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Official Photos Of The New Proton Persona Released!

The first official photos of the face lifted Proton Persona, PROTON’s B-segment family sedan, have been released. Set to be launched soon the Persona, together with its sister car the Proton Iriz, are the first models in the Company’s current range to be given an extensive exterior refresh since the commencement of the collaboration with Geely in 2017. The new exterior lines portray an image of intelligent connectivity coupled with elegant aesthetics with subtle updates that make the Persona stand out from its predecessor. It also carries PROTON’s new family design elements that will be present on all future models to visually link them together.

At the front, the Persona is the recipient of a new outer grille whose shape is inspired by the “Ethereal Bow” that debuted on the Proton X70. The radiator grille meanwhile incorporates the “Infinite Weave” pattern sculpted into its design and sits on top of a redesigned front bumper. Sleek new LED daytime running lamps (DRL) are housed over a honeycomb mesh backing while a new bumper lower garnish ties together the new design elements of the front bumper and frames the lower air intake more elegantly.

Move to the rear and the most noticeable change are the PROTON name proudly spelled out on the trunk lid garnish and the removal of the brand logo. A new bumper lower garnish enhances the rear visual identity while a slimmer spoiler adds an unexpected sporting touch. Finally, the Persona name badge receives a new bolder and more flowing typeface in keeping with the overall exterior styling theme. A new 15-inch aluminium wheel design and a shark fin antenna provide the final exterior styling touches.

Touted as an intelligent family car, the Proton Persona will be equipped with a colour touch screen for access to connectivity options as well as voice command functions. A development of the system used on the Proton X70 and developed by PROTON and ECARX, the Persona will be the first B-segment family sedan to offer such an advanced system to Malaysian car buyers shopping for a new car in its price range. More information on the infotainment system and the technical specifications of the Proton Persona will be released closer to the launch date.

Petronas Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Mobile Bike Workshop, Announces 2019 MotoGP Contest!

Petronas Lubricants Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Petronas Dagangan Berhad, has launched the first ever ‘mobile’ service workshop, where motorcyclists can get their bikes serviced somewhere other than a normal workshop.

Modified from a 20-foot container, “The mobile-service workshop aims to provide our customers convenience and a unique seamless experience, where they can just sit back, relax and leave the service to our skilled technicians” said Dato Sri Syed Zainal Abidin, PDB’s MD and CEO (below). “On average the end-to-end process takes about 8-minutes for small and medium capacity bikes” he added.

Also announced at this event, in conjunction with the upcoming 2019 MotoGP season – in which Petronas is represented in all classes – Petronas is launching the “Petronas Sprinta Bonanza 2019” Contest, in which winners stand to ride away with monthly prizes such as a brand new Yamaha Y15ZR!

In addition, the overall grand prize winner at the end of the promotion will take home a new Yamaha R6 Superbike, painted in special Petronas Yamaha SRT MotoGP Team colours! The second place winner will take home a new Yamaha R25, also in team livery.

The contest runs from 11th March to 30th September 2019. For more info on the Mobile Service Workshop and the “Bonanza MotoGP 2019 Contest”, log on to www.mymesra.com.my

Mitsubishi Motors M’sia Launches New Showroom In Klang Valley

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), the official distributor of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in Malaysia, together with authorized dealer Evatrend celebrated the latter’s second Mitsubishi 3S Centre (Sales, Service & Spare parts) opening in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur today. This 3S Centre is located at No. 70, Jalan Midah 1, Taman Midah, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur with a total investment of RM800,000.

With a built up area of 4,908 square feet, the new 3S Centre also houses a fully-equipped workshop with parts storage area for Mitsubishi vehicles. The 3S centre comes with a modern façade, with fully equipped advance diagnostic tools and Special Set Tools (SST) to serve every Mitsubishi vehicle.

“Our principal Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) in Japan recently launched a new global tagline called ‘Drive your Ambition’. It is a powerful statement of our commitment to the values and aspirations of its drivers. We are pleased to note that Evatrend is the first Mitsubishi Motors showroom with our new corporate identity,” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.

