Proton Wira may enter India via Hindustan Motors
01 Oct 1999
Malaysia's Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad, or Proton, is expected to enter India's mid-size car segment sometime in the year 2000. The likely model: the Proton Wira. Proton's other models are Iswara, Atria, Perdana, Tiara, and Putra.
The route: collaboration with Hindustan Motors, which will assemble Malaysian-made kits of the Proton cars at its plant in Chennai. The Malaysian company may, however, form a wholly-owned company in India to manage the marketing of the car. It may leave the distribution and after-sales service to Hindustan Motors. The initial sales target is said to be 3,000 a year.
Hindustan Motors' Chennai plant is currently assembling the Mitsubishi Lancer mid-size car. Proton is Malaysian joint venture between the Malaysian government and the Mitsubishi group, with the Japanese group holding about 16 per cent of the company.
The three-box Wira, estimated to cost about Rs 6 lakh, is likely to use a 1.3 litre 4-cylinder engine, and maximum 75bhp / 6,000 rpm. It will give an estimated 10 km per litre in city conditions. Proton may also use a 2-litre engine for the car. The Malaysian company uses a range of engines, from 1.1-litre to 2-litre.
It will have a 5-speed manual gear system. The front suspension will be MacPherson struts, coil springs and stabiliser; and the rear, independent strut integrated with multi-control arm linkage. The steering will be rack and pinion. The ground clearance is a mere 150 mm, which may have to be modified for Indian conditions.
The car has a microprocessor-controlled engine management system with safety features and error detection, multi-point fuel injection system with fuel cut-off during coasting. And the car meets Euro II emission norms. The fuel tank will have a capacity of 50 litres.
Other statistics: length: 4,360 mm., width: 1,680 mm., height: 1,385 mm., wheelbase, 2,500 mm., weight: 995 kg. The Wira is 70 mm longer than the Mitsubishi Lancer, which too is being assembled and sold in India by Hindustan Motors.
For Hindustan Motors, the Proton plan will mean better capacity utilisation at its Chennai plant.