Business Times reports that Mahindra & Mahindra is in talks with Proton for a possible manufacturing and marketing alliance which may involve a strategic stake transfer.
Rumours are that Proton would assemble the Mahindra Scorpio and the Mahindra Bolero for the Malaysian market. There are also options open for a joint venture between Mahindra and Proton like India’s Mahindra Renault, which assembles and markets Renault’s Logan passanger car, which is sort of like Renault’s Proton Iswara.
Is this the strategic partner that’s to be announced by the end of month or is this a new development? The Business Times source did not quote any official statement from either of Proton or Mahindra, and Mahindra officials refused to comment on the development upon contact so this might just be a rumour.
Reader Mun Wai sent in these spyshots of a convoy of Proton vehicles. There were a few Proton Savvys escorting a Proton Satria Replacement Model. From this photo, you can have a look at the size comparison between a Proton Savvy and a Satria Replacement Model. You’ll also notice a very nice white Proton Savvy. I wonder if Proton will be offering this new colour soon?
This is a left-hand drive Proton Savvy being tested on the same roads. Could Proton be testing for the left-hand drive China market? Or perhaps the US market. I think the previous is more likely.
There’s a small teaser on Perodua’s site, depicting a nice pair of eyes. One of them is silver, and one of them is green. The teaser text says “Sometimes silver, sometimes green” and beckons us to their showrooms on March 19 to find out what it is. That’s this Sunday. Anyone have a clue?
Update: There are rumours that a new Perodua Kelisa special edition facelift will be launched, with a special coat of paint that varies between silver and green when you look at it under different light and angles. Kind of like Nokia’s old phone covers. These are just rumours of course, we’ll find out on Sunday.
Rumours are that Honda is developing a hybrid version of it’s Honda Fit (Honda Jazz on our shores) for worldwide release as early as Q2 2008. It is intended to be the first budget hybrid, priced at less than USD$ 12,000. The cheapest hybrid around so far costs US$ 16,840. This rumour was reported by Nihon Keizai, one of the big financial dailies in Japan.
Honda spokespeople neither confirmed nor denied this rumour, but remarked that Honda had the technological ability to mount it’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system onto most of it’s vehicles, including the Honda Fit. The report by Nihon Keizai says Honda is developing a new 1.0 liter engine to twin with an electric motor for the Honda Fit’s Integrated Motor Assist system.
February 9, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
· Filed under Audi, Cars, Rumours
Audi already has plans to add a premium SUV smaller than it’s recently launched Audi Q7 called the Audi Q5 to it’s line of new SUVs. The Audi Q5 will compete directly with the BMW X3 and will be based on the A4 sedan’s chassis.
The Edge reports that Proton is looking into purchasing two Volkswagen platforms to produce it’s own versions for the local market under the Proton badge. After the purchase, design and development would take an additional year.
The Porsche Panamera will be on exhibit at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September 2005. This coupe and sedan crossover fusion will have space for four adults and it will have four doors.
Business Times reports that Mahindra & Mahindra is in talks with Proton for a possible manufacturing and marketing alliance which may involve a strategic stake transfer.
