Proton Gets Boost From Saga And Persona Sales

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd will continue to produce its 50th Merdeka promotion model, the SAGA, of which bookings have topped 31,455 units, managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said Wednesday.The continued production of the SAGA, launched in March for a one-time offer of RM26,999, was to meet the high demand, he said in a statement today.Proton said overwhelming demand for the SAGA and the 1.6-litre sedan Persona have boosted the company's domestic sales and strengthened its position in the market.Bookings for the Persona, the latest model by the national carmaker, have reached 19,840 units in the three months it was introduced."We are pleased with the reception of these two models which underscore that we are moving in the right direction in terms of our manufacturing philosophy and have indeed produced the right car for the right market at the right price," Syed Zainal said."The good response is also indicative of the growing belief and confidence in Proton and its cars," he said.A total of 22,725 SAGAs have been delivered and half of the Persona bookings, at 9,645 units, have been fulfilled, Proton said.The current waiting period for the SAGA is about one to two months while for the Persona, it ranges from one-and-the-half months to two-and-the-half months for the base line model, two to three months for the medium line and three to four months for the high line.Syed Zainal said the high line variant was a hit with customers with demand exceeding Proton's expectation.The company, he added, will do its best to increase production capacity and cut down the waiting period.According to Proton, the Persona is also making waves in Singapore, the first country to which the model was exported.-- BERNAMA