Proton Bouncing Back: China's Geely help Malaysian carmaker regain domestic market

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Malaysia's Proton is turning things around. China's Geely Group having effectively taken control of the Malaysian automaker, sales are jumping due to the popularity of the first Geely-based model, an SUV called the X70. Rian Maelzer reports from Kuala Lumpur.

Darren Low doesn't hide his pride in owning a Proton X70.

DARREN LOW SZE CHUAN PROTON X70 OWNER "Until the X70, I will not think that I will own a Proton due to the reputation from many years ago till now, the reliability and so on. I prefer, like a Japan car. I would say brilliant work from Geely and Proton."

Since its launch last December the X70 has been turning heads and helping turn around Proton's fortunes.

RIAN MAELZER KUALA LUMPUR "Before Geely entered the picture, Proton's survival hung in the balance, with years of declining sales, loss of consumer confidence and a government that was fed up with bailing out the national carmaker."

In the first half of the year, Proton's sales were up more than 60 percent over the same period in 2018 driving the company to second spot in the local market for the first time in years.

ALEXANDER CHIA RHB RESEARCH INSTITUTE "Right now the immediate priority is for Proton to regain its mojo in the domestic market, and going forward the plan definitely is to export more of these Geely-based products in markets across ASEAN in particular."

Aside from an obvious bump in quality and reliability, the X70 is loaded with technology normally only seen in vehicles at much higher prices.

The changes Geely has introduced haven't stopped there.

PROF. YEAH KIM LENG SUNWAY UNIVERSITY "It is also undertaking substantial quality improvements and introduction of new gadgets and technology into the existing models, the old offerings in the various segments. So I think what is important in terms of sustainability of the long-term strategy is actually to see continuous quality improvements."

Winning over Proton-skeptics like Low is certainly a good start in Geely's efforts to transform the fortunes of Malaysia's national automaker as well as meeting the Chinese company's ambitions for global expansion.

Rian Maelzer, CGTN, Kuala Lumpur.