Ever since the Malaysian automaker Proton came under the umbrella of Chinese auto giant Geely, the company has witnessed steady growth in terms of sales & revenues but at the same time, it has put an end to ingeniously developed Proton cars.
The new breed of popular X50, X70, X90, and S70 vehicles from Proton are essentially rebadged Geely models with cosmetically different design elements from their donor versions. However, Proton CEO Li Chunrong recently stated that Geely-based cars won’t completely replace Proton’s domestic model selection.
In order to further enhance its in-house models—which presently include the Saga, Persona, and Iriz—Proton intends to establish a new research and development center in Hangzhou, China. This likely suggests that it will benefit from greater collaboration with Geely, which is also headquartered in Hangzhou.
It is safe to assume that these cars won’t simply be rebadged versions of existing Geely models and will have considerably greater local input. However, the timeline for the introduction of these new homegrown cars has not been revealed. Additionally, it has been announced that Proton would launch a New Energy Vehicle (either electric or hybrid) built on the Saga/Persona/Iriz platform rather than the Geely underpinnings.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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