[ UPDATE: The Perodua Viva has been launched! Click here for full details on specifications and pricing, as well as many clear photos of both exterior and interior! ]
Reader Syah sent me an e-mail with the following pictures of an unmarked car being tested around the Malaysian roads. Click here to read the rest of New Perodua Kancil / Kelisa coming down our alley?
Hansraj Hulaschand and Company and Bhudeo in association with Air Nepal International and Nabil Bank is running a promotion in Nepal where you can win a free four-day and two-night holiday for two to Malaysia if you buy a Proton vehicle.
Proton dealers seem to be running promotions in every country. The promotion by the bank also includes special interest rates and a 95% loan. Over here in our tanahair we can see free two months installments being offered.
Sources familiar with the matter have said that Proton is unlikely to go with the equity stake exchange deal with Volkswagen AG, instead choosing to go with a tech agreement instead.
If the tech deal goes through, this will mean Volkswagen will take 51% control of only Proton’s engineering and manufacturing units and not a stake in Proton Holdings Berhad.
Proton had informed Bursa Malaysia on Monday that there was no significant breakthrough or developments in it’s talks with Volkswagen so far.
More inspiration for new Perodua Myvi owners who aspire to turn their car into something out of the ordinary! Presenting a Perodua Myvi with a wide bodykit. This car has a Sarawak registered number plate so I’m not sure whether this workshop is in West Malaysia or East Malaysia.
It really looks good even though the original Myvi bonnet has been retained. He removed the “Mini” style chrome logo on the front though.
There are talks of Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby Berhad buying up at least 32% of Proton Holdings Bhd shares, with the total deal coming up to RM 1.58 billion. This stake will be purchased from the government’s stakeholding company Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Khazanah currently holds 42.7% of Proton total shares.
Talks of this stake purchase has pushed Proton stock up by 10 cents to RM8.50. On the other hand Sime shares dropped 5 cents to RM6.05.
Sime also recently bought Australian car dealership group Kloster and aims to be a major automotive player in Australia. Kloster represents Hyundai, BMW/Mini, Honda, Nissan, Chrysler Jeep, Daihatsu and Suzuki in Australia.
Update: Queries to Proton’s management on the matter have had no response, instead Proton’s management have chosen only to say “We are currently still in discussions with VW” in a brief statement to the stock exchange.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire, The Star
Naza Group managing director Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin plans on turning it’s new Penang plant into an exclusive production facility dedicated entirely to the Peugeot marque.
Naza is currently bidding for the rights to manufacture other Peugeot cars. It already has the rights to manufacture a Malaysian version of the Peugeot 206 for the regional market.
The construction of the Bertam, Penang plant is expected to start next month and to be fully completed by early 2007. It will have the capacity to produce 100,000 cars annually. The plant cost RM1 billion and was 60% funded by the company’s own generated funds and the remainder via borrowings.
Nasimuddin said the local Peugeot 206 is to be called the Naza 206 and will have 40% local content. He is tight-lipped on the expected selling price of the car.
A short piece of news, yet would mean a lot to those eyeing the Proton Savvy but have been turned off by the lack of an automatic version. The Proton Savvy’s automatic transmission variant will begin production this month. Can’t wait to test drive it to get a feel of how the Malaysian-ized Renault Quickshift 5 feels like. Click here to read the rest of Proton Savvy Automatic
Naza and Automobiles Peugeot signed an agreement today to produce a locally manufactured and branded version of the Peugeot 206 car for local and regional export markets.
Naza will be manufacturing a Peugeot 206 branded under the Naza brand, and it will come with a 1.4 liter engine. This car will be manufactured at Naza’s assembly plant in Gurun, Kedah and may shift to Naza’s 2nd plant in Penang in 2007.
Target export markets for the Naza-branded Peugeot 206 1.4 liter are Thailand and Indonesia. Cycle and Carriage Automobiles will be providing the after-sales service in Malaysia.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
The Proton Satria Neo has been launched! Click the banner for an in-depth review of the car we’ve all known as the Proton Satria Replacement Model!
Seems Proton is working with Kleemann for it’s new 1.8 liter Campro to be found in the Satria Replacement Model. The 1.8 liter Campro engine will be developed to be fitted with Kleemann’s twin-screw supercharger.
The Kleemann supercharger managed to push up output from 306hp and 460Nm torque up to 506hp and 675Nm torque on a 5 liter Mercedes V8 engine without any engine modifications.
I’ve tried to look for other sources of this piece of news online but only found one in Bahasa Melayu by Johardy Ibrahim in Utusan Malaysia’s Korporat section, seems strange doesn’t it? Let’s treat this as an unconfirmed rumour for now.
When Proton announced that it made a pre-tax loss of RM4.3 million for for Q1 2005, it explained that it was due to a higher allowance for doubtful debts and higher component costs.
Higher component costs have been attiributed to the rising steel prices. But what about the higher allowance for doubtful debts? What doubtful debts are these? Aren’t car purchases financed upfront by the banks through hire-purchase schemes?
An industry source sheds some light through Dow Jones Newswire. Click here to read the rest of Proton’s Doubtful Debts
