Archive for Malaysian Makes

Click to enlarge

Naza Corporation has introduced a premium version of the Naza 206 Bestari called the Naza 206 Premium. It’s priced at RM71,888.00, about RM3k more than the 206 Bestari’s RM68,877.80 price tag. For the additional RM3k, this is what you get:

• Leather on the steering wheel, interior and two-tone seats.
• 3 head restraints for the rear seat bench
• A 6-speaker audio system (additional 2 over the Bestari)
• Seat back pockets and Peugeot logo at the back of the front seats
• Only rear spoiler (you lose the full bodykit of the 206 Bestari)
• New design Peugeot-badged 14 inch alloy wheels
• 206 Premium badging, Peugeot sill plates, door visors, hood insulator
• Reverse sensors

The interior leather is done up in orange, meant to be the same colour as the dashboard lighting. With more Peugeot badges around the car including on the alloy wheels it should be cheaper and easier for you to Peugeotize this car, which is what most people do. You get a 5 year warranty with 3 years free service including parts and labour.

The 206 Premium comes in 4 colours - Quick Silver, Aegean Blue, Svelte Grey and Onyx Black. Look after the jump for photos of the rear and the interior.

Click here to read the rest of Naza 206 Premium now on sale for RM71,888

This is the Proton Stingray, an experiment by the Proton Prototype Centre that took 2 months. Proton says they built the Proton Stingray to enhance skills and upgrade technical knowledge, but I fail to see what car-related skills could be gained from building a motorcycle from ancient parts such as the carburetted 12 valve 1.5 liter engine they used.

The front suspension bits are telescopic shocks from the Kawasaki Vulcan 800 together with the front brakes as well, while the rear uses S45C mild steel and a ventilated disc brake from a Proton GEN2.

Look after the jump for a hi-res gallery of the Stingray.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Stingray motorcycle using carburetted 1.3L

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.

Proton sold 2,500 cars in the UK last year, but Proton Cars UK managing director Brian Collier is making efforts to improve performance including expanding its dealer network from its current 78 to a total of between 100 to 110 dealers. Proton sales in the UK was at a peak in 1992, an estimated 15,000 cars a year.

According to Collier, Proton enjoys one of the highest brand loyalties in the UK, currently standing at about 70%. Simon Park who is in charge of Proton Cars sales and marketing in the UK says that Proton has fiercely loyal customers and once they have someone as a customer they usually stay with Proton.

I suppose the problem is getting new customers then.

Source

Proton’s Our Pride and Joy campaign for the Proton Persona by McCann Erickson Malaysia has won the Gold Dragon award at the 2008 PMAA Awards. The Gold Dragon was for the Best Brand-building Campaign category. Another Proton campaign, the Proton Sneeze campaign won the Silver Dragon in the Best Cause of Charity Marketing Campaign.

Look after the jump for a few sample ads from the campaign.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Persona “Our Pride and Joy” campaign wins 2008 PMAA Gold Dragon award

Proton will be collaborating with automotive component suppliers who are involved in producing hybrid components like Bosch to develop its own hybrid cars, which could be ready for the market in 2 to 3 years time. Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal said this would enable Proton to avoid reinventing the wheel, plus it could learn from those who already have the technology.

Bosch is currently has a 50:50 joint venture company called SB LiMotive with Korea’s Samsung. SB LiMotive Co Ltd is based in South Korea and is involved in development and commercialization of lithium ion batteries for hybrid cars. As for the rest of the components related to a hybrid system, Bosch has that covered with electronics, battery management, and motors.

Source

Click for hi-res photo

This is the MEM Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 Rally Car by Mellors Elliot Motorsport. The Super 2000 Rally was proposed by the FIA because of the rising costs of running World Rally Cars and competing in the World Rally Championship.

The following are the specs for a Super 2000 Rally Car:

• 3, 4 or 5-door models with length over 3900mm
• Generic 4X4 transmission without active differential from Sadev or Xtrac
• 2.0 liter normally aspirated engine from either a base engine used in any model from the manufacturer, or a engine licensed from another manufacturer with 2,500 units minimum production per year
• Engine must comply to BTCC/ETC specs with 8,500rpm rev limit
• Minimum weight - 1100kg tarmac, 1150kg gravel
• Maximum bodywork and wheel arch extension width 1800mm

The MEM Satria Neo S2000 complies to these specifications, measuring 3905mm long, 1800mm wide with a 2440mm wheelbase and a weight of 1150kg. Its chassis is based on the road-going Neo and has been strengthened to comply with FIA regulations and the components of a S2000 rally car. It is fitted with a rollcage built from 35 meters of Chrome-Moly Steel Tubing.

Its 4-cylinder 1998cc DOHC normally aspirated engine is based on the 1.8 liter Renault engine in the Waja. It produces 280hp at 7,800rpm and a massive 271Nm of torque at 7,000rpm, and is installed transversely at the front of the car. This engine is mated to an Xtrac 6-speed sequential transmission with Alcon clutch and 3 player LSD.

Brakes are also from Alcon, with 300mm discs with 4 piston calipers at the front and 300mm discs at the rear on gravel. For asphalt, the front brake discs are uprated to 350mm. Wheels are 18 inch alloys for tarmac and 15 inch alloys for gravel. The car’s electronics system runs on the GEMS Multiplex System with Power Management, Data Logging and a Glass Dash Display

Look after the jump for more hi-res photos.

Click here to read the rest of MEM Proton Satria Neo Super 2000

Proton celebrated its 3,000,000th car to roll off the assembly lines at the Proton Technology Week during the weekend. The 3 millionth car is a silver Proton Saga, and will not be sold. It was autographed by the PM and will be kept for memories in a museum.

The first car to roll off Proton’s assembly line was the first generation Proton Saga back in 1985. It’s been 23 years since. That means slightly over 130,000 cars per year.

View a video of the ceremony after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Proton produced 3,000,000 cars since 1985

Proton i.CARE is an initiative by Proton to rebrand its customer service, and uses the slogan “You can count on us”. It was launched over a year ago in July 2007.

You will find after the jump a TVC featuring nearly the whole Proton line-up, but for those who are Proton customers, have you experienced an increase in customer service level since the i.CARE initiative? Have you used the 24 hours breakdown service, or the i.CARE customer hotline? Do share in the comments area.

I personally have never went back to a Proton service center. It’s third party workshops for my V6, and a recent reconditoning of my gearbox only cost me less than RM1,500 instead of the RM23,000 that other parties have paid. I must be very lucky!

Click here to read the rest of Proton i.CARE TV Commercial

Proton exhibited a few of its proton|design concept cars during the Proton Technology Week at the CBU Logistics area of the Shah Alam plant. The cars looked really nice and the striking colours somehow helped them stand out in the midst of all the Lotus cars that were also on display there.

Continue reading the post after the jump for a hi-resolution photo gallery and a video of the Proton concepts at the event.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Design Concept Cars Photos and Video