It seems that the entire world is interested in the Indian automobile industry and now even Malaysia’s largest car maker, Proton are looking to enter the bandwagon. Proton had been having talks with India’s Mahindra and Mahindra in 2006 however nothing concrete seems to have come out of those discussions. Proton is owned partly by the Government of Malaysia.
Now new news has surfaced that Proton have taken a fresh approach and would rather be on their own in India than scout for a partner. At the recently concluded Thailand Motor Show, top brass from the Malaysian company were overheard telling that they would launch their cars in India via the CBU route. The obvious choice of launches would be the Proton range of compact cars. Recently Proton launched their EMAS vehicle. It is powered by a 1.2 liter petrol engine and is just under the 4 meters mark. Seems tailor made for the Indian market.
Most likely, this would be the first launch for Proton in India or the other probable is the Proton Savvy, which like its name is a very stylish vehicle.The company may also think of following suit like other manufacturers by using the V platform from its strategic alliance partner, Nissan Motors and launching an India specific car. The best, we can do is expect the Proton car to be on our roads is by 2012.
