Proton is on the verge of a major global export expansion that is set to take it back to the UK market, sources close to its CEO, Li Chunrong, have revealed.

The expansion, which is also planned to encompass new right-hand-drive markets throughout Asia and South Africa as well as a return to Australia and New Zealand, aims to significantly boost Proton’s global sales following the establishment of a new headquarters and manufacturing base currently under construction in Tanjung Malim in western Malaysia.

Known as Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV), the facility is part of a multibillion-pound investment by joint owners Geely and Malaysian industrial conglomerate DRB-HICOM Berhad.

The added production capacity it will provide is set to play a pivotal role in Proton’s long-held plans to expand its global sales, Autocar has been told. 

“With the investments in place, Proton will have the means to return to markets it departed, while also entering new markets," a source said.

No official timeframe for a return to the UK market has been revealed, though Autocar has been told major export markets will be reached “later this decade”. The brand sold models in the UK from 1989 until 2014.

In 2023, Geely announced plans to invest up to £3.5 billion in the development of AHTV. Later, Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said the actual investment figure from Geely was closer to £7.9bn.

Geely has yet to officially confirm the reported doubling of its investment in Proton. However, recent moves have significantly extended the scope and appeal of the Malaysian car maker’s line-up with badge-engineered versions of some of Geely's best-selling Chinese models.

Proton currently sells four models based on the Geely Binyue, Boyue, Haoyue and Ermgrand, badged as the X50, X70, X90 and S70.

It also continues to produce three traditional models from its former operations with Mitsubishi – the Saga, Persona and Iriz.

Additionally, it has established a new EV brand under the name e:MAS. The brand's first model, the e:MAS 7, is based on the Geely Galaxy E5 SUV. The name e:MAS denotes the words electric and Malaysia.

The launch of the e:MAS brand comes after the recent opening of a new Proton research and development centre within Geely’s Research Institute in Hangzhou, China, in April.

Dovetailed with an existing research and development centre in Malaysia, it is planned to contribute to the development of successor models for the Saga, Persona and Iriz as well as platform integration of other future Proton models. It will also develop market-specific chassis tuning for export models, according to Proton CEO Li Chunrong.

While rival Chinese car makers, including SAIC, BYD, Great Wall Motor and Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAC), are busy establishing production facilities for right-hand-drive models with the view to exports in Thailand, Geely’s decision to invest in Proton is claimed to bring strategic trade advantages.

“The draw that drove them to invest is the benefit from Malaysia’s trade relations with countries such as the US and European Union,” said Ibrahim.