Malaysia's Proton likely to cooperate with SAIC

Shanghai, February 24 (Gasgoo.com) Malaysia's Proton Holdings Bhd is in talks with China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) possible cooperation, an executive of Proton told Gasgoo.com today.

A recent report said that Malaysian automaker Proton is planning to cooperate with SAIC to build its premium models by using SAIC’s Roewe and MG platforms.

"SAIC’s products' export to Malaysia is a topic of our cooperation talks," the Proton executive disclosed. He said the MG, developed by SAIC after the Chinese automaker acquired British Rover brand, could be the exported model.

Proton refused to tell the details but said the result will come out in two or three months. However, sources from SAIC denied the cooperation talks.

The SAIC is involved into a lot of trouble, such as the likely bankruptcy of its Korea-based subsidiary Ssangyong Motor. The troubled automaker couldn’t spare time to acquire other automakers or have other cooperations, sources noted.