centre feel, evident on both variants; the rack also feels quick, and I was told that it’s the fastest yet in the company’s stable. Essentially, it’s the same as that in the Exora, but redone with revised ratios and level of assist. As for the wheel itself, a good outing as far as handling ergonomics go.

Quite possibly, the strongest aspect of the car is in its ride and handling, which in short is nothing less than impeccable for an offering in this price and class segment, indeed, even a few notches above.

The contribution of the chassis is evident, and allied to a well-tailored suspension, offers a car that feels keen but ably planted at high running speeds – the CFE Prevé chugged along at 200 km/h and never once felt skittish or nervous. The IAFM+ gets to 180 km/h or so before running out of puff, but offers everything its more muscular sibling does in terms of ride and handling behaviour.

Trim things down and tackle corners, and it’s an ace too, tracking very nicely and inspiring driver confidence into the twisties. Push into a sweeper, go on the brakes, and the usual four-wheel drift kicks in, but the steering never goes wooly or loses communication, and everything is so progressive and catchable that unless you do something spectacular, you shouldn’t lose your wits, or the car.

Done more sensibly, turn-in is clean, as is follow-through. A positive mention for the tyres, while at it – surprisingly good grip, and quiet too. And the ESC is as unintrusive as mentioned – the level of provocation needed to get it going is quite high.

On the whole, based on the short sampling of the car, the Prevé looks a promising proposition – certainly, the CFE variant is very much so. Some overall aspects (like build quality and fit/finish) invariably need tightening, but as a full package this one proves that it’s all getting there.

Follow all our Preve coverage at our Proton Preve category index.

Report by Anthony Lim and Chris Ng

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Well, it looks like the wait for the Proton Prevé is almost over, if the photos seen on funtasticko are right – the ‘test drive’ stickers and the phone number at the rear cannot hint it any clearer.

What is set to be certain is the name, Prevé. It means ‘to prove’ in Spanish; just in case you don’t already know. Incidentally, I googled up its pronunciation and it is said as ‘preev’ and not ‘preff’ or ‘perve’. Let’s say it right the first time, shall we?

In any case, we’ve already compiled a whole encyclopedia on the topic – from the leaked spec sheet to videos – and you only have to key in ‘Proton Preve’ in our handy search box. Or, just click here.

So, all that’s missing from the jigsaw is the official price and when it’s going to be launched.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Proton Prevé app – more proof of the P3-21A’s name?
2. Hello P3-21A, are you called the Proton Prevé?
3. VIDEO: Proton P3-21A 3D-simulated crash safety test
4. Honda Malaysia building new PDI Centre and Vehicle Quality Test Course in Melaka, ready in June
5. Proton P3-21A high speed Karak test caught on camera
6. Left-hand drive Proton Exora facelift spotted on test
7. Proton and China’s Hawtai Motor Group sign MoU
8. Proton and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia sign MoU to collaborate on innovation activities in automotive sector
9. Proton Exora prototypes used to test Campro CFE engine and CVT transmission

The My Proton Makeover programme’s last two makeover vehicles have been announced, and they are a 2001 Satria belonging to Amirul Azim Mohd Hussain and a 1991 Saga owned by Lee Koon Gaik.

For 36 year-old IT consultant Amirul, his devotion to his Satria is obvious – it has been his one and only car, serving him through his bachelor days, into his marriage and now fatherhood, 11 years on.

While she has had a different experience with her car, 54 year-old home maker Lee shares the same sentimental values towards her Saga, a gift from her husband 20 years ago. The car has been her loyal and trustworthy workhorse and companion, helping her see her sons to school, college and their early working life.

A one-car owner, Lee believes that her Saga is the car of a lifetime, having even declined the government’s voluntary scrapping incentive for a new Proton in 2009.

“With my Saga, I do not need any other car,” said Lee proudly, when handing it in for the makeover. “Even with the common wear and tear over the past 20 years, I am still able to rely on it to get me around – and I’m happy to be able to treat it to a little pampering with this wonderful makeover opportunity.”

The two cars, essentially the fifth and sixth vehicles in the programme, will each receive a new breath of life as they enter the R3 workshop for a period of refurbishment. Tengku Djan Ley, head of engineering at the R3 unit, said that the team has their work cut out for them for the finale of this programme.

