Proton, the Malaysian carmaker, is doing feasibility studies to understand the Indian market. According to Autocar Profession, Proton, with local partner, is planning to setup an assembly line for its cars in the country.
Abdul Rashid Bin Musa, Chief Technical Officer, Group Engineering of Proton said that there are some problems in imminent launch of the brand in the Indian auto industry. The first issue being that diesel powered cars enjoy a large market share in the country, thanks to its lower price and high fuel efficiency. On the other hand, Proton cars are mostly petrol driven.
He also said about the excise duty benefits available on cars and SUVs coming under 4 meters in length and powered by less than 1200cc petrol and 1500cc diesel engines. With this benefit, the company believes that the new Proton Iriz could be an ideal product for the Indian market.
The Iriz hatchback is 3,920mm long, 1720mm wide and 1554mm tall with a 2555mm wheelbase, which will compete against the likes of B-segment hatchbacks in the country including Maruti Swift, Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto Evo. The Proton Iriz is a global product, which is available in 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines.
