Volkswagen to Build Cars in Malaysia, will Start with the Passat from 2011

The Volkswagen Group on Tuesday signed an agreement with Malaysia's DRB Hicom auto group for local vehicle assembly as the Wolfsburg-based automaker seeks to expand its operations in Southeast Asia under the Strategy 2018 growth program. The announcement came after VW abandoned alliance talks with Malaysian state-owned carmaker Proton earlier this year for undisclosed reasons.

The one billion ringgit ($318 million) deal with DRB Hicom will see VW beginning the assembly of Passat models from the end of 2011 with an initial annual capacity of "several thousand vehicles." The German carmaker said it plans to build further models for the Malaysian market on the basis of a local full scale production in a second expansion phase from the end of 2012.

"Developing the market potential of the ASEAN region is of major significance for the Volkswagen Group’s long-term growth strategy," said Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. "We will be using existing structures and capacities at the DRB Hicom plant in Pekan to systematically extend our presence in the Malaysian market of the future."

The Malaysian joint venture will be Volkswagen's second in the Asean region, as the German company set up assembly operations in Indonesia for the production of the Touran in 2009

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Lotus CEO Says Concept City Car will Enter Production in "October 2013"

It appears that Aston Martin won't be the only British sports car maker to have a controversial small city car in its range. Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar told Car magazine that the Concept City Car, which was previewed at the recent Paris Motor Show alongside five sports car studies, has been approved for production. The comapny's CEO said the car will be manufactured in cooperation with Lotus parent company Proton and an undisclosed third party.

"Our city car has been confirmed and will be launched in October 2013," Mr. Bahar told the British magazine. "We are doing this together with Proton and another OEM [original equipment manufacturer, or car maker]. We will build three versions: one for the Asian market, one for Europe and a sportier one."

The Lotus flavored Concept City Car is based on one of the three Giugiaro-penned Proton EMAS design studies, which were first shown in Geneva earlier this year.

Built on a platform that was designed in-house by Italdesign Giugiaro, the EV concept model features a 45 kW (75kW peak power) electric motor that can be recharged by a 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine. The hybrid plug-in drive system was developed entirely by Lotus. Unlike the front-wheel drive iQ-Cygnet, British supermini gets a rear-wheel drive setup.

With a total vehicle weight of less than 1400 kg [3,086 lbs] and 240 Nm [177 lb-ft] of torque instantly available, the City Car concept is said to complete the 0 - 50 km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds and the 0 - 100 km/h [62 mph] in 9 seconds, when operating as an EV under battery power. The top speed is pegged at 170 km/h, [105mph] with a charge sustaining top speed of 120 km/h [63 mph].

The pure electric drive range is 50 km or 31 miles, but can be extended to a total of 500 km or 311 miles when the petrol engine kicks. Lotus claims that the drivetrain returns CO2 emissions of 60 g/km.

Mr. Bahar did not say if the production model will keep the concept's extended-range hybrid drivetrain or if Lotus will offer the car with a traditional petrol engine as well.

Source: Car magazine

Lotus City Car Concept Specifications

Layout: 3-door, 4-seater, rear-wheel drive
Drivetrain Series hybrid drivetrain
Range extender engine 35 kW, 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder engine
Engine fuel Flex-fuel (methanol, ethanol and petrol)
Battery Capacity 14.8 kWh
Power/Torque 162 kW peak (54 kW continuous)/240 Nm, 0-50 km/h 4.5 seconds, 0-100 km/h 9.0 seconds
Top speed 170km/h
Range 500 km
EV range 60km
CO2 emissions 60g/km on the ECE-R101 cycle
Weight Less than 1400 kg
Transmission Single-speed transmission

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2 Lotus F1 teams

Latest press release from Lotus.

Group Lotus plc and Genii Capital are joining hands and we will soon see the Renault F1 Team renamed as ‘Lotus Renault GP’ from the start of the 2011 racing season onwards.

Group Lotus plc will acquire a major equity stake in the team from Genii Capital. Genii, an investment holding company with a portfolio of automotive technologies, bring non-F1™ technologies such as lightweight braking systems, variable compression engine technology and on board software systems to the partnership. In addition to this, Genii is also offering Proton the ability to leverage on its existing business relationships in Russia and other parts of the world, as a means to expand Proton's global reach. Through Genii, Proton can also potentially access advanced automotive technologies by virtue of Genii’s association with Mangrove, a venture capital group.

However, I wonder where that leaves Team Lotus (also powered by Renault) led by AirAsia CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

Some quotes:

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar:

"I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1™. We’re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1™ and I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position: We are Lotus, and we are back.”

