Proton Unveils Car Models In Thailand

[sriracha john]

Proton unveils car models in Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd added Thailand to its expanding list of export markets with the launch of its models at the 24th Thailand International Motor Expo 2007 in Bangkok yesterday.

The national car-maker [of Malaysia] unveiled Savvy, Neo and the new GEN.2 powered by the enhanced Campro CPS engine during the event.

It has appointed Phranakorn Auto Sales Co Ltd, which has 50 years' experience in the Thai automobile market, its sole distributor in Thailand, it said in a statement.

Phranakorn Auto plans to open at least 20 distribution outlets within the next 12 months.

– Bernama

====================================

From Proton's website...

The Savvy:

The Neo:

The Gen 2:

=====================================

If their pricing in Thailand is anything like their pricing in Malaysia, they could make a significant impact on the car market here.

[dave_boo]

Proton unveils car models in Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd added Thailand to its expanding list of export markets with the launch of its models at the 24th Thailand International Motor Expo 2007 in Bangkok yesterday.

The national car-maker [of Malaysia] unveiled Savvy, Neo and the new GEN.2 powered by the enhanced Campro CPS engine during the event.

It has appointed Phranakorn Auto Sales Co Ltd, which has 50 years' experience in the Thai automobile market, its sole distributor in Thailand, it said in a statement.

Phranakorn Auto plans to open at least 20 distribution outlets within the next 12 months.

– Bernama

====================================

From Proton's website...

The Savvy:

The Neo:

The Gen 2:

=====================================

If their pricing in Thailand is anything like their pricing in Malaysia, they could make a significant impact on the car market here.

That first one is kinda ugly, but the others have decent lines. I wonder if their penetration into the Thai market is going to follow Hyundai's, or if the Thai government is going to tax the hel_l out of them a la Malaysia does to Thai cars imported into their country, in contravention of the ASEAN?

[thai_narak]

i drove the Gen2 (1.6) from a car rental in Malaysia and believe me it sucks! the engine roars without moving a meter, the automatic transmission has a mind of it's own (it's just downshift for no reason), no safety features at all (no airbag, abs, or whatsoever)... you get what you pay for. but ok, it's affordable but the resale value is very very low even in Malaysia. it's a disposable car.

[PattayaParent]

I kinda like the first one. Sort of looks like that retro Chrysler.

[asiaworld]

That first one is kinda ugly, but the others have decent lines. I wonder if their penetration into the Thai market is going to follow Hyundai's, or if the Thai government is going to tax the hel_l out of them a la Malaysia does to Thai cars imported into their country, in contravention of the ASEAN?

The first one >Savvy , is actually The Best of the lot !! Being on the budget side>& priced right.. Neo is a lame copy of Mitsu Colt>not the newest one! And the third 'wonderchild' of Proton is absolute Retard & Handicap !

I've owned older Proton Wira, which was exact copy of the VERY old mitsu model 'done right'

But the problem is ; the automotive industry developed over the last 20 years for the Better Proton DID NOT !

Also beware, if you any taller than 6 foot or 180 cm> just Fuggedabout it > it's TINY inside (except Savvy)

[Plus]

They have better cars than those in Malaysia, don't they? Perodua or what they called..

[asiaworld]

They have better cars than those in Malaysia, don't they? Perodua or what they called..

Hey Plus , Beware, what you wish for !! We've just grieved over the incompeent bikers in town . Now Imagine!>or go to M'sia Perodua Nippa>Kancil tiny wheels, Very slow acceleration, Max speed 110 km/h, BUT becomes VERY UNSTABLE @ anything over 60km/h, which it reaches slooowly, than add to it 250,000 Baht pricetag, & .. you've got a... Disaster!

[asiaworld]

Now if they also price Savvy here @ 3++,000 baht, that'll be nice

[culicine]

How about a remake of the proton satria gti with a 170hp motor. That's one that might be worth having. I doubt they will sell many of thee cars here given their quality, unless they are very very cheap!

[sriracha john]

Now if they also price Savvy here @ 3++,000 baht, that'll be nice

Thai Rath newspaper had a full-page ad yesterday from Proton unveiling the new cars for the motorshow and had a price listed for Savvy at 399,000 baht... which makes it the least expensive new car in Thailand.

The ad highlighted Proton's partnership with Lotus and also their 3-year/100,000 Km warranty.

Additional news from The Nation...

