Proton Waja 1.6X Launched by Transport Minister
The more luxurious version of the Proton Waja 1.6 – the Waja 1.6X – was today launched by Minister of Transport, Dato’ Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik at the EON head office in Glenmarie, Selangor. Members of the public (and members of the Waja Performance Club) were also invited to attend the event which coincided with the EON Autofair which is being held this weekend at the same venue.
Following the unveiling of the long-awaited new Proton Waja version, the winner of the first round of EON’s ‘Win-a-Waja’ contest received her Proton Waja keys from the Transport Minister. The winner was Rosnah bt Arba’in, an administration assistant from Teluk Intan, Perak, whose entry and captivating slogan created the greatest impression on the panel of judges who reviewed thousands of entries.
At the launch, two units of the new Waja 1.6X Premium were displayed to show the two colours available. While the silver finish has been available since the model’s launch over a year ago, the dark shade of ‘Vanity Teal’ is new.
As mentioned in our earlier article, the Waja 1.6X, which is available only with automatic transmission, is distinguished by factory-fitted ABS, a driver’s airbag, leather upholstery, a semi-wood steering wheel and partially-coloured door mirrors which fold at the touch of a button. Also enhancing the feature list are cupholders in the rear armrest, a semi-automatic Proton-Air air-conditioning system and a higher-grade audio system with in-built CD-player and 6-disc CD-changer. The audio system supplied from the factory is a Clarion PX1676AA unit with the head unit having a 2-DIN module.
EON reminds customers that they are not required to take the extra-cost recommended accessories mentioned in the official price list, if they choose not to. “No one is forced to take the accessories and they will not face any discrimination if they choose not to include them,” said EON Executive Director Donald Choo.
The new Waja 1.6X is also sold by Proton Edar, the retail channel owned by Proton. However, Proton Edar refers to the model as ‘Premier’ instead of ‘Premium’. The cars do not have any badge to indicate which is the right name and the only badge is a ‘1.6X’ one on the right side of the car.
According to Proton Edar CEO Maruan Mohd Said, current customers who have still not received their Waja 1.6 will be given priority by the company to opt for the 1.6X if they wish to do so.
Proton Edar (which was known as Usahasama-Proton DRB or USPD before it was acquired by Proton) says it delivered 23,687 units of the Waja up till September 2001 while EON stated that it had sold over 26,500 units. Officially, both companies receive equal allocations of Wajas from the factory which is around 2,500 units a month.
Apart from the difference in names, there also seems to be a different price for the Waja 1.6X sold by Proton Edar. The Proton subsidiary quotes an on-the-road price of RM70,911 whereas EON’s price list indicates a price (with insurance and roadtax) of RM70,007.08; with the recommended accessories pack included, the price is RM72,130.08.
