PROTON - TATA NANO IN MALAYSIA SOON?

From kereta.info

Tata motors interested in bringing Tata Nano world’s cheapest car via Proton. Will it be real soon? What will be the price range? Also known as 1 lakh car the Nano will be around USD 2400 = RM7200++ which is in the same price range of a motorbike. When it enters Malaysia market with that price, most probably people will tends to shift to buy car instead of motorbike. What is your opinion?

MUMBAI: Indian carmaker, Tata Motors, which makes the world’s cheapest car, Nano, has expressed interest to enter the Malaysian market by working with Proton.

“Mr (Ratan) Tata is keen to work with Proton again. About seven or eight years ago there were some joint discussions to manufacture cars but nothing came out of it,” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told Malaysian journalists here Wednesday.

“Now our automotive policy is more liberal and there are new opportunities.

“So we need to study if we can bring in this type of car (Nano) into Malaysia or work with Proton to produce the people’s car.”

The suggestion emerged after Ratan, chairman of Tata Group, one of India’s most respected industrialist met Muhyiddin, currently on an official visit to three Indian cities.

Tata Motors surprised the world in 2009 when its engineers rolled out the cheapest four-seater car, priced at one lakh or 100,000 Indian rupees (about RM7,000), which was termed the “people’s car”.

“He (Ratan) felt there should be some synergy because they had been in the automotive industry for a long time.

“He can bring his technical team to discuss with Proton or Perodua,” added Muhyiddin.