Malaysia’s Proton is working with Italy’s Italdesign Giugiaro on a range of compact hybrids, the first of which were unveiled in Geneva today.
The cars – the first hybrids in Proton’s 25-year history – are three and five-door hatchbacks, billed as concepts at the moment but likely to become the smallest car line offered by Proton and about the same size as a Fiat Panda at 3.5m long.
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Proton group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir said the collaboration is part of its long-term strategy to match global automotive standards and expand its footprint worldwide.
“Our aim was to offer the interior space of a medium sized car while keeping the overall exterior dimensions of a small car,” Italdesign Giugiaro Chairman Giorgetto Giugiaro said.
His firm created a specific platform for Proton. It features a raised floor that can accommodate both a conventional engine and the hybrid system’s batteries in the rear.
The car’s hybrid system features a front-mounted endothermic engine that is used to recharge the lithium-ion batteries. The drivetrain is fully electric.