Dato' Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, Chairman of Proton, Lotus majority shareholder:

"We know that Group Lotus has much to offer Formula 1™ and vice versa. After careful consideration, we believe this arrangement will be fruitful, both from a commercial and marketing point of view."

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Proton advisor and former Prime Minister of Malaysia:

"This is an exciting development which delivers strategic benefits to both Group Lotus and Proton. I fully support the partnership."

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault:

“This multi-partner alliance will bring a new dynamic to the team and enable it to compete with the sport’s best from next season.”

Gerard Lopez, founding partner of Genii Capital:

“For Group Lotus, access to Formula 1™ opens up new marketing opportunities and a major platform for business exchanges and development. In this regard, Genii Capital possesses shareholdings in, and direct access to, cutting edge companies in the automotive industry. Our tie-up with Group Lotus and Proton, which will enable its future road car ranges to take advantage of significant new technologies, is a natural step.”

Lotus inspired Proton car

Proton, the Malaysian car company recently launched the Satria Neo R3 Lotus Racing edition. Meant to commemorate the Lotus Formula One racing team, the car wears the traditional Lotus green and yellow racing colours.

The car is powered by a retuned version of Proton's 1.6-litre CamPro CPS engine. Special features include the R3 Tuned Öhlins Coil-Overs Dampers and Öhlins DFV (Dual Flow Valve) technology. This 5 speed manual car has a maximum power of 145bhp at 7000 rpm and can go from 0-100Km/hour in 9.2 seconds.

The car is currently available at RM115,000 which is approximately around £23K. So far, there is no news of it being exported to the UK.

Dr. Mahathir talks about Proton

Dr.Mahathir bin Mohamad is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is an advisor to Proton, the Malaysian car company which was also his brainchild.

Anyway, he recently wrote about Proton's progress in his blog and how he was surprised that the Lotus racing team was able to get their car ready in such a short time. They just debuted this season.

In case you were not aware, Lotus is owned by Proton and Lotus Racing is run by 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn. Bhd., a partnership between Government of Malaysia (through Proton) and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs. The Team’s principal is Tony Fernandes , CEO of Malaysian budget airline Air Asia.

Exora Receives Well Deserved Endorsement In Thailand

Proton sales bookings in the Expo had as such beaten all Korean and continental brands in Thailand, positioning it as one of the strongest selling brands in the Expo within the ranks of the Japanese brands.

The Proton Exora, which made its debut in Thailand during the motor show, was the best selling Proton model securing a total of 825 bookings, which accounts for almost 60% of Proton’s 1,388 units sold during the Expo. The Proton Savvy was the next best-seller recording 19.5% of the total bookings over the event.

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Proton: Siapkan Tiga Model Facelift

PT Proton Edar Indonesia (PEI) selaku distributor utama mobil merek Proton di Indonesia akan meluncurkan tiga model versi facelift sepanjang 2010 ini. Ketiganya adalah, Gen-2, Neo, serta Exora President.

Gen- 2 dan Neo tak hanya mendapat sentuhan perubahan pada sektor eksteriornya saja tetapi juga interiornya. “Sedangkan Exora selain ada perubahan minor di eksterior, akan ada perubahan fitur di interior. Misalnya, jok yang akan dibalut hingga perangkat hiburan audio video desain baru,” kata Fransisco Sirait, Sales Training and Development Head PT PEI, di sela acara Media Gathering Proton di Jakarta Selatan, Rabu (10/2).

Peluncuran Exora President dan Neo versi facelift itu akan dilakukan di ajang Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) 2010 pada Juli mendatang. Sementara Gen-2 facelift akan diluncurkan akhir Maret atau awal April. PT PEI juga optimistis penjualan pada 2010 ini bakal meningkat seiring dengan kondisi perekonomian nasional yang bertumbuh pada kisaran 5-5,5 persen. “Untuk tahun ini target penjualan kami 4.000 unit, untuk semua line up Proton,” ujar Fransisco.

Presiden Direktur PT PEI Ricky HK To pun mengungkapkan rasa optimisnya akan penjualan Proton di Indonesia. “Penjualan kami tumbuh 100 persen, dari 1.100 unit pada 2008 menjadi 2.200 unit pada 2009. Sehingga tahun ini, kami yakin penjualan akan semakin membaik mengingat Indonesia juga memiliki potensi untuk menjadi pasar otomotif terbesar di kawasan (Asia Tenggara),” kata Ricky.

Medan Lebih Familiar dengan Proton

Kedekatannya secara geografis dengan Pulau Pinang, membuat Medan ternyata lebih familiar dengan merek Proton. Bahkan di Sumatera Utara ini, permintaan untuk mobil-mobil Proton cukup tinggi.