Proton makes push into Thai market with low-cost models

The overall price range for all Proton models is expected to be Bt399,000 to Bt600,000.

The GEN 2 will have its worldwide launch at the Bangkok International Motor Expo. The GEN2 has not even been launched in Malaysia yet. Three thousand units are expected to be sold in Thailand by the end of next year.

"Twenty showrooms are likely to be ready by the end of this year, and seven of these will be in Bangkok. By 2008 we plan to add four more dealerships," said Thawatchai Kungsanguanpornkij, managing director of Phranakorn Auto Sales.

Three of these showrooms, in Bangkchak, Lat Phrao and Pinklao, are owned by Phranakorn Auto Sales.

Thawatchai added that he was confident about the quality of Proton products and they were exported to markets like Australia.

He added that the quality of the suspension was especially good and it was engineered by the sports-car company Lotus.

"Our customers will be people who find the N3 level of Japanese models too expensive. We are also aiming at customers in the second-hand car market. The Savvy starts a new segment of cars in Thailand, and the only competition is the Kia Piccanto," said Thawatchai.

The company will have a marketing budget of Bt100 million for 2008. Besides starting a new segment, the GEN2 model, which comes with a 1.6-litre engine, also becomes competition for the Honda City and the Toyota Soluna Vios.

Two more models will be launched in 2008, although it was not stated which of the many models available in Malaysia would be brought to Thailand. Thanachart Bank is the official finance source for the cars sold by Proton.

Special prices will be available for all Proton cars at the upcoming Bangkok International Motor Expo, which will open to the public on November 30 in the Muang Thong Thani Challenger Hall.

- The Nation

=============

A better photo of the Gen2:

[buddhafly]

these cars are consistently rated as the worst cars in the world.

my friends and colleagues in malaysia state that they are crap and absolute junk. they fall apart so easily.

save your money, buy a toyota or honda instead, you'll save money in the long run.

[asiaworld]

Thai Rath newspaper had a full-page ad yesterday from Proton unveiling the new cars for the motorshow and had a price listed for Savvy at 399,000 baht... which makes it the least expensive new car in Thailand.

Hmm.. how about Suzuki mini trucks >> i think those go for 329,000 !!

oh, a bit of a ripoff as i just checked> http://media.proton.com/public/media/media...t_Savvylite.pdf

Proton Gen2

Model Harga (RM) Price >to get baht multiply by 10 !

GEN 2 1.3 AUTO - SOLID 46,033.29

GEN 2 1.3 AUTO - METALLIC 46,899.54

GEN 2 1.6 MANUAL ECH B 51,510.66

GEN 2 1.6 AUTO ECH B 55,234.32

GEN 2 1.6 MANUAL HIGHLINE 55,933.33

GEN 2 1.6 AUTO HIGHLINE 58,919.46

Anyway what a lie, Gen 2 WAS "new' to the market 3-5 years ago ! ...

Well it seems, they are 50,-60,000 baht off the mark.. That is what Savvy's are sold for (also in Indonesia)..

One thing strange, they haven't brought in Waja Campro>> Now that could be an interesting one..

The most comfortable Proton car ever built (ex. Perdana,which they don't make anymore) . Appaling to drive thou,& drinks petrol like crazy ..

[sriracha john]

these cars are consistently rated as the worst cars in the world.

Do you have a link to these ratings? The only thing I could find was a BBC presenter who presented a personal opinion that Perodua, not Proton, made the world's worst car.

my friends and colleagues in malaysia state that they are crap and absolute junk. they fall apart so easily.

save your money, buy a toyota or honda instead, you'll save money in the long run.

If the number of "car-bashings" recently in Thailand regarding Thai owners of these specific Japanese makes physically bashing their own new cars is any indication.... perhaps not.

[sriracha john]

Thai Rath newspaper had a full-page ad yesterday from Proton unveiling the new cars for the motorshow and had a price listed for Savvy at 399,000 baht... which makes it the least expensive new car in Thailand.

Hmm.. how about Suzuki mini trucks >> i think those go for 329,000 !!

Yes, Suzuki is lower... if you want a truck.

oh, a bit of a ripoff as i just checked> http://media.proton.com/public/media/media...t_Savvylite.pdf

Proton Gen2

Model Harga (RM) Price >to get baht multiply by 10 !

