PERSONA IS 2008 BEST MODEL OF THE YEAR

PROTON’s Persona has been named Best Model of the Year for Malaysia in the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ASEAN Automotive Awards.

Launched in August last year, Persona is the fifth model fully built by PROTON and has fast become one of the best sellers in the PROTON stable.

PROTON Holdings Bhd Chairman Dato’ Mohammed Azlan Hashim said that the award is testimony to PROTON’s promise to deliver “the right car, for the right market, at the right price and at the right time”.

“This acknowledgement is a significant recognition for a car which over 45,000 Malaysians have endorsed as their car of choice. It is also an affirmation of PROTON’s commitment to produce quality value-for-money cars that meet market needs,” he added.

“We are most honored with this recognition by Frost & Sullivan as best-in-class which many have given the thumbs up for its quality, design, ride and handling as well as cabin and luggage space,” added Managing Director Dato Syed Zainal

As in the name, the Persona is an impression of beauty with advanced styling, generous interior and luggage space, practical with safe attributes and is an affordable package as a whole.

The Persona is a PROTON re-defined as it was developed with the commitment to improve every quality aspect - from design, styling and production to sales and after-sales.

The model has been enhanced with Intake Air Fuel Module (IAFM) technology giving it the evolutionary boost of further engine improvement. Since its launch, the Persona has made its way to Singapore and Brunei and will be introduced in Indonesia in July.

“We can proudly say that the Persona is now the key driver of PROTON’s export optimization for the financial year 2008/2009,” said Azlan.

With this award, the Persona now joins the ranks of models that are outstanding in the automotive industry in the ASEAN region.

The Best Model Award is part of the Frost & Sullivan Asean Automotive Awards that acknowledge outstanding performance by companies in the automotive industry in the ASEAN region. In addition to best models, the awards showcase best practices in safety systems, commercial vehicles, component, distribution, navigation and automotive finance segments.

All short-listed award recipients are evaluated based on actual market performance indicators of revenue growth, market share and growth in market share, leadership in product innovation, breadth of products and solutions, major customer acquisitions, and business and market strategy.

Syed Zainal said PROTON owed this award and tribute to all Malaysians who have stood by and supported the company, its brand and products. Without them, this could not have happened.

“Thank you to all Malaysians - Government, Customers, and the PROTON family, including the vendors, dealers, suppliers and staff. We would like to personally thank everyone for their support and confidence. Also to the PROTON family for their hard work, dedication and commitment which have significantly contributed towards this success,” he stressed.

“This award is an inspiration in motivating us to move forward and work harder to further improve ourselves by producing better products and providing excellent services to meet customer expectations,” he added.

“Moving forward, PROTON will continue to focus on quality improvement as we strive to better ourselves in every quality aspect. The need to raise PROTON’s standard of quality further and to benchmark our products with other successful vehicle manufacturers is especially important, now that we are aggressively pursuing a stronger presence in the international market,” said Dato Azlan.

About PROTON

PROTON, established in 1983, is Malaysia’s largest manufacturer of automobiles. With operations in key market centers from UK and Western Europe to the Middle East, and across South-East Asia and Australasia, PROTON produces cars to suit a range of consumer demands and preferences. The offerings include versatile and reliable four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks for the young-at-heart, luxurious and stylish executive sedans, as well as the world-renowned sports cars from Lotus.

PROTON’s inception as a key driver of national development has seen the brand accelerate its learning curve through technology transfer with strategic partnerships and technical collaborations. PROTON cars are now steadily on track to achieving the mission for the future, gearing up to achieve the promise of a marquee which build cars with passion and soul; cars which are a delight to drive and a pleasure to own.