Proton sends first shipment of cars to Egypt in three years

Demand was expected to continue even after the SST takes force as cars have been regarded as a necessity by the people

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton has boosted its export activities during a flag-off ceremony at its plant in Tanjung Malim, with a total of 225 Proton cars to set sail from Northport, Klang, to Alexandria port in Cairo.

Once there, the vehicles will be received by Proton’s distributor in Egypt, Alpha Ezz El-Arab, to be distributed to the seven branches and dealers that serve the market there. 

The ceremony marked the first shipment of Proton cars to Egypt in nearly three years. 

The last shipment, comprising 320 units of the Proton Gen 2 and Persona, was sent in December 2015 before the devaluation of the local currency made it impossible to price new stock competitively, Proton said in a statement on Friday.

“Efforts by the distributor and the continued export of parts however ensured the needs of owners were met while waiting for a turnaround in the economic climate. 

“With market conditions having improved, Proton is now able to re-establish export activities and take advantage of an automotive market projected to experience significant growth in Total Industry Volume (TIV) over the next few years,” it said.

Fuelling its stronger presence, it said, will be three Proton models making their local market debut coupled to improvements in product quality due to the introduction of product audit processes used by Geely. 

"Proton is excited at being able to export its cars to a market where they have proven to be popular in the past. 

“Buyers there value the safety, reliability and strong resale price of Proton cars, qualities evident in the three models set to be launched in Cairo in October,” the carmaker said.