Proton looks forward to exporting a lot more

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton is aiming big. Already on the 7th cloud thanks to the success of X70, our in-house car manufacturer is looking forward to exporting 5,000 vehicles in the year 2019. However, all this would only be possible if the Malaysian government extends a helping hand to the manufacturer. Last year, Proton exported 1,388 units overseas and with a target of 5,000 units this year, it is expecting to export more than triple the previous number.

At a recent press conference which was held along with the signing of a collaboration agreement, Li Chunrong, the CEO of Proton said, “In 2017, we exported 248 units. This year we want to export more”. He went on to add that, “With the support from the Malaysian government, we could export up to 4,000 to 5,000 units this year”.

For now, the major target for Proton will be the ASEAN market, however, Dr. Li did not rule out the possibilities of Proton establishing its feet in markets outside Asia as well. “We don’t want to forget the other markets (countries outside of ASEAN). We are trying our best to enter other markets,” commented Li Chunrong on the same.

Currently, developing markets like Jordan, Chile, and Egypt are the major export destinations of Proton. However, cars like Proton Savvy did very well in countries like Thailand only until the eco-car policy was introduced by the Thai government in 2007. The policy gave benefit to the local auto manufacturers and Proton lagged behind in no time.

Arena, which was based on the Proton Wira was also a successful vehicle in the Australian market, however, the pricing of the new models from Proton is not competitive enough for the Australian market anymore. This has led to Proton stop selling its vehicles in Australia.