PROTON TO LAUNCH REPLACEMENT MODEL FOR WAJA BEFORE YEAR-END

SHAH ALAM (Malaysia), July 15 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd, Malaysian
automobile manufacturer, expects to launch a new sedan model before the end of
this year to replace the Waja.

Group managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said
production of the new model would be undertaken at its plant in Shah Alam.

"All the preparations have been done. We hope to launch it in the last
quarter of this year," he told reporters after launching the improved Exora
model here Thursday.

"We are working with other original equipment manufacturers," he said.

According to market talks, the new model will display a copy of version
Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT but use the engine with a capacity of slightly smaller
1.8-litre.

It is believed that the Mitsubishi feature in Proton is the result of
development engineering cooperation between Proton and Mitsubishi Motors
Corporation, which is also a shareholder.

On the improved Exora model, Syed Zainal Abidin said Proton was confident
that it could help to increase the sales volume to 2,500 units per month from
2,300 units per month.

"This would help to surpass our target to sell some 28,690 units of the
Exora in the current 2010/2011 financial year," he said.

From its launch in April 2009 and to date, more than 33,000 units have been
registered on the road.

At at June 30, 2010, the company has received a total of 42,916 bookings for
the Exora.

Syed Zainal Abidin said Proton also planned to launch the improved Exora,
which is powered with 1.6 Campro CPS engine, in overseas markets within the next
three to six months.

Available in the base-, medium- and high-line variants, price for the
improved Exora is RM1,000 higher than the existing model.

On-the-road prices (Peninsular Malaysia and metallic based) for the improved
Exora are RM58,998 (US$1=RM3.2) for base-line manual transmission, RM65,998 for
medium-line automotic and RM76,998 for high-line automatic.

-- BERNAMA