More Dealership Upgrades And New Dealerships For Proton

Proton is on track with its plan to have 109 of its dealerships upgraded to 3S and 4S by the end of October 2018. In less than five months since starting this initiative, the company has achieved 72% of its intended target.

“I am happy to share that within a period of less than five months, that is from January – 18 May this year, we managed to accomplish 79 outlets with 3S and 4S status, which is approximately 72% achievement against target set for the year. This is absolutely good news, a wonderful moment for Proton, and with the upgrading taking place, we are confident that we are on steady grounds to provide world class excellence by delivering best sales and service experience for our customers,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton.

Proton also hosted another signing ceremony for a further twelve dealer upgrades as well as three new dealers under the Dealers Network Upgrade and New Dealership Agreement. Said Dr Li, “I also wish to thank new investors who joined us as Dealers of the Proton family. While all of us were tirelessly making plans to drive Proton forward, we are very encouraged by the fact that we have the support of new investors along the way, who are game to take on the challenge of being a Proton dealer. This can only mean one thing – that we still have strong brand presence in the market and because of this, many came on board to sail on the Proton journey into the future with us. Thank you for believing in us. Now we can all charge ahead and be the driving force of the brand”.

Abdul Rashid Musa, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Proton added, “Everywhere, businesses are focused on customer satisfaction to ensure sustainability, and Proton is definitely gaining momentum to reap rewards in the future from current plans that have been put in place. For this reason, I encourage dealers to upgrade their outlets to 3S and 4S so that we could all be in a thriving business together and progressively benefit from it”.

Teng Swee Eng, of DRS Golsta Sdn Bhd who joined as a new Proton dealer and is new to the car dealership business said, “From our perspective, the partnership with Geely puts us in a stronger position to gain market traction and simultaneously revolutionise the business model of Proton. We also get the sense that consumers are eager for the coming new product launches, especially the first Proton SUV which will be brought to our Malaysian shores. We also expect that the partnership with Geely would enable Proton to replicate Geely’s success in China”.

This confidence was shared by Chai Siam Yeong, of Anggerik Semoyang Sdn Bhd, who is also becoming a car dealer for the first time as a 3S outlet. “Although we have no experience as a car dealer, we see tremendous opportunity as a Proton dealer. With the first Proton SUV in the market, the interest from the public is high, we anticipate Proton will gather more confidence as we move on, so for us this is definitely a good investment”.

Another new dealer with 3S facility, Goh Kian Chuan, of DIDI Motors Sdn Bhd believes that, “The market wants quality cars coming from Proton at affordable prices, and for most Malaysians, these are the two high considerations when customers look for in a car. Looking at current developments in Proton, we are more than confident it is moving in the right direction, and it will definitely be a worthy competitor amongst other car marques in the market, more so now that Proton is part of the Geely group”.

On that note, Proton is encouraged by the response to open new dealerships but it is also careful not over-extend its dealer network. “Proton received overwhelming response from dealers who are keen to upgrade their dealer outlets to 3S and 4S, in addition to requests by new dealer investors who are confident of the direction and future of the company. This pleasant surprise gives us further motivation to serve our customers better. With regards to this, we would also like to inform that there will be limited number of Proton dealerships available, hence we recommend for those eager to join us, to submit your proposals as early as you can. We welcome your applications and we thank you in advance for your willingness to look beyond today, to join us for a stronger and fruitful future with us,” said Dr Ho Tuck Sum, the Head of Network Planning of Proton.

For the month of May, Proton’s offers on selected Proton models include 0% hire purchase interest subsidy (subject to terms and conditions); for the Sage there is either free 3 months instalment or body kit or RM1,000 discount (t&c applies); for the Persona, free 3 months instalment or RM1,000 discount; as well as discounts of up to RM 15,172 (discounts vary by model).

With the implementation of 0% GST starting 1 June 2018, Proton will be offering customers the option of either a cash rebate or service vouchers equivalent to the same value, for the difference between the pre- and post-GST price for cars bought and registered from 16 May – 31 May 2018.