Can Geely SUV boost Proton’s fortunes?

The Boyue, which has been a hit in China, is expected to arrive in Malaysia next year.

PETALING JAYA: Industry observers see the Boyue sport-utility vehicle (SUV) by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd as a possible boost to the fortunes of national carmaker Proton.

Noting that the Boyue had been a hit in China, which is the world’s biggest auto market, they expressed hope that the SUV would experience similar success in Malaysia, The Star reported.

According to one industry observer, the Boyue could rival other popular SUV models such as the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.

“The Boyue will definitely have a market here. Its high specs, premium features and reasonable pricing would appeal to the Malaysian buyer,” he was quoted as saying.

Another pointed out that Geely had bought into its own technology, unlike other carmakers that rely on original equipment manufacturers to supply technology to them.

The Boyue is engineered with Volvo technology and is said to be within the RM62,000-RM98,000 price range.

The Star reported that the SUV is expected to arrive in Malaysia in the second half of 2018.

In June, Geely acquired a 49% stake in Proton from parent company DRB-Hicom Bhd. It had acquired Volvo from Ford Motor in August 2010.

Observers have credited Geely’s acquisition of Volvo for its technological progress, expressing hope that this would carry over to Proton.

Geely’s net profit for the first half of 2017 rose 128% to RM2.8 billion. Sales saw a leap of 89% in the same period.

The company has reportedly raised its sales target for the year by 10% to 1.1 million vehicles, from the 766,000 vehicles it sold last year. - FMT