This above is the target number for PROTON to their many parts vendors to deliver parts for their next generation best seller, the X50 crossover.
PROTON has informed their suppliers that they will be needing parts to produce 4,500 units of the PROTON X50 crossover every month starting immediately.
The hype surrounding this upcoming local compact SUV has been increasing on social media with numerous sightings of a camouflaged model seen running around the country on road test and also to stir the emotions of Malaysians who have seen its sibling’s success in the Philippines where it is called the ‘Coolray ‘which is the name picked by the Philippines brand guardian (see picture below).
The crossover segment has been the fastest growing segment for the past few years and almost every car manufacturer has an offering in their lineup. We have seen the segment explode with the Honda HRV, Mazda CX-3 to the high-end Mercedes GLA, BMW X2 and the Lexus UX.
Thus for PROTON to launch an affordable compact SUV, a crossover, it is understandable why everyone is eager for the X50. So eager in fact that there are many people who can’t wait to place orders on a car that hasn’t even been launched or even officially announced by Proton as yet.
This Geely crossover is the result of over four years of development. Built on Geely’s global B-Segment Modular Architecture (BMA), this crossover sets new benchmarks in configurations and technology for global crossovers.
This tech-filled offering has been engineered and designed for younger generation of users and it will be priced below RM95,000 for sure. It will be powered by a 1.5L Turbo Direct Injection engine providing 130kW of power and 255 Nm of torque. The engine will be matched with an automatic wet dual clutch seven speed gearbox (7DCT) developed in Geely’s China Euro Vehicle Technology Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden which boasts an industry leading 97% transmission efficiency. This 7DCT allows the Coolray to accelerate to 100km/h in just 7.9s whilst having a combined city/highway fuel consumption of just 6.1L/100km.
The BMA architecture is the latest global modular architecture independently developed by Geely with a high-degree of flexibility and scalability as well as the latest advancements in the fields of safety, connectivity, new energy, and autonomous driving. By using BMA, the Coolray is able to accommodate the latest and most advanced powertrains jointly developed by Geely Auto and Volvo Cars including plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid options.
The successful launch of the Coolray in the Philippines market shows that the Asia Pacific car buyer is happy with Geely’s latest and most popular models which means the X50 will be a high volume seller in Malaysia. 4,500 units will sell faster than expected and its immediate rivals will need to work harder in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, PROTON posted its second best month of the year with 11,378 units sold, a reduction of 14% from July but still an improvement of 24.7% over the same month in 2019. Market share for the month is forecast at 21.6% while year-to-date market share is estimated to be slightly higher at 21.7%. Three PROTON models ended August as sales leaders in their respective segments while cumulatively, overall sales are now 46 units ahead of 2019.
