In Cars, Local News, Proton / By Gerard Lye / 8 June 2018 5:24 pm / 103 comments

During the launch of the Proton’s first upgraded 4S dealer outlet in Shah Alam, company CEO Li Chunrong revealed that a new product will be launched every year following the introduction of the brand’s first SUV later this year.

Li didn’t provide any specific details about what exactly these upcoming models will be, but stated that all new products would be assembled at Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant.

When asked if these new products will be developed by Proton or be adapted from existing Geely models, Li said, “you know, China is a left hand drive (market); over here it’s right hand drive. It’s not only about putting the (steering) wheel from the left to the right, they will change a lot. This is why for the first new SUV, we spent 18 months (developing it), it’s very complicated.”

He went on to say that for the Proton SUV, engineers from both camps worked closely to jointly develop the model. “We needed more than 1,000 Proton engineers working with Geely engineers together. Every month, more than 100 engineers worked in Hangzhou, so this (SUV) is jointly developed.”

Li was also asked if the latest Geely plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models will make their way to Malaysia, to which he replied, “we will bring in the latest cars from China, we want the latest technologies and not the ageing cars (sold) in China. We will get it about the same time they do. Even for some newly launched PHEV (in China), the Chinese haven’t even gotten the car yet.”

Recently, the Geely Bo Rui GE was introduced in China where it is available with a mild hybrid or PHEV powertrain that was co-developed with Volvo. Other Geely models on the way include a B-segment SUV as well as a new MPV. Do you think any of these models will make their way to Malaysia?

GALLERY: Geely Bo Rui GE