GEN 2 1.3 AUTO - SOLID 46,033.29

GEN 2 1.3 AUTO - METALLIC 46,899.54

GEN 2 1.6 MANUAL ECH B 51,510.66

GEN 2 1.6 AUTO ECH B 55,234.32

GEN 2 1.6 MANUAL HIGHLINE 55,933.33

GEN 2 1.6 AUTO HIGHLINE 58,919.46

Yes, probably higher than in Malaysia... but not all that much higher when compared to the mark-up of other imported cars:

The Gen.2 models are priced from 549,000 baht.

- The Edge Daily (Malaysia)

http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.js...d46000-608a1fb5

Anyway what a lie, Gen 2 WAS "new' to the market 3-5 years ago ! ...

I believe the Nation article failed to be as specific as the OP article was:

the new GEN.2 powered by the enhanced Campro CPS engine

Well it seems, they are 50,-60,000 baht off the mark.. That is what Savvy's are sold for (also in Indonesia)..

One thing strange, they haven't brought in Waja Campro>> Now that could be an interesting one..

The most comfortable Proton car ever built (ex. Perdana,which they don't make anymore) . Appaling to drive thou,& drinks petrol like crazy ..

[nid4z]

In Malaysia, GEN2 was introduced for a few years ago. but the one that launched in thailand is a new facelift with the improved engine. this model is not even launch in malaysia yet. new old one using CAMPRO 1.6 engine but the new one is using CAMPRO CPS 1.6.

check this link>> http://paultan.org/archives/2007/12/01/fac...ed-in-thailand/

[Plus]

Daihatsu Mira were quite popular here, I see no reason why cheap Protons/Peroduas won't be. Top speed and acceleration will be sacrificed for the price. I can almost hear women telling their husbands to put family first, it's better than a bus and safer than a bike, bla bla bla.

[asiaworld]

In Malaysia, GEN2 was introduced for a few years ago. but the one that launched in thailand is a new facelift with the improved engine. this model is not even launch in malaysia yet. new old one using CAMPRO 1.6 engine but the new one is using CAMPRO CPS 1.6.

check this link>> http://paultan.org/archives/2007/12/01/fac...ed-in-thailand/

i remember on Top Gear , during Gen2 test drive Jeremy Clarcson summed it up nicely>> Lotus suspention aside , the car COULD REALLY USE SOME TOYOTA DOORTRIM .. Now i didn't agree with him, when he made scandal bashing Perodua Kelisa , but Gen2 comment was Spot ON .. Gen2 IS the ugliest interior &, whe smallest "midsize" sedan i personally had trouble sitting in ..

[sriracha john]

In Malaysia, GEN2 was introduced for a few years ago. but the one that launched in thailand is a new facelift with the improved engine. this model is not even launch in malaysia yet. new old one using CAMPRO 1.6 engine but the new one is using CAMPRO CPS 1.6.

check this link>> http://paultan.org/archives/2007/12/01/fac...ed-in-thailand/

Thanks for confirming what I suspected earlier that the OP was more specific.

Thanks also for the link. Nice bump in horsepower for the new GEN2.

[sriracha john]

A photo of the Proton Savvy at the Bangkok motorshow:

[John 1]

I think 399,000 for the Sawy it should be a good seller and I like that orange colour. This should stir up the second hand car market forcing prices down.

[tigerbeer]

the launch of savvy is good for thailand. thailand needs such a car and perodua would have done superbly well here. i have driven cars in malaysia a lot and i know protons well. the campro engines are crappy. especially on the Gen 2.

perodua makes some good cars. although small but good built. cars giving a mileage of 20+ km/l is top on my list for the prices of petrol right now. sadly perodua will not be selling them cars here cause they can't keep up with production for even the home market and at least they were realistic about it.

my favorite being the Perodua Kelisa i have driven this car around with the 800plus cc engine. sufficient power and wonderful for the city. just don't expect it to drive 180km/h and perform like a ferrari.

Jeremy Clarkson can kiss my ass. for someone spoilt by high performance cars. he forgot a simple rule in life: you pay what you get for.

[Upcountry]

tigerbeer, hongthong, and crew,

as you may have noticed wikipedia has been denied to us thanks perhaps to some objectionable details related to Thailand (never mind all the other useful info on that excellent web resource).

Someone on another link mentioned this proxy: http://gigaunblock.com/

It gets you to where you want to go. ;-)

I have no no confidence in the Malaysian product, though I may test drive one some day. It sounds too much like the infamous Yugo of a few years back.

UC