Malaysia Independence Day Supplement: Proton to consolidate position with new models Arab News

JEDDAH: Malaysian carmaker Proton, which has ambitious plans to expand its market share, is launching EXORA, its new multipurpose vehicle (MPV) and other new models in the Saudi market. “Although our market share in Saudi Arabia is moderate, we have drawn up a plan to promote our cars and consolidate our position in this highly competitive market in 2010-11,” Samer Ajjan, marketing manager of Proton (ARATACO), told Arab News in an interview. “Our performance in 2008 witnessed some growth, but is still less than our expectation. We are taking up the required measures in both sales and after sales, and it will further enhance our performance,” Ajjan said. Proton cars, though they are still new, have some unique features as standard equipment, he said, adding: “Our company is working hard to provide our customers with the best sales and after sales service, and at the same time maintain the competitive price of our cars and their spare parts.” Ajjan said the company was able to maintain its sales growth for the third successive year due to well-planned sales and marketing policies. “In this regard we would like to express our deep appreciation to Proton for their strong support for all of our promotional activities which helped us in achieving our target,” he said. Asked which of Proton’s models is the most saleable, Ajjan said: “Whenever there are plans to launch new models, it’s Proton’s policy to conduct a comprehensive study to evaluate and understand the needs of its customers. Proton thus gets the advantage of meeting the requirements of different segments of customers, and therefore all models are saleable.” Commenting on the Saudi car market, he said Saudi Arabia was the largest automotive market in the region and had a lot of potential, especially in the small vehicles sector even though there was tough competition in this segment. “We can overcome the tough competition by our unique quality, competitive price structure and prompt services,” Ajjan said. In fact, he added, the Kingdom is potentially a rich market for cars in all of its provinces and regions. “Therefore we are selling well all over the Kingdom.” He expressed his deep appreciation to Malaysian Ambassador Professor Omar Al-Saggaf and the diplomatic mission staff for their continuous support for Proton vehicles in Saudi Arabia.