Proton Saga Debuts In Its 8th International Market, Local Production of Proton Models is Set for 2021

PROTON has just recently launched in its 8th international market, Pakistan earlier this month. In addition, the Proton Saga which received a significant update in 2019, is now available in Pakistan alongside seven other countries - Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius and Nepal. 

The Proton Saga will be available in three variants namely the Saga MT, Saga AT and Saga Ace AT. An additional 100 units of the Proton Saga R3 Limited Edition will also be available with either the MT or AT transmission. For the latter, a lucky draw will be held where customers can register their interest by April 16. 

The online launched was graced by the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, Mr. Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim. The High Commissioner hopes that PROTON’s operations in Pakistan will strengthen the economic relations between the two countries. 

The Saga is the second model offered in Pakistan following the X70 in December last year. All vehicles are currently supplied as CBU units from Malaysia but Al-Haj Automotive, PROTON’s partner is set to commence local assembly operations by the third quarter in 2021. Located at Karachi, the new plant has a capacity of 25,000 units per annum and will enable sales of Proton vehicles to grow exponentially in the country.

Hilal, Khan Afridi, CEO of Al-Haj Automotive, is confident that the country’s customers will be attracted to PROTON’s offerings. “I am thankful to our fellow Pakistanis for making the Proton Saga an instant success in Pakistan. This car will definitely stand out for its reliability, durability and value for money,” he said after the launch.

Moving into the second quarter of 2021, PROTON is set to increase its international market presence aligned with its long term goals. The Proton X70 and X50 will also be exported alongside the Saga, in its aim to establish the company’s range of vehicles overseas. 

“Exports are an important pillar for PROTON and will account for an increasing percentage of our sales volume in coming years. Aside from promoting the features of our products we also leverage on the high quality reputation of Malaysia’s manufacturing sector, which lends credibility to our own product story. In 2021, aside from exploring new opportunities, we will also ramp-up efforts to re-enter major ASEAN markets such as Thailand and Indonesia,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.