“The two cars have served their owners well, and are in need of major refurbishment. However, to keep on schedule, as much as the team is enjoying themselves revamping these old cars, they will be pushing themselves to ensure these cars get the best treatment and are delivered on time to their owners.” he said.

“As both owners utilise their cars daily with their families, our focus will be to make certain that the cars perform with greater reliability, efficiency and safety, and that they will stay on the road for a long while to come,” he added.

When completed, the 1991 Saga and 2001 Satria will join Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback and Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI as the six makeover specials.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Proton’s PG Andersson finished second in his Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) debut over the weekend. Team MRF’s Chris Atkinson, a former Proton pilot, won the Brother International Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand with a 28.1 second margin over the Swede.

Fighting back to reduce an overnight deficit of more than a minute as a result of a puncture, PG set fastest time on five of the final day’s eight stages to finish second overall behind the Skoda Fabia S2000 of Atkinson. A further two minutes behind was the other Team MRF Skoda of India’s Gaurav Gill in third place.

Defending APRC champion Alister McRae finished fourth in the APRC class and fourth overall after enduring a difficult start to the rally. By starting first, he played the role of road sweeper for the rest of the field. In contrast, PG was fastest through SS1, but a puncture in the next stage lost him a minute and a half, demoting him to fourth in the APRC category. He however, fought back valiantly to finish the first day in second place.

Proton took a clean sweep at the podium in the 2WD category with defending APRC 2WD champion Karamjit Singh taking top honours ahead of privateer Mike Young and newly-signed young driver Kenneth Koh. The latter, in only his first international rally, also clinched second place in the APRC Junior category behind Young.

The next APRC rally will be in New Caledonia from April 28-29.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

Proton Motorsports ended last year’s Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) on a high, clean sweeping all eight titles on offer. Now is the time for the team to defend its titles, as the 2012 APRC season kicks off in Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand.

Leading Proton’s charge in the Satria Neo S2000 is reigning APRC champ Alister McRae. The Scotsman will be joined by Proton’s SWRC driver PG Andersson. The Swede will be making his debut in the APRC. India’s Team MRF will be the main obstacle, with new Skoda Fabia S2000s driven by Gaurav Gill and Chris Atkinson. The latter drove for Proton last year.

“People tell me the APRC series is a lot about experience, which is a bit tough for me as New Zealand is the first time I’ve ever competed on one of these rounds. But I’m not going to let that slow me down. I’ve got a hugely competitive spirit – as all drivers have at this level. I want to win every rally and championship I enter and this is no different,” PG said.

Proton will also field reigning 2WD APRC champion Karamjit Singh and defending APRC junior champion Akira Bamba in the Proton Cusco Rally Team 1600cc Satria Neo.

Joining the pair is Kenneth Koh, who is appearing in his first international rally in the 2WD APRC category. Koh won last year’s 2WD Malaysian Rally Championship and is also the MRC junior champion.

To run over the weekend, Rally of Whangarei is divided into 16 special stages over a competitive distance of 283.28 km. Tomorrow’s Leg 1 consists of eight stages including a 1.5 km super special. The remaining eight SS will be run on Sunday.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.

We already know a fair bit of the soon to be launched Proton P3-21A – we have spyshots, videos of it in action, a leaked spec sheet and the estimated price. All we need now, short of Proton’s “world car” being officially launched, is a name to replace the robot sounding codename P3-21A. Well, we have one now!

This image has been circulating online, and it shows the C-segment sedan in a brochure like pose with the name “Proton Prevé” emblazoned above. So P3-21A, is your real name Proton Prevé?

We’ll need an official explanation to confirm, but “preve” means “to prove” or “proof”, which dovetails nicely with the car’s “Drive it to believe it” tagline. There’s only so much we can say, so you’ll need to “drive it to believe it”. Here’s the “proof” that we can come up with a credible world car, I can hear Proton say. In Spanish, prevé or prever means foresee or predict.

We figure that it’s not a name that will roll off Malaysian tongues easily, and there’s bound to be many different “versions” of it, but I’m sure Proton has its rationale. See you soon, Prevé!

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 12:47:49 +0000.

No related posts.