By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Niche car lovers of a certain Far Eastern car company have a double reason to look forward to 2025.
The budget car maker Proton is launching its first electric car – the e.MAS 7 – as part of a tie up with Chinese automotive giant, Geely. Geely owns half of the Malaysian carmaker.
Not surprisingly, Proton’s new all-electric 4X4 strongly resembles the impressive Geely Galaxy E5.
The e.MAS will be sold in Malaysia and its Far East neighbours and there are high hopes it will come to UK showrooms very soon.
Proton produced its first car, the Saga, in 1985 and is best known on these shores for models like the Gen-2, Satria and Savvy models.
At one point it was the the fastest selling car brand in the UK, thanks to affordable pricing.
The company pulled out of the UK in 2014 but retains a strong market in Asia and has big plans for another international expansion.
Today, their manufacturing hub is run from Proton City in western Malaysia and has a 2,000 strong workforce.
In 2024, Proton broke through the five million car sales milestone and in the UK the carmaker has previously sold a healthy 140,000 cars.
Does the all-electric investment spell an exciting return for Proton in the competitive SUV market? It’s track record points to this.