JAKARTA (Indonesia), 24 July 2009 – Malaysian car manufacturer, PROTON, today launched its latest model, the multipurpose vehicle (MPV) ‘EXORA’, at the biggest automotive event in the country, the 17th Indonesia International Motorshow.

The EXORA was officially launched by the Ambassador of Malaysia to Indonesia, His Excellency Dato’ Zainal Abidin Zain in a ceremony witnessed by the PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi bin Mohd. Salleh and Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Officials from the Indonesian Government and the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, PROTON officials from Indonesia and Malaysia, its business partners, members of the media and customers.

Indonesia is the second export market the EXORA is entering after Singapore, since its maiden launch in Malaysia, in April this year. It is also the seventh Proton model in the country, after Saga which was brought-in in March this year. PROTON has been in Indonesia since March 2007 with the introduction of the Savvy and Gen.2 and followed by the launch of the Waja and Neo, later the same year.

At the launching event of this vehicle in Indonesia, Dato’ Mohd Nadzmi said “The EXORA is a special model for us because it is our first home-grown MPV and it marks our foray into a new segment. As a relatively young car manufacturer, this is a major achievement for us, and it signifies our commitment in developing our products to satisfy current market needs and wants, both domestically and internationally.”

The EXORA is Malaysia’s first locally produced MPV encompassing almost 90% of local parts and components. The EXORA is also the first wholly “Malaysian-made” MPV, right from its design and concept to its engineering and manufacturing, all done by PROTON. In addition to that, the EXORA is also an engineering feat for PROTON as it was developed in merely 18 months from the time PROTON fixed the design (model-fix) right up to its production stage.

Dato’ Mohd Nadzmi added, “Indonesia is an important MPV market and we are quite optimistic that the EXORA will be well accepted here. We believe we can offer the right car for our buyers here as the EXORA was designed with three main feature elements – comfort, performance and safety, which were in turn translated into the design and quality of the vehicle. EXORA is equipped with Lotus-tuned ride and handling that gives the driver a sure-footed yet comfortable driving experience and other advanced features such as Body Control Module (BCM) which is an electronic device that is usually found in a more expensive European makes. It is our answer to the needs and requirements of PROTON customers who are now more discerning. In fact, by introducing the MPV here after only three months of its launch in Malaysia is a testament of our confidence in the EXORA.”

The EXORA features the 1.6 CamPro CPS engine and is available in three variants, Executive Manual Transmission priced at IDR175,000,000, Executive Automatic Transmission at IDR185,000,000 and Supreme Automatic Transmission priced at IDR208,000,000, with two airbags as standard. The EXORA is available in six colours - Pyrite Brown, Gaia Blue, Genetic Silver, Tranquility Black, Haze Blue and Solid White.

PT PROTON Edar Indonesia, PROTON’s local subsidiary in Indonesia, has started gaining recognition in Indonesia. The company began with only three dealerships in 2007 and now, after only about two years, it has expanded to 17 sales outlets and 20 service outlets all over Indonesia. By 2010 PROTON aims to have 33 sales outlets and 38 service outlets.

Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin said, “Indonesia is one of our important export markets and we are working very hard to establish our presence here. In this short period of two years, the acceptance level has been positive and with the encouraging sales of 1,059 units in 2008, we know we have to now make more aggressive moves to grow bigger and become more visible here. We are indeed very grateful for the support we have been receiving from the Indonesian customers,” he added.

“With such positive response, we would now like to offer the EXORA, the model that meets our aspiration to produce the right car at the right time and at the right price. It has been well-received in Malaysia with about 16,000 bookings so far and in fact, in Indonesia itself we have already received 600 bookings from customers who have already heard about the car. The level of trust given by these customers towards the EXORA is most heartening,” added Dato’ Syed Zainal.

Proton EXORA marks PROTON’s entry into the highly popular MPV segment. The EXORA is a culmination of several years of meticulous research and development by PROTON. EXORA embodies the efforts by PROTON to incorporate space, style, performance and safety elements into the design philosophy of the vehicle.

Just like the Waja, GEN.2 and Neo, the EXORA shares the same tried and tested 1.6 litre CamPro engine, except that the engine for the EXORA is now added with the CPS (Cam Profile Switching) technology. This engine utilizes two ingenious technologies, CPS (Cam Profile Switching) and VIM (Variable Intake Manifold technology), to give a relatively high power output and rapid response, whilst maintaining a fuel-efficient delivery. These two technologies give the EXORA the best of both worlds by combining the characteristics of two different engines in one compact package. As a result, the usual reduction in torque caused by high-lift camshafts is offset by the long intake runner, whilst the short runner works by helping the engine generate more power at higher speeds.

EXORA is designed to make those long trips with the family a breeze. They key to this is the Lotus-tuned ride and handling that gives the driver a sure-footed, yet comfortable drive on the highway and winding countryside roads. In terms of safety, driver and front-seat passenger will appreciate EXORA’s standard safety features which include twin front airbags - standard in both the Executive and Supreme variants - and pre-tensioner seat-belts. Other standard safety features include the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to help the vehicle come to a quick and safe stop should the need arise. To top it all, the EXORA offers an extremely strong passenger cell and computer-aided designed crash structure which has helped this MPV achieve the equivalent of Euro-Ncap 4-star safety rating requirements. Other cutting-edge technologies present in the EXORA include a hybrid high-strength “front-end module” and hydro-formed steel components. All these technologies help the EXORA shed weight without compromising on its strength and safety.

On the inside, PROTON’s major technological improvement in the EXORA is demonstrated by the improved sound-proofing technology which allows driver and passengers to have conversations without having to raise their voices. The quietness offered by the MPV also means that occupants of the MPV can enjoy their favourite music or DVD movie (for passengers in Supreme variant) through its high-quality sound system. As an added comfort and driving pleasure for long journeys, the EXORA offers 10 bottle holders strategically located to keep drink bottles within easy reach of driver and passengers. For luggage, the EXORA offers ample space, with six different seat-folding configurations adding more storage flexibility when required. The single-lever seat folding mechanism allows the second row seat to be tumbled easily thus providing a wider opening for passengers to hop on to the third row seat. The rear doors which can open at a maximum angle of 80 degrees enhance the loading and offloading of passengers. The EXORA also offers individual air-conditioning vents on every row providing maximum comfort to passengers on hot days. To complete the luxurious feel, the EXORA Executive line comes with an uncluttered and clean grey interior with fabric seats, whereas the Supreme line comes standard with leather and alcantra.

One of the outstanding features of the EXORA is an electronic device called the Body Control Module (BCM). This feature is usually found in more expensive European makes. The EXORA is the first Proton car to be equipped with BCM and it offers a whole new range of options and gadgets to enhance the vehicle’s practicality and safety. BCM offers over 20 different functions, from “follow me home lights”, to programmable door-locking configurations and wiper speeds, to automatic hazard light activation during emergency braking from above 96km/h and many more.

The EXORA comes in six colours, Genetic Silver, Tranquility Black, Haze Blue, Solid White, Gaia Blue and Pyrite Brown, with the latter two colours being brand new to the Proton range.