"Di Medan tiap dealer itu bisa dapat pesanan hampir 100 unit untuk semua tipe Proton," ungkap President Director PT Proton Edar Indonesia (PEI) Ricky HK Too di sela perkenalan Proton Exora di Hotel Darmawangsa, Jakarta, Rabu (15/7/2009).

Kondisi ini, kata dia mungkin disebabkan Medan yang dekat dengan Pulau Pinang. "Jadi merek Proton di sana sudah familiar sama seperti di Malaysia," katanya.

Walau demikian, dia berharap, kesuksesan di Medan tersebut juga bisa terjadi di kota-kota lain khususnya Jakarta.

Saga Termurah di Australia

Proton Cars Australia mengungkapkan bahwa Proton Saga akan menjadi mobil sedan termurah di Australia. Akan tetapi Proton Cars Australia belum bisa memastikan varian mesin apa yang akan dipasarkan di negeri kangguru tersebut.

Wow, Inden Exora Capai 14.000 Unit

Proton Holdings Bhd mengaku masih sibuk menangani pemesanan 14.000 unit Exora di Malaysia yang belum terkirim kepada pemiliknya, dan berjanji akan memenuhinya dalam tiga sampai empat bulan ke depan.

Proton Tenang Ekspor Exora Ke Indonesia

Proton Holdings Bhd mengatakan siap mengekspor MPV anyar mereka, Proton Exora, ke Indonesia dalam beberapa pekan ke depan, meski beberapa pabrikan otomotif asal Jepang memiliki strategi khusus menandingi Exora.

Proton Exora to Meet Indonesian Market by July 2009

Proton has been said to get their new Proton Exora to the Indonesian market which was estimated to be by July 2009. The time was slightly perfect since together with the yearly Jakarta Motor Show.

With the present of Proton Exora, the MPV market surely get enough competition with a whole lot variants to choose. According to the Division Head National Sales Proton Edar Indonesia, Fransisco Sirait, the one which showed in Malaysia will be not so different comparable to the one which will be for Indonesian market. For some detail, they will get Proton Exora with suitable condition for both geographic and Indonesia market.

Proton Announces Plans to Expand with Australia's Lowest Priced Car

Proton Cars has announced a revitalised assault on the Australian car market and has signalled it will launch Australia's lowest priced sedan, which it believes will be the perfect answer to the current financial climate.

In early 2010 Proton will launch Australia's lowest price sedan and is redoubling its efforts to rebuild and refresh its dealer network across the country.

The company has severed ties with almost half its existing dealers and is now recruiting new high calibre dealers to broaden the reach and service levels for Proton customers.

Proton Chancellor 2.0 V6

Proton has announced the availability of the Proton Chancellor beginning 15th December 2005. It will debut during the ASEAN Summit from 12-14 December. What is the Proton Chancellor? It’s basically a Proton Waja chassis with a 2.0 V6 engine from the Mitsubishi Eterna/Proton Perdana.

Proton Waja Limousine

Not to be confused with the Proton Chancellor, this is a true limousine version that is alot more elongated than the former. Form the look of the back, it shares the same exhaust tips as the 1.8 version.

The Proton Exora

Malaysian car maker, Proton has launched their MPV - the Exora. It is Malaysia’s first locally produced MPV.

It was launched on Wednesday by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The 7-seater is powered by Proton's own 1.6 Campro CPS engine linked to a 4 speed automatic transmission.

The MPV has a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph) and is available in six colours - pyrite brown, gaia blue, genetic silver, tranquillity black, blue haze and solid white.

Prices start at RM69998 going up to RM75998 for the higher end models. Proton had accepted bookings since Feb 21 and it was reported that more than 2500 orders have been received.

Proton PM5 Concepts

See here

Buy new fantastic proton car for only Rp. 75 mln

Malaysian National Car Manufacturer, Proton has launched it’s new SAGA last 18th Jan. An attractive ads promote on TV made me eager to see it on my own. Yes, it’s a new SAGA, replacement for the 23 years old Proton Saga,first Malaysian car. You have to see it on your own and judge this 16th model in Proton’s family. For me, the interior is quite simple, but the design quite nice.

New Saga tobe launched in Indonesia today

See here

Proton Malaysia Open 2009

South Korea's Lee Hyu Jong, left, Lee Hyo Jung, 2nd left, and champions Indonesia's mixed doubles pair Liliyana Natsir, 2nd form right, and Nova Widianto, right, pose on the podium after the Malaysia Open 2009 finals at Putra Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday.