Proton to go big on international expansion, includes return to UK market 'later this decade'

Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker, is reportedly gearing up for a big comeback to export markets, notably among them is the United Kingdom, following its unceremonious withdrawal from back in 2014 after a 25 year run.

This comes from Autocar which, a name that should ring a bell as one of the OG automotive publications, who cites a source close to Proton CEO Li Chunrong, indicating that Proton is preparing to re-enter the UK market.

This move marks a substantial step in the company’s broader strategy to expand its presence in right-hand-drive markets across Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, a component of Geely’s substantial investment into Proton’s new headquarters and manufacturing hub at the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim.

The upgraded manufacturing infrastructure, once up and running, is expected to significantly increase production capacity and enable this global push. Such a return to the UK, for example, would still be years in the making, so don’t expect showrooms to open, say, next year. Although no specific timeline was provided, said source notes that the return to major markets is expected “later this decade.”

Though such a large-scale expansion to export markets had been anticipated since the two companies formed a strategic partnership in 2017, the materialisation of this plan has suffered some notable delays. Despite recent hurdles such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Proton has managed to shore up its position as the second-largest vehicle seller in Malaysia by volume behind Perodua, achieving over 150,000 sales annually for the first time since 2012.

With the local market now stabilizing and their journey down their product roadmap well underway, Proton is set to shift its focus towards growing its export business. The Tanjung Malim facility’s revamp is expected to boost production capacity to 500,000 units, with 50% of this capacity designated for exports, according to Li.

A keystone vehicle that could serve as Proton’s spearhead into international markets is the upcoming launch of the electric eMas 7, widely believed to be a twin model of the Geely Galaxy E5, a thoroughly modern but modestly priced (hopefully) fully electric SUV that also happens to showcase Geely’s technological might.

Unlike previous models, the Galaxy E5 (and eMAS 7 by extension) is designed specifically for right-hand-drive markets, contrasting the automaker’s the usual practice of converting existing Geely models to right-hand-drive post-launch. The eMas 7 is expected to hit the market in December, just four months after the Galaxy E5's launch in China this week.

The eMas 7’s timely launch positions Proton to capitalise on the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs), but also lays the groundwork for several new Proton models based on the Global Modular Architecture platform (a derivation of GEA or Geely Electric Architecture, itself an offshoot of SEA or Sustainable Experience Architecture - yes, it’s all a little confusing).