Proton says that in terms of quality and branding, Perodua is no longer its immediate competitor. Rather, the national carmaker is now aiming to go head-to-head with the likes of Toyota and Honda.
According to Proton CEO Li Chunrong, with the company having made great strides in improving its quality, it is looking beyond these shores and taking the fight to global players. In an exclusive interview with Channel News Asia earlier this week, he said that while Proton had previously faced quality issues, this was no longer the case, with the significant inroads having been made in this area giving the automaker new impetus.
“That (quality issues) was the problem with Proton before, they did not have the resources to (look into quality). But now with the expertise and the resources from Geely as well as the experience of Proton as a national carmaker, we would be able to produce better quality cars. With our new product position, our competitors are Honda and Toyota,” he stated.
Li said that he is looking at Proton to focus on the finer aspects of vehicle development so it can make the transition from building “basic cars” to “high-end cars,” something that is part of the 10-year plan that has been envisioned for the brand.
He added the turnaround efforts over the past two years have propelled Proton far beyond its local counterpart in terms of market positioning, if not in numbers. “Perodua is not even our competitor (anymore). Why? Because of different product position. Our Saga is much better than their Bezza,” he claimed.
Li said that public trust in the brand was renewed after the introduction of the X70 SUV last year, and is reflected in the strong demand for the facelifted Saga, which was launched in August. The report adds that the company, which has been in the red for many years, is expected to break even this year and make profits next year.
AD: Drive the Proton model of your dreams. Submit your details and Proton PJ will get in touch with you.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
john
on 
Opinion
on 
alex
on 
Lets See
on 
Goreng pisang
on 
Copy Paste
on 
Zack
on 
Axxx
on 
msia driver
on 
joe
on 
4bini
on 
redpilled
on 
Engineer
on 
ASB
on 
Furgcmbtbna
on 
mygreatgrandpaallowedem2stay
on 
Alan
on 
Jan
on 
dex
on 
Ksatria
on 
Aikon
on 
Akoolm
on 
Sukasuki
on 
Belacan sambal
on 
Sanzoseifer
on 
Wakakakaka
on 
Kantoi But Still Wanna Defend
on 
Omong kosong
on 
Cr1titi
on 
Coollllll
on 
Logical Deduction
on 
One of the rakyat
on 
Nabil
on 
Dilbert
on 
Annoyed
on 
TMJ
on 
Dave
on 
Jyougan
on 
Hitcharide
on 
DonkeyKong
on 
Alex
on 
asalada
on 
Fuhhh
on 
Lets See
on 
DayDream
on 
Wavelength
on 
Seek for truth
on 
Joe
on 
Celup King
on 
Shazam
on 
Modern Iceman
on 
Klia
on 
khalid
on 
BOYRACER
on 
People
on 
Ben
on 
DK
on 
Avenger
on 
Case123
on 
azrai
on 
AL OUT
on 
MyNewToy
on 
Edwin L
on 
AkooIm
on 
newme
on 
lilytan
on 
jibby
on 
Daddykasi
on 
Zzzz
on 
simon
on 
Not Toyota Fan
on 
NoBodyCare
on 
Disappointed proton buyer
on 
Calvin
on 
sir rhys lee
on 
C.P. MOHAN
on 
transformer
on 
Slumberland
on 
Raja Kamarul
on 
asalada
on 
Not to mention people made to wait for shipment of parts should car in need of replacement parts
on 
Proton
on 
Justice
on 
Darren
on 
De ei
on 
camtakpro
on 
Semi-Value (Member)
on 
ZaiXiaDouShiLaJi
on 
peter
on 
Fil
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express confidence in Proton's improved quality, aiming to compete with Honda and Toyota, with some skepticism about their reliability rankings. Perodua is praised for its superior quality and affordability, while Proton is criticized for ongoing issues and perceived lower quality. Many believe Proton is now focusing on quality improvement and global markets, though some skeptics doubt their ability to surpass established Japanese brands. Overall, there is a mix of optimism for Proton's future and doubts based on past experiences.