GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

New models - Proton - Preve

Proton pins expansion hopes on Preve

New Preve small car to lead Proton’s bid to increase sales four-fold in 2013

4 Feb 2013

PROTON plans to expand its Australian dealership network from 25 outlets to 35 or even 40 by the end of this year, topping out at around 50 in the next 18-24 months.

The new Preve small car has now arrived in dealerships and will form a cornerstone of the Malaysian car-maker’s goal of almost quadrupling Australian sales compared with last year, when it sold just 1005 units.

An aggressive marketing effort for the Preve has already started with a national television advertising campaign on the 7, 9 and 10 networks, and will be backed up across other media including online.

Following the official Preve sedan media launch in March, the Exora seven-seat people-mover and turbocharged sports version of the Preve will arrive mid-year, with hatchback Preve variants arriving before the year is out.

All Proton products from Preve onwards will come with a new Five Star Service package comprising a five-year/150,000km factory warranty with roadside assistance and five years (or 75,000km) of free servicing.

Proton Cars Australia sales and marketing general manager Billy Falconer told GoAuto the Preve is expected to account for between 70 and 80 per cent of Proton’s target sales volume of 3500-4000 units this year.

43 center imageHe admitted that a lack of new products since 2009 has made it harder to convince new dealers to come on board and participate in Proton’s planned network expansion.

“We are speaking to a lot of dealers at the moment and understandably they are very hesitant and are waiting to see the launch (of Preve),” he said.

“It is a case of going back to those dealers and showing them the product when it is actually here … understandably, they are holding off just to see the proof in the pudding so to speak, that the numbers are there.”

Mr Falconer said dealerships each have manual and automatic versions of the Preve available for test drives and are taking orders for the sedan, with customer cars to be delivered once safety authority ANCAP has published a crash-test result.

As GoAuto reported exclusively last year, Proton has been using the Sydney Crashlab facility – as used by ANCAP – to improve its safety performance.

Mr Falconer said Proton’s development testing of the Preve – which comes with six airbags – indicate it will achieve a maximum five-star rating when ANCAP publishes its results later this month.

A single GX variant of the Preve is available from launch, priced at $18,990 driveaway for the five-speed manual and $20,990 for the automatic, which uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while metallic paint costs $495 extra.

Almost the same length as a Toyota Corolla sedan but slightly wider and higher, the Preve sedan has a 508-litre boot capacity that comes close to the longer Nissan Pulsar sedan’s class-leading 510 litres of luggage space, which in turn is larger than some medium and large sedans.

A long standard equipment list includes Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity, an MP3-compatible CD player with auxiliary input, a multi-function steering wheel, rear parking sensors, 16-inch alloy wheels, a trip computer, security alarm, remote central locking, electric windows and mirrors, LED daytime-running lights, and front and rear foglights.

A 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 80kW of power and 160Nm of torque, with combined-cycle fuel consumption of 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres for the manual and 8.0L/100km for the CVT.

The upcoming sporty GXR model employs a new 102kW/205Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, exclusively paired with a revised CVT offering seven simulated stepped ratios.

2013 Proton Preve pricing (driveaway):
GX$18,990
GX (a)$20,990

Read more

GoAuto can help you buy a new Preve

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

Proton models

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here