The Proton e.MAS 5 is small, sensible and designed to make electric motoring affordable… before Singapore adds COE pricing. There is a 28-litre storage compartment underneath the rear seat of the Proton e.MAS 5. Proton suggests putting shoes in it. This…
Proton has revealed that its total export volume from January to September 2026 has already surpassed its full-year figure for 2025. Specifically, the national carmaker exported 7,370 units to overseas markets in the first nine months of this year, compared to 6,000 units recorded…
Gelion has entered into a Material Transfer Agreement (“MTA”) with a top 15 global automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM Partner) to assess the applicability of Gelion’s NES™ cathode platform across a range of future electric vehicle (EV) battery technologies. Under the…
Malaysia’s iconic national car, the Proton Saga, has achieved another milestone after clinching international recognition at the 2026 Golden Osmanthus Industrial Design Award (GODA) in Nanning, Guangxi, China, according to an announcement made by Proton Cars on Facebook. The entry bagged…
In Advertorial / by Anthony Lim / 14 October 2026 1:42 pm The paultan.org Auto Car Expo (ACE), powered by Petronas Primax, is back again this year, and the show – which is set to run from October 31 to November 1 at the Setia City Convention…
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UNIQLO Malaysia has teamed up with national carmaker PROTON on an exclusive UTme! collection that turns five of the marque's best-known models into wearable designs, available from 28 September. Named the UTme! PROTON Collection, the line brings together UNIQLO's LifeWear philosophy…
Malaysia’s first national car company, Proton Holdings, reported a 45% year-on-year surge in global new vehicle deliveries to 19,465 units in September 2026, reflecting strong demand for both its Proton and Geely-based models. Domestic sales amounted to 18,154 units last month, while overseas sales…
Malaysia is one of the few countries of its size to have built not one but two national car companies, and both remain fixtures of everyday life there. Proton was founded in 1983 as a prime-ministerial project of national pride, and its first car, the Saga, rolled out in 1985 using Mitsubishi engineering. Perodua followed a decade later in partnership with Daihatsu, building small, frugal cars that soon became the default first purchase for young Malaysians and remain the country's best sellers year after year.
Proton's journey has been the more dramatic. After strong early years it drifted through the 2000s with aging products and shrinking market share, even as it owned Lotus for two decades. The turning point came in 2017, when China's Geely bought a large minority stake and began supplying platforms. Geely-based SUVs such as the X70 and X50 restored Proton's credibility, and sales have climbed sharply since, with exports growing too. Perodua, meanwhile, has stayed close to Daihatsu, refining models such as the Myvi, Axia, Bezza, Ativa and Alza.
Both brands now face the electric transition. Proton has launched e.MAS, an electric sub-brand built on Geely technology, while Perodua introduced its first EV, the QV-E. Japanese brands, Chinese newcomers such as BYD and Chery, and generous government incentives make Malaysia one of the most interesting small car markets in Asia, and the two national makers sit at its center, competing with each other as much as with imports. Government policy, from local-content rules to fuel subsidies, shapes the playing field in ways that make Malaysian automotive news unusually political.
This page follows monthly sales figures, launches and facelifts, financing and aftersales moves, export deals, EV plans and the wider story of Malaysian industrial policy. Watch for how quickly e.MAS and Perodua's electric models grow, and whether the friendly rivalry between Proton and Perodua remains a two-horse race as Chinese brands push harder. Export markets are worth following too, since Proton has been shipping more cars abroad than at any time in its recent history, and its ambitions now extend well beyond its home region.
Malaysia's two national carmakers: Proton, reborn with Geely's help, and Perodua, the Daihatsu-based champion of the nation's best-seller charts.
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