Proton aims to double up

PROTON Cars Australia could double its local range of cars to four models within the space of a few months if current deliberations give the thumbs up to importing the V6 Perdana sedan.

The flagship of Malaysia's national car company could go on sale in Australia as soon as the second quarter of 2002, following on the heels of the new Waja sedan which is due to be released here in September.

The Perdana would probably be priced above $35,000 here, making it the most expensive Proton sold in Australia. The priciest model to date is the limited-edition Satria GTi El Tigre, which costs $35,990.

Powered by a 2.0-litre V6 engine, the Perdana would have a high level of luxury equipment and expected to take on the likes of Mitsubishi Magna, Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima.

But Proton Cars Australia managing director Anuar Rozhan does not think the car would seriously threaten the volume of its competitors, describing 500 sales per annum as "good result".

"We are considering the Perdana more for branding than for volume," Mr Rozhan confirmed. "But it will be pitched into a very competitive part of the market.

"On economics grounds it will be a tough task for us (to make the Perdana work)," he said. "I haven't made a decision yet, I have to study pricing and the currency some more and see how well we stack up." Another reason why Mr Rozhan is yet to confirm the Perdana as a goer is that it's based on a Mitsubishi Galant platform and powered by a Mitsubishi engine.

Proton is keen to escape the image of merely being a producer of old Mitsubishis. The Satria and Persona are Mitsubishi-based, but Proton proudly boasts the Waja is its original design, even if the platform and 1.6-litre engine are sourced from Mitsubishi.

The Perdana, which went on sale in 1996, has already been rejected once by PCA for Australian sale, but a refresh which included chassis development work about a year ago by ride and handling experts Lotus Engineering - of which Proton owns 80 per cent - has dramatically improved its dynamics and sales.

But performance from the V6, which is mated only to a four-speed automatic gearbox, remains sluggish, with the 110kW/176Nm engine propelling the Perdana to 100km/h in 13.0 sec.

A four-cylinder version sold in Malaysia would not be offered in Australia.

* Read all about Proton's vital new Waja sedan here tomorrow. Log in for specifications, equipment and drive impressions from the launch in Malaysia.