Proton EMAS unveiled in Geneva

If it works according to plan, this Malaysia-made Proton Emas hybrid car will be on the road in a few years from now.

EMAS – which means gold in the Malay language – stands for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, and is a result of the joint collaboration between PROTON, its subsidiary Lotus, and Italian design house, Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG).

The concept version of the car, shown in three variants, was launched at the Geneva Inter­national Motor Show yesterday by Proton adviser, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Production by 2012.



The EMAS series of three variants consists of a five-door four-seater hatchback “EMAS” for comfort driving, a three-door five-seater hatchback “EMAS Country” for country driving, and a three-door 3+1 plus-seater “EMAS3” for city driving. They were designed to fit the description of a compact car with the passenger room of an SUV. The aim is to maximise the interior roominess and improving access to the vehicles.

The cars also feature the following attributes:

* Innovative interior space - Customizable & spacious
* Hi-tech multifunction display - Interactive & user friendly
* Fuel efficient styling - Low drag through sleek silhouette
* Safe - Excellent all round visibility via panoramic glass + LED clusters
* Compact exterior - Ease of maneuverability & practical

The cars are powered by a serial hybrid plug-in drive system developed by Lotus Engineering that includes a 3-cylinder 1.2 litre internal combustion engine developing 51 horsepower (38 kW) at 3,500 rpm. The engine is able to run on petrol, ethanol, methanol or natural gas.  It has a range of 50km and takes a mere three hours to charge on our 240V but longer in 120V countries.


Sources:
Proton Concepts,
The Star