Proton X70 to make its debut in Indonesia next year

The Proton X70 is set to make its launch debut in Malaysia on December 12, and will later be introduced in Indonesia in 2019. This is according to a report by Kompas, in which Rully Septiadi, head of marketing at Proton Edar Indonesia (PEI), confirmed the matter.

For now, no official launch date and pricing have been determined for the X70 in relation to the Indonesian market. However, Rully stated that Proton will be present at both the 2019 editions of the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) in April, as well as the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) in July.

Proton’s presence in Indonesia has been waning for the past few years, with models like the Exora and Iriz garnering low response from car buyers there. With the X70, PEI is looking to reestablish a foothold in the country and begin selling cars again.

The X70 won’t be the only model planned for Indonesia either, as Rully commented in a separate report that others have been identified for the market. It was previously reported that Proton has secured the use of intellectual properties (IP) and the rights to manufacture and sell three Geely models – Boyue SUV, as well as the Binyue compact SUV (aka SX11) and Jiaji MPV (aka VF11).

Proton X70 to make its debut in Indonesia next year

The agreement covers the design, development, manufacture, sale, marketing and distribution of the three above-mentioned models, with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand being countries that Proton is allowed to market the licensed models in.

Chinese automakers are slowly making their way into the Indonesia market of late, with the DFSK Glory 580 launched at this year’s GIIAS being an example. The Glory 580 offers seating for up to seven in a body about the size of the Honda CR-V, but at prices closer associated with the BR-V in the country. Also at the show this year is a preview of a Wuling SUV based on the Chinese market Baojun 530, which is one of the products offered by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture.

With Malaysia being the global production hub for right-hand drive Boyue for exports, the X70 is the Chinese carmaker’s indirect method of accessing the Indonesian market with a more premium offering compared to its competitors.

GALLERY: Proton X70 Premium 2WD (Malaysia spec)

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