Malaysian automotive manufacturer PROTON has unveiled the Prevé and Exora, two new models for the Australian market. The Prevé, a stylish midsized sedan, is now officially open for booking, while the spacious seven-seater Exora, PROTON’s first seven-seater will go on sale mid-2013.
The models were unveiled by PROTON Holdings Berhad Executive Chairman, Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Jamil at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show. Also present were PROTON Holdings Berhad Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Lukman Ibrahim and PROTON Cars Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, Kaye Amies.
“When we launched the Prevé in Malaysia earlier this year, we underlined our commitment to expand abroad by becoming more technologically advanced, continuing to offer customers desirable vehicles, strengthening our sales and after sales networks internationally, and to evolve stronger as a reputable, trusted, preferred and competitive car manufacturer,” said Dato’ Sri Mohd Khamil at the unveiling.
“Both the Prevé and the Exora represent a new and higher level of standard for PROTON cars in all aspects encompassing key aspects such as safety, performance, comfort, build quality, technology, overall design and convenience,” he said.
PROTON also understands the importance of achieving the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) maximum 5 star safety rating and other market requirements and is working towards meeting these requirements for the two models.
“We want to emerge stronger as a global car company and redefine PROTON as both a product and brand in the realm of a rapidly evolving and highly competitive global automotive industry. And to do this, we are strengthening our presence in key strategic markets, including Australia.”
“We have been working very closely with PROTON Cars Australia to ensure all future vehicles launched in Australia meet our aspiration to produce the right car at the right time and at the right price for the Australian public.”
Proton Prevé
The Prevé will be on sale through all authorised PROTON dealers nationally, with the first shipment due to arrive in January 2013. The Prevé is offered in a GX variant utilising a 6-speed CVT transmission and a 5-speed manual transmission, both coupled with PROTON’s own CamPro 1.6L IAFM+ engine. It will be available in six colour choices: White, Red, Brown, Grey, Silver and Black.
A technological first for PROTON, the Prevé utilises a method defined as Hot Press Forming (HPF) that provides better protection and higher body as well as structural rigidity without compromising the overall car bodyweight.
The vehicle is also equipped with a Smart Information Display system (SID) that displays vital information and status updates on the Prevé’s various functions such as average fuel consumption, distance to empty, battery health and faulty bulb indicator, gear shift lock indicator, home lamp indicator, vehicle intrusion warning and many more.
The Prevé is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Front active headrests, Driver’s anti-trap power window, Reverse sensors, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and a 508 litre boot capacity amongst the many items.
PROTON will be announcing upgraded variants which will be available mid-2013, and will be powered by PROTON’s new generation of turbo engine. The 1.6-litre soft turbo engine delivers power and torque equivalent to that of larger 2.0-litre normally aspirated engines, is mated with PROTON’s 7-speed ProTronic CVT. It will also include features like steering mounted paddle shifters, leather interior, satellite navigation, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and an engine push start button to name a few. The Prevé is priced from $18,990 drive away for the GX manual, and $20,990 for the GX CVT.
Proton Exora
The Exora will go on sale mid 2013 with pricing to be confirmed closer to its launch date. Both variants will be powered by PROTON’s turbo engine, coupled with a 7-speed CVT.
The Exora will be launched with a list of standard features across the range such as ESC, ABS and roof mounted DVD player. The GXR variant will receive additional features like reverse camera, cruise control, daytime running lights and rear spoiler. The model will be available in seven colours; White, Red, Blue, Gold, Grey, Silver and Black.
As PROTON’s first locally produced seven-seater, the Exora emphasises on three main feature elements – comfort, performance and safety, which were translated into the design and quality of the vehicle. “The Exora will be an important model in our product lineup for the Australian market – and being our first seven-seater, it will provide customers with additional options when considering a new vehicle,” said Dato’ Sri Mohd Khamil.
“We want to offer our customers a competitively priced seven-seater vehicle with comfort, performance and safety in mind, and we believe that the Exora meets all these requirements,” he added.
As part of its commitment to deliver outstanding and affordable products to consumers, PROTON is offering a five-year or 150,000km (whichever is earlier) warranty and five-year roadside assistance and five-year free service for the Prevé and Exora. It is truly 5+5+5 program aimed to give the buyer peace of mind car ownership.
