My curiosity compelled me to ask this question. As it is a matter of subjective perception, it is difficult to gain factually accurate evidence on my own. As of now, I only know that PROTON is not very popular in Taiwan and that Taiwanese drivers are in favour of Japanese cars above all others.
I am also aware that a significant majority of Forumosa’s members are expatriates or non- Taiwanese. Either way, I would be just as delighted to get relevant feedback from you guys as well.
If you have not heard of PROTON, you can always look them up if you have a few minutes to spare;
I THINK that Jumbuk pickup truck (of which one sees a few around Taiwan) is Proton based, and is essentially a Mitsubishi clone, as all Proton’s were originally. I saw quite a lot of them in Australia.
I’d consider one of them. 4WIW, I don’t see any particular reason to chose a Taiwan-built Japanese car over a Malaysian-built Japanese car, and if the Malaysian-built car is an older model (which was the case in the UK market) well and good. I’m unimpressed with what I’ve seen of automative “progress”.
However, foreigners aren’t allowed to have pickup trucks here (at least not without jumping through a lot of ill-defined and poorly understood regulatory hoops) so its likely there isn’t any local foreigner experience with the marque, unless the (newer, in-house designed?) cars are here too.
If they are, I havn’t noticed them and know nothing about them.
If you want to survey local (and especially Taiwanese) market perception of the product, this probably isn’t the best place to try, but I’d bet if there is any awareness it’'ll be negative.
Taiwanese consumers, even more than most consumers, are brand-image snobs, and the marque probably has a cheap/downmarket image, irrespective of the actual qualities of the vehicles.
I’m not Taiwanese (you won’t find many of them on this board), but - to answer your question - I think Proton is a company that essentially sells rebadged designs of other manufacturers (mostly Mitsubishi as of late) at inflated prices. They are uncompetitive internationally, but have made themselves a cosy place on the Malaysian domestic market thanks to the protectionist policies and government purchases. Now, what have I won?
The Taiwan market has experimented with cheap, budget cars from China and Korea with little success. I think this is mainly due to the Taiwanese having a higher disposable income that some other countries. Taiwanese have however embraced the brand Hyundai since they drastically improved their vehicle looks and reliability as well as provided them with extended warranties.
I personally don’t think that Taiwan would do well with Proton for the reasons I suggest above. I do however think there is a market for small Japanese cars such as those in the Japanese domestic market and models such as the IQ and Aygo. It’s a shame that the grey imports here must suffer so much tax, otherwise I would be interested in bringing in these types of cars myself.
I am afraid i have had the displeasure of owning 2 proton cars in the past, they are terrible, some had mitsubishi engines and others had the renault engines, the ones with the renault engines were worse for some reason… I had two because the first one i made them take back, they assured me the upgrade car would be much better, it was a bit better but still loads of problems… so if you are ever thinking of getting one, DON’T!!!
By problems i mean, clutch burning out at very low mileage… (I don’t granny clutch) so it wasn’t cos of me!!!
Rust spots noticed within about 2 weeks of receiving the car.
Electric windows issue, Fog lamp issues… and i can’t remember what else…
The car is too heavy for the 1.6L engine they use, its very sluggish.
Invited to a banquet this evening by a private student of mine who runs a chain of main dealerships for a couple of other makes, so I asked him.
There was a pretty noisy band, and his English has deteriorated a bit under my tutelage, so couldn’t get in to much detail, but “so-so” would about sum it up.
According to him, they (not just the Jumbuck) are imported, and they are medium quality, medium price, so I guess they aren’t as cheap in this market as they were in the UK when I was there.
According to his son, also in the bizniz, one model (can’t remember the name, but some involvement by Lotus was, I think, mentioned) has a certain cachet amoung the young because its felt to be “sporty” and is relatively rare.
Well, I’m not surprised. Proton only sold about 800 cars in the UK in 2010. Proton is popular in Malaysia (for obvious reasons) and somewhat gaining in popularity in Indonesia and Thailand. Australia, The Middle East and South Africa have their fair share of Protons as well.
Proton cars are still sold in Australia. ‘’ Average ‘’ reviews are quite the overstatement, but I appreciate your kind courtesy nonetheless. Proton is trying to improve her image in the Australian market with the upcoming launch of the above Proton Prevé sedan and the Proton Exora MPV.
[quote=“tommy525”]Is that sorta like an electron ?
hey WOW im a marketing genius ! Make an electric proton and call it the ELECTRON [/quote]
Poor old Proton gets that a lot. To be factually accurate, Proton is a Malay acronym for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (English: National Automobile Enterprise).
Yes, the Jumbuck ute is based on a Mitsubishi Lancer platform from the 1990s. The Jumbuck is of the First Generation of Proton cars, and does not reflect the advancements of Proton in the past few years. Proton entered the Third Generation in 2009 with the introduction of the new, critically acclaimed Proton Exora MPV. There is also the new Proton Inspira, not sold outside her home market, and exists mainly as a sign of goodwill between Proton and and long time partner and big brother, Mitsubishi.
You are very open minded. I know not many foreigners who are willing to give the Proton brand a chance.
[quote=“Ducked”]However, foreigners aren’t allowed to have pickup trucks here (at least not without jumping through a lot of ill-defined and poorly understood regulatory hoops) so its likely there isn’t any local foreigner experience with the marque, unless the (newer, in-house designed?) cars are here too.
