Proton Persona R (P3-21A) spied near COE

Seems that the new Proton Persona R (P3-21A) starts pounding the streets again. This time it was spied by Paultan reader. It still did not reveal much, as the cladding is still very thick.

Pity that we couldn't see the dashboard from this angle. The rest of the car does not reveal anything we don't yet know.

 More after the jump.

Hyundai i30 sketch and spied

New Hyundai i30 is bound to be displayed at next month Frankfurt motorshow. The official sketch promised a lot.

Carscoop has several spy photos of this forthcoming car. The details of the interior can be seen, clearly a derivation from the new Elantra.

Honda Civic 2012 - a review of GCC model - could this be similar to Asia spec?

More pictures of Arab/Asia 2012 Civic start to surface out, thanks to GCC/UAE media during their first taste of the car. Since Arab previous Civic is the same as our Civic, it is safe to assume that this is highly likely to be Asian version too. They concluded that Civic is spacious for compact sedan, with sizable boot. However, driving excitement has been slightly toned down for more bias towards comfort. Finally the price is not that favorable. 

I have run a design comparison of 2012 Civic compared to our current FD model. Both have their pros/cons and some corner has visibly been cut in the 2012 model, evidence of cost cutting. More photos and details after the jump.

Proton Persona R (P3-21A) spied at Proton Test Track

Possibly this is a gimmick, but the information is precious nevertheless. Apparently during the Saga FLX test drive at Proton test track, there was a P3-21a prototype caged somewhere nearby, close enough to be photographed by the participating journalist. The car could be the one of the early prototype, but some of the camo has been shed.

The car did shed some of the tape around the grille. The design of grill passing a resemblance to the spied photos many months back, where there is chrome garnish bar at the top of the grill and a protruding emblem at the centre. However, this grill looks scarily conventional and outright ugly. Let's really hope the final item is way better executed.

The camouflaged at the door line, near the C-pillar was absent too. This conform the depression seen on the BIW is just for cosmetic, where the door like actually more inwards. I am quite to see how the rear end design is executed, as P3-21a looks to have a modern proportion like all small sedan this days, where cab forward design put the A-pillar at the extreme front, while the pushed C-pillar results in stubby notch. Hopefully the rear end will be Forte-like handsome with none of awkward tall-boy narrow body defective looking.

More of original photos after the jump.

Proton on the right track?

Article from Bussiness Times today:

Proton en route to better times

BANGKOK: Proton Holdings Bhd (5304) expects 2009 net profit to surpass RM200 million, driven by increased sales, operating efficiency and the launch of new models.

Managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohd Tahir said the national carmaker was headed towards better times despite the challenging economy.

Its net profit in the first half ended September 30 2009 rose 42 per cent year-on-year to RM136.6 million, while revenue was up 11 per cent to RM3.96 billion.

In the financial year ended March 31 2009, it made a net loss of RM320 million on revenue of RM6.5 billion.

"As you can see from our results, we have achieved more than RM100 million in net profit. We expect the earnings momentum to be sustainable as demand for our existing car models like the Exora, Savvy and Saga 1.3 continues to improve," Syed Zainal Abidin told Business Times here.
He was also hopeful that revenue would exceed RM6.5 billion this year, with exports contributing up to 24 per cent.

According to Syed Zainal Abidin, Proton has a healthy order book with two months of outstanding bookings to help it achieve its targets.

"There is a lot of efficiency in the way we operate now, including plant maintenance. So there are better margins and revenue coming out of our system," he said.

Proton will be launching upgraded versions of its Waja and Perdana cars by early next year.

The Waja is headed for an enhancement programme through a collaboration with Japanese giant Mitsubishi. The same arrangement is being undertaken with another car company for the Perdana.

"Like any other car company, we have to always introduce new vehicles as well as refresh our existing models for us to be relevant to move forward. We have to look at the A, B, C and D segments and multi-purpose vehicles. Long gone are the days when a car is in the market for 11 to 12 years," Syed Zainal Abidin said.

Proton's plan is to introduce at least one new model a year.

By mid-2011, Proton will introduce the C-segment sedan, which will help widen its reach in international markets, Syed Zainal Abidin said.

Business Times had reported early last month that a clay model of the new sedan, which will be produced in Malaysia, was ready at renowned design house Italdesign-Giugiaro SpA in Turin, Italy.

Proton is also targeting to export up to 55 per cent more cars next year to boost profits. Last year, it exported 18,438 vehicles to 24 countries. It aims to export more than 26,000 units this year.

"Hopefully, next year, we will be challenged to break the 40,000-mark," Syed Zainal Abidin said.

On the home front, Proton is targeting sales of 155,000 cars this year, up by almost 10 per cent from 141,958 last year.

Besides revamping its existing models to increase car sales, Proton will expand its presence in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, China and the UK. It will also look to new markets like Australia and India.

Key takeaways that matters are new Waja,Perdana and Persona are on the stream in this order. Persona is going to get an Italian touch, whereas Waja and Perdana is a rebadged previous acquaintances.