BANGKOK, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd will export its top-selling Exora to Australia and Middle East next year and launch its first model in India in 2011 as its aims for a 50 per cent export of its total production within three years.
Its managing director, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, said Proton exported about 24 per cent, or 26,000 cars, in financial year 2009/2010 and hoped to sell over 40,000 next year.
"The economy is recovering and the signs are there for us to reach a 50 per cent share of export and 50 per cent domestic market within three years," he told the Malaysian media after launching Exora at the Thailand International Motor Expo here on Tuesday.
In the 2008-2009 financial year, the national carmaker sold 108,405 Proton cars in the country and only exported 18,426 units.
He said Exora, Proton's maiden multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), has received 25,000 bookings since its launch in Malaysia last April and 1,500 in Indonesia while total sales in Thailand were expected to be around 150 units a month.
Asked if he was confident of Exora's success in Thailand as the MPV market was only around two per cent, Syed Zainal said similar situation existed in Malaysia four years ago, but the trend has changed and more people were moving towards such segment to get value for money and the changing lifestyle.
Since making its entry into the highly-competive and Japanese manufacturer-dominated market here, Proton and its Thai distributor, Phranakorn Auto Sales, had sold over 7,000 cars, with the top model being Savvy.
Syed Zainal said next year, Proton planned to launch the Exora in Australia, Egypt, Syria, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia after exporting it to Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore earlier.
"To cope with the expected increased in demand, we plan to have two shifts to double our production from the current 2,800 units a month," he said.
On India, which he considered a strategic and important market, Syed Zainal said Proton was expected to announce its local partner early next year and the first car would roll out within a year.
To stay competitive, Syed Zainal said, Proton would refresh its models with more new cars within a short period of time as the life cycle of a current model by top manufacturers was four years, unlike 10 to 12 years before.
"One model for 10 years don't work anymore. We are working on models like Perdana and Waja ... works are under way and we hope to finalise them soon," he said.
source: bernama
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