At the Proton Chinese New Year media appreciation dinner today, CEO Li Chunrong shared a few updates regarding the national carmaker’s future plans. Notably, these included a surprising announcement concerning its homegrown models, reinforcing the notion that its lineup won’t be entirely replaced by Geely-based models.
Li confirmed that Proton will be setting up a new R&D centre in Hangzhou, China specifically for the development of its homegrown models, currently consisting of the Saga, Persona and Iriz. This presumably means that it will benefit from closer cooperation with Geely, which is also based in Hangzhou.
As yet, it’s unclear if the new models will be a development of the current cars or be based on Geely’s platforms – like the B-segment Modular Platform (BMA) that underpins the X50 and S70.
Whichever route Proton takes, we can safety assume these cars won’t simply be rebadged versions of existing Geely models and will have considerably greater local input. Also unclear is the timeline for the introduction of these new homegrown cars, which has been intentionally left open for debate.
It’s also been confirmed that Proton will be introducing a New Energy Vehicle (NEV, think hybrid or electric vehicle) based not on a Geely platform, but on the Saga/Persona/Iriz platform. This will likely be a mild hybrid model that uses the 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and 48-volt belt starter-generator (BSG) from the X90.
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Say goodbye to ‘Buatan Malaysia’ then. Cars like Saga(BLM and onward), Persona, Iriz, Exora, Preve and Suprima are truly Malaysian made regardless of people’s perceptions. The new Saga is a great first car.
Not sure whats the agreement back then. If just rebadge and production, there is no point to make a deal with Geely. Better sell proton to Perodua, at least Toyota still allow them to do RND work.
S70 had more local engineering in it than Myvi, Aruz, Ativa, Axia put together. Just think about it.
Copy paste Subaru grill design only. Pathetic.
Current gen myvi is local r&d tho…
Current Myvi and Bezza were designed and engineered by Malaysians. Ativa and Alza were developed with Malaysian engineers involved. S70 original geely variant however was made long before Proton get hands on it. Just think harder about it. You pLoton fanboys are pathetic as hell
What is so national car about it?
Some fools still believe it. Really mind blown for the sheer ignorance & gullibility!
We should just forget about the title “national car”. A car maker shouldn’t be tied to a nationalist ideal. It’s bad for growth and has no focus. Making cars is a business and technological venture, and a very expensive one. Proton should have never been a “national” car maker. It should have been a passion project of an individual, be it a bussinessman or an auto enthusiast who just wants to tap in on a good business opportunity. If you expect it to be a national car maker then you have to accept that it will be linked to the government and will be influenced by all its interests.
Its the commission… mahatahi gets commision on every proton sold.
Bold claim. Prove it.
Why should forget “national car”? Why can’t we grow and focus with nationalist ideal? All they need to do is to find their own identity and really having their own r&d, klau susah sangat hire la someone from those already successful car manufacturer like what china & korean car company did but it still has their national identity. Then our government must pushed them to produce not to keep asking for support, appa raaa
Eventually will move the entire production to the mainland, do ckd in Pekan. Village idiots would then still proudly drive & claim as local car lol!
Nah, seems the other way rtound. More mainland investment in Malaysia and we love it. More jobs
Still mild hybrid. Do geely hv “larger” hybrid at least since our transition away from fossil fuels will be gradual transition thru hybrid models.
Mild hybrid wont bring proton any further in terms of fuel efficiency achievement. We know full hybrid performs better than mild hybrid.
Since saga, iriz and personal are b segments, it is more like the prius-c size which hv been on hybrid for almost a decade. Time step up
About time, saga chassis is more than 15 years old already
Last time, john, tokmoh and other fanboys kept saying that Proton will still develop in-house for certain models. But now it seems that it isnt the case
john aka tokmoh, basherlogic, redpilled etc always talk a lot
Well sadly the 1.5 3Cyl TGDi engine is no longer being listed in the Aurobay (Geely + Volvo powertrain) and Geely is also slowly phasing out this engine as can be seen that the new x90 / Okavango has been replaced by 2.0L 4Cyl TGDi Drive-E Volvo engine as well as the new X70/Atlas with the new CMA-Platform also comes with the same engine (both without any Hybrid assistance) and finally the X50 has also been replaced with the new 1.5L 4Cyl TGDi engine in most Markets apart from Proton Malaysia and Geely Philippines.
