PROTON unveiled new additions to its Egyptian market range under the shadow of the great pyramid in Cairo at their distributor’s newly-refurbished 4S outlet in Smart Village, Abbou Rawash, Giza.
True to the promise made during the flag-off ceremony in Tanjung Malim in September, a total of 246 Proton cars consisting mainly of LHD versions of the Proton Saga and Proton Exora arrived safely on Egyptian shores last month. Distribution will be handled by the sole importer for Proton cars in Egypt, Alpha Group Ezz Elarab, with cars being sent to the seven branches and dealers that serve the market. The importer is targeting a sales volume of 1,400 units for 2019, a target it is confident of achieving as revised versions of the Saga and Exora Plus start to become available from the middle of next year.
Speaking during the launch Hisham Ezz Elarab, the owner of Alpha Ezz Elarab, said he was excited the newer Proton models have arrived in Egypt as now he and his team could get to work to re-establish the PROTON brand by following the dynamic changes happening to the brand in Malaysia.
Aside from being the sole importer, Alpha Group Ezz Elarab is the first company to carry PROTON’s latest Corporate Identity (CI) in a showroom outside of Malaysia. Open to the public on 10 November, the outlet will feature sales, service, parts and state of the art repair facilities in an area covering a massive 15,000 square meters. Other Proton outlets in Egypt to feature the new CI are located at Al-Battal Street, Mohandessee and Nahas Street, Nasr City.
2019 will see major changes introduced to the Egyptian automotive market. The gradual reduction in import tax for European cars will lead to lower prices and consumers shifting their purchase preferences to such cars. To counter these challenges, PROTON and its partner in Egypt are considering various strategies including starting CKD operations.
Such a move however requires significant steps to be taken including feasibility studies to ensure it makes economic sense for all parties involved. Establishing CKD operations however means PROTON will be able to take advantage of local assembly incentives and Egypt could be used as a regional hub for producing cars to be sold in the Middle Eastern North Africa (MENA) region.
