National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd will release its new model, the Inspira, which will be cruising down Malaysian roads from Nov 10.Deriving its name from the Bahasa Malaysia word “inspirasi” (inspiration), Proton said that the 1.8-litre model will be priced at RM79,880 while its 2.0-litre counterpart at RM95,000.
However, Proton said that these prices were still “tentative”, and may be subject to change when the the car is officially unveiled.
The car was launched today at Proton's Centre of Service Excellence. The car's full body was not completely revealed. Only the front portion of the car was displayed.
Proton Holdings managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir said that the car was the product of an “old revisit” with the Mitsubishi Manufacturing Corporation (MMC).
Proton also announced that it would stop churning out its Waja model after 10 years of production. However, Syed Zainal said that the Inspira was not meant to fill the vacuum left by the omission of the Waja.
“When you change your lifestyle, you want to change your car to a better one, so we need to offer a better car,” said Syed Zainal.
“Proton will continue to evolve. Customers will grow in terms of demand, their pockets will grow bigger and they will want to live a better lifestyle.”
Syed Zainal also said that the Inspira was a localised version of the Mitsubishi Lancer, and was built according to Malaysian expectations.
Lancer owners concerned
Prior to the car's soft launch, many expressed scepticism with the Inspira. In various discussion forums over the Internet, they argued that the car's make is no different from the Lancer.
Lancer owners are also concerned that the Proton Inspira will affect the after-sales value of their cars, devaluing it in the process.
It is a sentiment that Syed Zanial does not agree with, although he declined to comment on the observations.
"It's not for me to answer. I will let Mitsubishi answer that," he said, adding that it was a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Syed Zainal also expects to launch the Inspira to other markets in the region, but said that Proton would concentrate on stabilising it three to six months after its initial release.
He hoped to see sales of 1,600 units a month, saying it was a realistic expection.
He said that Proton's collaboration with Mitsubishi in designing the Inspira was cheaper than with other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in the market.
He added that that Proton spent less than RM350 million in developing the car, or half that of normal car models.
The Inspira is open for booking at a RM1,000 deposit from today until Nov 15. Those who place their orders during this period would enjoy a two-year servicing package for free.
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