I just want to voice my opinion after reading this thread, even though there are two Protons currently being used in my family, I'm utterly disappointed with Proton, being an automotive engineer student in the UK and currently doing my training in an engineering company in the UK as well, I’m honestly embarrassed with my mates over here when it comes to Proton (especially after the Top Gear ‘excellent’ review of Neo and Myvi). I’m not complaining about Perodua though, since they simply re-badged a car. Now, straight to the point, both cars below are performance orientated and have a 125hp engine:-
Satria Neo CPS retail price around RM60k – that is the amount of money Proton charged for the R&D, manufacture, Quality Control etc. of this car
For comparison
Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 currently priced in the UK for around 11k pound = RM63k-66k (depends on the exchange rate – that is the amount of money Suzuki charged for the R&D, manufacture, Quality Control if this car. Im not going to use the price in Malaysia because it has a ‘stupendous’ tax
imposed on it. For those who doesn’t know about this car’s performance check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Swift or a review by JC
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article664487.ece
Up to this point – Im sure you don’t have to be a genius to realise that we’ve been ripped off? Agree?
To add more, I’ve seen the Swift it in a showroom even though I’ve never driven, the built quality and the amount of extras (including 17inch wheels) is way better than my Satria Neo H-line manual (I assume the quality is similar to Neo CPS). And performance-wise, I’ve read in numerous magazines and none of them complained about the car. One magazine (Evo Uk) even did a long-term test – test drive a brand new car for 6 months and evaluate them every month. The evaluations include the running costs, fuel consumption and of course the reliability of the car. Completely no problems within the 6monts test – nothing like experienced by u guys for Neo CPS in just days!
I know Suzuki is well established and has a lot of funding from their owner. But after more than 20years? Come on Proton. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not blaming the engineers, I’m actually proud with them to come up with so many technologies – their own engine (Campro,Campro CPS), own chassis, own manufacturing plant, prototypes engines :- V6, campro turbo, electric engine, etc. Even with the help from Lotus, what the engineers have achieved are very impressive. But the bottom line is, its up to the management to give full support to the engineers in terms of funding and the green light to do what they’ve developed.
In conclusion, the 200% tax for imported cars that have been imposed by our ‘Malaysia Boleh’
government has forced us Rakyat to buy Protons and Peroduas. This has led to successful sales for both of the Malaysian car manufacturers thus more money to their CEOs and bosses ie the management. Having the Malaysian car market in their hand with no healthy competition from other car manufacturers (naik lemak dah), there is point for Proton(or I might say the managementss) to improve their current products and innovation seems to be on hold. So guys, who to blame? the Government? Proton management? Proton engineers? Hmmm..
