Honda to Share Platforms, Facilities with Proton

il y a 12 années - 6 Novembre 2012, Autoblog
Honda to Share Platforms, Facilities with Proton
Honda and Malaysia's Proton have signed an agreement to work together, but before we go and start dreaming about a Lotus-derived Honda S2000 successor, Automotive News Europe breaks down what the deal could mean for both automakers.

Proton (parent company of Lotus) has been trying to build a relationship with bigger automakers (including Volkswagen) since being acquired by DRB-Hicom back in January, but this agreement with Honda could be a great opportunity for the rebuilding automaker to grow.

According to the article, it is likely that the two companies could share production facilities and even vehicle platforms, and it also says that the deal could help Proton boost its export capability. Since Honda already has a plant in Malaysia, which is currently being expanded to build the new Jazz Hybrid, it isn't clear how the Japanese automaker will benefit from the deal. That said, DRB-Hicom is already involved in many areas of the automobile industry and builds Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki and Volkswagen cars in Malaysia.