Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is on an official visit to India, has revealed that Indian carmaker Tata Motors has expressed interest to enter the Malaysian market. The maker of the world’s cheapest car plans to do this by working with national carmaker Proton.
“Mr Tata (Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group) is keen to work with Proton again. About seven or eight years ago there were some joint discussions to manufacture cars but nothing came out of it. Now our automotive policy is more liberal and there are new opportunities,” Muhyiddin said.
“It’s now up to the Proton management to study this proposal and whether a car like the Nano can be brought into Malaysia. Perhaps we can also come up with a kereta rakyat costing about RM20,000, modelled after the Nano,” the DPM suggested to Malaysian journalists in Mumbai.
“He felt there should be some synergy because they had been in the automotive industry for a long time. He can bring his technical team to discuss with Proton or Perodua,” added Muhyiddin, although we’re not sure if Perodua, which is part owned by Daihatsu and has its own compact car plans, will be interested in such a development.
A cheap Tata Nano based kereta rakyat, anyone?
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express skepticism and concern about the proposed Tata partnership and the idea of rebadging the Nano as a "kereta rakyat," citing safety issues, low quality, and potential negative impact on local car manufacturers. Many believe the Nano’s cost-cutting features would compromise safety and reliability on Malaysian roads, which are already filled with traffic and better alternatives. There’s criticism of the government’s focus on cheap cars instead of improving public transportation or raising standards, and some sarcasm about the affordability and practicality of such vehicles. Overall, the sentiments lean toward disapproval, emphasizing that Malaysians deserve safer, higher-quality vehicles and that mass adoption of ultra-cheap cars could worsen traffic and safety issues.