Meeeeh. Local R&D…no more home grown talent meh?!m What a disappointment of our national pride. Next buy will consider either support P2 or T/H/N. Bye Bye P1.
why R&D in china..
Proton and DRB-Hicom don’t have the capabilities to do R&D in Malaysia. They never- never do real R&D locally. Most cars designed previously are outsourced overseas.
don’t put too high hopes in proton. pandai pusing. at first say aerokit for early bird. now everyone get aerokit as long book before april. Those FS-X early birds look like clown now hahaha
Hard to believe it can still be called a national car anymore
Well guess as long as it can continually employ even more locals and continue to sustain these vendors cronies you can call it what you like but the elites are sure to support.
i don’t understand why the persona and Iriz rear panel to the rear wheel arch has to be so wide. it makes the wheels look small and the car disproportionate.
so after this proton would have lost the last traces of its malaysian-ness? I thought partnerships like this are meant to bring technology and expertise IN not bring it OUT!
Kesian the end of Proton heart & soul. When given chance and pumped RM billions, they blew it up with suspect quality cars and fugly unimaginative car designs. Perfect recipe for utter failure. Best of all Chief designer not kicked out taking the blame but relegated into front grille design.
At least local engineers can get cleaner jobs in Singapore RM5.00 SGD1 soon.
so it’s gonna be DESIGNED IN CHINA, MADE IN MALAYSIA
there goes our national car
“developed”
Just don’t rebadge them Geometry boxes pls. They’re fugly!
Well… that’s one way to spin ‘rebadging’…
Ploton should use new tagline “Jenama Malaysia, China yang Punya”…
Say day for Proton and Nation after Proton was betrayed by our leaders and sold to Geely, Proton is just an assembler. No real RnD to develop new chasis, engine, platform. The old Saga, Exora, Persona, were designed by Proton, still running on the road, to last many years to come, a testament of local engineers and technicians capabilities.
All you guys are just Malaysians MALAP not capable of anything
Lol, why not here? What’s the use of Proton’s own R&D centre here when every model is either rebadged from Geely and developed in China. When even budget models will be developed in China, we cannot expect Proton’s more luxurious model will be developed here, all gonna go to China. I’m not gonna be surprised if the production also move to China.
what a dumb move…so what are our deigners going to do??
So called FDI, technology transfer and upskilling local talent?
It has totally failed the initial idea of Geely being a technology partner.. It seems they are just interested in milking from the Malaysia market..
Whatever lah, janji cheap, no more timing belt campro, punch cvt which required expensive repair after certain high mileages.
what do you expect. in the end they will take it all. no more made in malaysian by malaysian. but poton geli fanbois will say, its ok, volvo also like that.
Yeah, it is sad. Sad too, that Proton’s Vendor association itself is saying that even they are being displaced by vendors from China. The whole effort of building a car industry is now in tatters.
Will they redesign the logo again ?
I believe some of you guys in this comments section is Chinese right, why you kutuk itu China. I’m so weird, that China is your susur galur your descendants from there right, why you wanna bash you descendants I’m so weird at all
China is CCP commie land, Malaysian Chinese culture is different and authentic. Saying this as a Singaporean Malay
Malaysian Chinese are Malaysians. I wonder what is motive of this jibe.
Spare parts will be an issue with cars developed in China. Obviously they will use Chinese vendors to supply the main components. If we are lucky, maybe the tires, batteries, paints, and a few other cheap components will be supplied locally. Proton is already facing spare parts issue with its current Chinese based models
Then Malaysian government should remove the national car tax advantages enjoyed by proton as it is no longer a national car. Proton must compete fairly with other automakers.
If i’m not wrong proton said Iriz, persona and saga will be homegrown. Which means RnD in Malaysia, produced in Malaysia and made in Malaysia.
Looks like proton became lazy and just want to goyang kaki or geely never trust proton in the first place so they want to built their own to replace their dated A and B segment Cars in China. I bet they will still use proton team to make ride and hadling good but the rest will be geely own RnD.
At this point, proton and perodua shouldn’t be called national carmaker and let them fight against foreign brand fair and square
Ada aku kisah?