The Campro 1.3-litre engine is installed in the engine bay

Also done during the first stage was the installation of the steering wheel, wheel assembly and the parking brake

For the first time, Proton will allow the Malaysian public to see how a car is built. No, we’re not talking about tours of the factory (although there are such trips organised regularly by the company’s PR department) but a special event which is a run-up to the launch of the successor to the Saga Iswara which is codenamed ‘BLM’. At selected locations around the country, a unit of the BLM will be literally built up in stages until January 21 2008 when the complete car will be visible.

The first stage began yesterday evening at three locations: the Cineleisure complex adjacent to The Curve at Mutiara Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor; Queensbay Mall in Penang; and Plaza Angsana in Johor Bahru.

Explaining the idea behind the exercise, Proton MD Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said that it is not only to show the public the processes involved in making a car but also to highlight key selling propositions of the ‘BLM’ such as its reinforced chassis, Integrated Air Fuel Module (IAFM) which improves the character of the Campro 1.3-litre engine, the strong body structure and the spacious interior.

“I believe many of our customers would be interested to see the car take shape before their eyes and we are using this approach to show off some design and unique features of our new sedan,” he said.

The Proton MD added that besides this activity, there is also another one which is reminiscent of what was done prior to the launch of the Persona just six months ago. This is the ‘peek-a-boo box’ which will have a complete car inside. However, unlike the Persona exercise, the box will not be only at specific venues as it will be transported around the peninsular between January 8 and January 15.

“Over eight days, the ‘peek-a-boo box’ will be seen at 45 locations in ten states, including the East Coast” he said, “so Malaysians in smaller towns will also become aware of the ‘BLM’ just before it is launched around the middle of the month.”

He revealed that since bookings were accepted from January 1 2008, some 3,000 Malaysians have paid RM500 to be among the first to own a ‘BLM’. Confirming that the ‘BLM’ is the successor to the Saga Iswara, he is confident that its sales volume will exceed that of the 22-year old model which was Proton’s very first car. Last year, the average monthly sales of the Iswara were around 3,600 units and Datuk Syed Zainal said that they are projecting sales of between 4,000 and 5,000 units a month for the new model.

Close-up of the Campro 1.3-litre engine which will have an Integrated Air-Fuel Module (IAFM) for enhanced performance

Detailed on-the-road prices of the ‘BLM’ (from leaflets handed out by salespeople) show that the actual price of the new model starts at RM31,500 for a N-Line version and goes as high as RM39,998 for a Medium-Line version. Downpayments start from RM3,200 and depending on the loan repayment period taken, the monthly instalment can be as low as RM357 for the cheapest version if you take a 9-year loan at 3.99% per annum interest. Seven colours are available and you can have a choice of manual or automatic transmission.

• Proton 'BLM' open for bookings
• Proton 'BLM' - what to expect