Argentum Motors, headed by ex-Hyundai India chief BVR Subbu, is planning to bring the Malaysian Proton brand to India.
Proton is the national car-maker of Malaysia. Four out of every ten cars in Malaysia is a Proton. However, with the entry of other manufacturers into the Malaysian market, Proton’s sales has been affected. But its product range includes small and cheap-to-run saloons and hatchbacks, perfect for booming markets such as India and China.
We got a peek at three different Proton models undergoing testing in Mumbai. These include a hatchback — the Savvy, the Saga saloon, and the Gen-2 notchback. The Savvy is powered by a 1.2-litre 75bhp engine, which Proton claims can return as much as 24kpl under ideal driving conditions. The car is reputed to be quite fuel-efficient in real world driving conditions as well, and this is always an asset for any manufacturer in India.
The Gen-2 notchback aims at providing a compact saloon with sporty overtones, and was the first indigenously designed car by Proton. It has, however received some criticism for being an uninspiring and underpowered car to drive.
The Proton Saga is a compact saloon, powered by a 1.3-litre engine. It is available with a 5-speed manual transmission, and can also be ordered with a factory-fitted CNG tank. It is a taxi-fleet-favourite in Malaysia, and Proton would be keen to leverage its CNG running costs in India.
Proton had tried to penetrate the Indian market in 1999, with Hindustan Motors, but the deal fell through. Interestingly, both Hindustan Motors and Proton have technical collaborations with Mitsubishi.
Argentum is a contract manufacturer, and can build complete cars or just powertrains for car manufacturers. Argentum has bought over the Surajpur manufacturing plant, from now-defunct Daewoo India, with an installed capacity of four lakh units. The only question mark hangs over the marketing and distribution; Argentum is as not yet established in the market. Watch this space.
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