Proton eyes return to the UK market 10 years after it left

When? Sometimes "later this decade."

Photo by: Proton

By: Angel Sergeev

Aug 9, 2024 at 2:39am ET

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Proton is reportedly revving up for a major global comeback, with plans to roll back into the United Kingdom market and beyond. This ambitious expansion could see the Malaysian automaker cruising into right-hand-drive markets across Asia, South Africa, and even Down Under in Australia and New Zealand.

According to whispers from those in the know, Proton’s big play is all thanks to a shiny new HQ and manufacturing base in the works at Tanjung Malim, Malaysia. This sprawling facility is being touted as the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV). It's part of a wallet-busting investment by Proton’s owners, Geely, and Malaysian industrial giant DRB-HICOM Berhad. Think of it as the Batcave, but for cars.

“With the investments in place, Proton will have the means to return to markets it departed, while also entering new markets," a source told Autocar.

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The extra production power from AHTV is crucial for Proton's plan to pump up its global sales. However, don’t start queuing at your local Proton dealership just yet—there’s no official word on when their UK return will actually happen. Industry insiders, quoted by Autocar, are hinting at “later this decade” for when the British roads might once again host Proton’s wheels. For the nostalgic, that’s quite a wait, considering Proton last graced the UK market in 2014, after a 25-year run that started back in 1989.

In case you’re wondering what Proton’s been up to lately, the brand has been churning out models that are basically Geely's Chinese best-sellers with a Proton badge. The X50, X70, X90, and S70 are all part of this lineup. Meanwhile, the oldies but goodies - the Saga, Persona, and Iriz - are still hanging on from Proton’s previous partnership with Mitsubishi.

Source: Autocar