Speaking at the launch, Low Foi, Chairman of Siang Hin Group, the parent company of Evatrend says “Our 3S centre is located strategically in Cheras, which makes it convenient for customers from neighbouring towns such as Kajang, and Semenyih to send their cars for servicing.” He added, “As a Mitsubishi Motors dealer, we are not only committed to promoting good cars, but we are also customer-oriented from sales to after-sales service.”

In conjunction of the 3S Centre launch, Evatrend also took the opportunity to display the newly launched Triton. With the opening of Evatrend, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) is currently represented by 53 showrooms (out of which 47 are 3S Centres) and 52 service outlets throughout Malaysia. In East Malaysia, MMM is represented by 14 showrooms (6 in Sarawak and 8 in Sabah).

The Triton 4×4 pick-up truck are imported as CBU (Completely Built-Up) units from Thailand while the ASX Compact SUV and Outlander are locally assembled (CKD) in Malaysia.

TGR 2019: Sights & Sounds, Thrills & Spills @ Toyota Gazoo Racing, Batu Kawan! [+Videos]

Whoever says the racers in Toyota Gazoo aren’t trying hard needs to watch this! Hammer and tongs, no quarter asked or given, bumper to bumper racing that can lead to carnage!

In the meantime earlier on, the Toyo Tyres Drift Team put on a splendid show too!

Here’s a quick walkabout on-site at TGR 2019, do head on over to experience it for yourselves!

Weekend programme appended below:

TGR: Toyota Gazoo Racing Hits Batu Kawan @ Penang 23-24 Feb 2019! [+Video]

We’re here folks! Season 2, Race 3 of the on-going Toyota Gazoo Racing Series is at Batu Kawan Stadium, and here’s the first footage of this weekend!

Swing by if you’re in the area, and stay tuned for more to come!

Proton Hits 3 Record Highs In January 2019, February Promo Announced [+Video]

PROTON has kicked-off 2019 on a high note as total registrations climbed to 7,007 units for January 2019. The 3 highs include:

– Sales growth rate highest among Top-3 automotive brands
– Proton X70 breaks single month registration record for C-segment SUVs
– 74 3S/4S outlets now open to support SSI and CSI targets

The estimated market share is 14.5%, though the final figure will only be confirmed following the publication of industry sales data by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

Following its launch on 12 December 2018, deliveries of the Proton X70 have gathered pace as more units of PROTON’s first SUV become available. Having set a Malaysia market record for most registrations by an SUV in its launch month, the trend continued in the new year with 2,777 units registered in January 2019. The amount means the Proton X70 has set a new record for the most C-segment SUV registrations in a single calendar month.

Here’s our video of the new Proton X70 during the official media drive:

The large number of SUVs registered were instrumental in PROTON posting impressive sales growth figures. Compared to the previous month sales increased by 33.6% while year-on-year, the figure represents a 46.5% growth over January 2018, easily making PROTON the market leader in growth rate for the Top-3 automotive brands.

Another area where the Company leads the industry is in the number of 3S/4S facilities in its network. There are currently 74 PROTON 3S/4S outlets and dealers in operation as at the end of the month with more set to open throughout the year. Together they will assist PROTON in achieving their Sales Service Index (SSI) and Customer Service Index (CSI) target scores.

“PROTON is thankful to be able to start 2019 on a positive note. We already knew we would end the month with the most 3S/4S outlets in the industry but the market leading sales growth rate figure and the record setting number of SUV registrations is due to the humbling support we have received from Malaysian car buyers. There is still a long way to go for the brand to fully recover but we will strive to continue to deliver a premium experience at our outlets while improving our model offerings,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON (above).

For the month of February, PROTON is looking to maintain its sales momentum by running an Ang Pow promotion. Buyers of Proton vehicles are eligible for savings worth up to RM4,000 dependant on the model they choose.

“In conjunction with Chinese New Year, PROTON would like to continue to reward its customers with extra incentives for buying a brand new Proton car. The Company would also like to wish all Malaysians a Happy Chinese New Year and remind them to drive safely during the festive period,” added Dr Li.