If they are, I havn’t noticed them and know nothing about them. [/quote]
Really ? That’s interesting. Fortunately Proton makes all kinds of cars, sedans, hatchbacks, MPVs, vans ans so on. As for the newer, in-house design Protons; only the Gen- 2, Persona and Savvy is currently sold in Taiwan. These are all second generation Protons. Proton intends to export the new Prevé sedan to China, but no word yet on Taiwan. Here’s hoping that they will. It is a giant leap forward from the older Proton models.
I suppose you are right. But I guess there is no harm in trying.
Ah well. That’s just the problem Proton, Hyundai, Kia and other newcomers are facing right now. It will take some time for the general population to alter their general perception of the newcomers, that’s for sure.
Your statements are about… 30-40% accurate of Proton today. Yes, Proton initially badge-engineered Mitsubishi cars, but they no longer do that en-mass today, with the exceptions of the Inspira, a sign of goodwill between the two companies and the Jumbuck, now being phased out in all markets. All of the other 6 current Proton cars were designed in-house by Proton and Lotus. The import tariffs are meant to protect Proton from direct competition from her Japanese and Korean rivals until Proton develops to an acceptable, competitive status. Proton is no older than 28 years old. The first REAL Proton only came out in 2000, so Proton has a lot of catching up left to do.
I see, I see. Hyundai and Kia have come a long way in the past 15 years or so. So much so that they’re giving Japanese carmakers a run for their money.
It is quite plausible really. If Hyundai can make it, Proton may too. However, one must consider that Hyundai and Proton are not the same, no matter how similar they may be at a first glance. My guess is no better than yours.
You are very courteous and open-minded. I do not know many foreigners who are willing to invest in Proton.
[quote=“Durbanite”]I am afraid I have had the displeasure of owning 2 proton cars in the past, they are terrible, some had mitsubishi engines and others had the renault engines, the ones with the renault engines were worse for some reason… I had two because the first one i made them take back, they assured me the upgrade car would be much better, it was a bit better but still loads of problems… so if you are ever thinking of getting one, DON’T!!!
By problems I mean, clutch burning out at very low mileage… (I don’t granny clutch) so it wasn’t cos of me!!!
Rust spots noticed within about 2 weeks of receiving the car.
Electric windows issue, Fog lamp issues… and i can’t remember what else…
The car is too heavy for the 1.6L engine they use, its very sluggish.
My 2c…[/quote]
I’m sorry to hear about your misfortune. May I ask which Proton models did you own ? I acknowledge the fact that the older Protons have poor fit and finish, and safety standards. However, the newer Proton cars may fit your requirements.
[quote=“Ducked”]Invited to a banquet this evening by a private student of mine who runs a chain of main dealerships for a couple of other makes, so I asked him.
There was a pretty noisy band, and his English has deteriorated a bit under my tutelage, so couldn’t get in to much detail, but “so-so” would about sum it up.
According to him, they (not just the Jumbuck) are imported, and they are medium quality, medium price, so I guess they aren’t as cheap in this market as they were in the UK when I was there.
According to his son, also in the bizniz, one model (can’t remember the name, but some involvement by Lotus was, I think, mentioned) has a certain cachet amoung the young because its felt to be “sporty” and is relatively rare.
Not as negative as I expected.[/quote]
I hope you had a great time at the banquet. Your student was being courteous with his description. Most others would start with the cons first when it comes to Proton, and seldom bother about the pros. The quality of the fit and finish, as well as the safety standards of Proton cars has improved significantly over the past 5 years. But medium price ? Well, I’m not sure about that. Proton cars are generally well-known to be cheap, budget oriented cars. Perhaps it is the taxes ? I read somewhere that the Taiwanese rate for imported cars with <2,000 cc engine displacement is about 25%. I’m guessing the car described by your student’s son is the Proton Satria GTi, arguably the best Proton to date.
The first model i had was the 1.2 savvy, then “upgraded” to the 1.6 Satria neo, this is the one that had lotus’s help with the suspension, handling was the best feature of the car. Overall, still a pretty crappy car though…
The first model I had was the 1.2 savvy, then “upgraded” to the 1.6 Satria neo, this is the one that had lotus’s help with the suspension, handling was the best feature of the car. Overall, still a pretty crappy car though…[/quote]
Hi Durbanite,
Thank you for sharing your experience on Proton cars, I appreciate it. The Savvy and Satria Neo are from the second generation of Proton cars, and do not reflect the recent advancements of Proton. This explains why they’re still ‘’ pretty crappy cars ‘’. The Proton pictured in my first post is a third generation Proton. It does reflect Proton’s progress in the past few years. If it ever comes to Taiwan, you may want to give it a test drive. It’s a great leap forward from the 2 Proton cars you’ve owned previously. Just check the stats here if you find me hard to believe.
Still, even the best from Proton is no match for the likes of established brands like Toyota and Honda to name two. The company is only 28 years old after all. Long way to go.
Maybe they have improved, just told you my past experiences. To be honest with you, i think i would probably go for a more established brand if i did buy a car…
Once bitten, twice shy… Don’t mean to sound like a bad person, I had to go through months of fighting and even wrote an article into “Car Magazine” in South Africa before i got any result.
Proton is trying to improve her image in the Australian market with the upcoming launch of the above Proton Prevé sedan and the 
Poor old Proton gets that a lot. To be factually accurate, Proton is a Malay acronym for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (English: National Automobile Enterprise).
