Proton aims to make its strong presence in other countries

KUALA LUMPUR: Last year, Proton created a lot of sensation in the Malaysian automotive industry by introducing its much-anticipated SUV, the X50. Also, the company took some crucial steps towards its export sales, including the commencement of CKD operations in Kenya, and the launch of the Proton X70 in Pakistan, which resulted in a 50% increase in the company’s annual exports as compared to just 8.8% growth in domestic sales, So, now for this year, the national automaker is on a mission to take its growing export sales to a new height.

For 2021, Proton has set a target of doubling export volume over 2020, with an assumption that export activities were restricted in the last year due to the global pandemic. To achieve this goal, the Proton Saga, Proton X70, and Proton X50 will be the company’s forefront players. 

According to the automaker, the set target is a part of the company’s long-term goal of becoming the third best-selling automotive brand in ASEAN by 2027. 

While explaining the brand’s export vision, Steven Xu, PROTON’s director of international sales said, “Over the last two years, PROTON’s international sales division has been aggressively pursuing export sales in numerous markets. We targeted to see significant gains in 2020 but those plans were affected by Covid-19. Still, we managed to grow our export volume, enter new markets such as Kenya and even launch the Proton X50 in Brunei barely two months after its Malaysian debut so there are many positives to take into the new calendar year.”

Proton says that its products appeal to a number of different markets and comply with their needs, which will help it to grow. The Proton Saga is already a popular model in several countries due to its hardiness, practicality, and value for money proposition, while the newest SUVs - X70 and X50 has the potential to attract customers with their modern design, hi-tech features, and performance. 

For achieving the goal, the company is also collaborating with local entities to ensure a cohesive market introduction, promotion, and product launch plan suiting the local market conditions.  

“By working closely with our foreign partners, we aim to present a consistent message in all our export markets and ultimately, this will make it easier for the Proton brand name to establish itself in even more countries. This is in line with our aim to promote Malaysia and its vendors on a regional and global level and ultimately, this will raise their competitiveness and benefit the economy as a whole,” said Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.

Also read: 2021 Proton Persona and Iriz received 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety ratings