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  Exora has just been unveiled in Malaysia and Proton Australia are already looking at its potential Down Under. Photo Gallery

• Proton Exora will come to Australia.
• Exora will be spun in a number of directions, including an all-new Persona family car.
• Proton expect the Exora to immediately boost sales.

The seven-seat Proton Exora people mover is the key to the company's future.

The Exora has just been unveiled in Malaysia, and will come to Australia, but it's the mechanical package under the family wagon which provides the real breakthrough.

It will be spun in a number of directions, including an all-new Persona family car.

Talk from Malaysia also points to a potential successor to the Jumbuck ute, which has been a rare success for Proton in Australia, as well as the company's first station wagon.

There is no confirmation of the extended model plan, but Proton Cars Australia is already looking at the potential for the Exora down under.

"The Exora will come. We're evaluating it and seeing how we can get it here, in what form and what pricing," says Proton chief John Startari, who was in Malaysia last week.

"It would be our first seven seater, so we need to check the positioning. It would need to be under $25,000 and the timing depends on negotiations on pricing and the market study. It would be next year at the earliest.

"In Australia we don't have the small people movers that work in Aisa.

It would be interesting to see if there is an opportunity."

The biggest shortcoming in the Exora is the baby 1.6-litre Campro engine which restricts almost everything the Malaysian company makes.

It is fine for home sales but barely adequate for export use in countries like Australia.

Startari refuses to talk specifics on the Exora's mechanical package but admits Proton is looking at ways it can exploit the latest engineering development.

"The plan is to rationalise the number of platforms. There are currently six from the Jumbuck to the Exora," he says.

"The new platform is the first one since the Satria, which came after the Savvy."

Proton sales in Australia have been hit badly in recent months but Startari says is developing a plan to give the brand some renewed impact.

"I have to admit that we're down considerably. But we're preparing to work through the dealer network, moving from 25 back up to 40 in coming weeks," he says.

"That will give an immediate sales boost. And then we are planning to release a new small five-door model.

"That car will be coming in August, but I don't want to say too much yet. We have to get everything locked away."

It has just been unveiled in Malaysia, and will come to Australia, but it's the mechanical package under the family wagon which provides the real breakthrough.

It will be spun in a number of directions, including an all-new Persona family car.

Talk from Malaysia also points to a potential successor to the Jumbuck ute, which has been a rare success for Proton in Australia, as well as the company's first station wagon.

There is no confirmation of the extended model plan, but Proton Cars Australia is already looking at the potential for the Exora down under.

"The Exora will come. We're evaluating it and seeing how we can get it here, in what form and what pricing," says Proton chief John Startari, who was in Malaysia last week.

"It would be our first seven seater, so we need to check the positioning. It would need to be under $25,000 and the timing depends on negotiations on pricing and the market study. It would be next year at the earliest.

"In Australia we don't have the small people movers that work in Aisa.

It would be interesting to see if there is an opportunity."

The biggest shortcoming in the Exora is the baby 1.6-litre Campro engine which restricts almost everything the Malaysian company makes.

It is fine for home sales but barely adequate for export use in countries like Australia.

Startari refuses to talk specifics on the Exora's mechanical package but admits Proton is looking at ways it can exploit the latest engineering development.

"The plan is to rationalise the number of platforms. There are currently six from the Jumbuck to the Exora," he says.

"The new platform is the first one since the Satria, which came after the Savvy."

Proton sales in Australia have been hit badly in recent months but Startari says is developing a plan to give the brand some renewed impact.

"I have to admit that we're down considerably. But we're preparing to work through the dealer network, moving from 25 back up to 40 in coming weeks," he says.

"That will give an immediate sales boost. And then we are planning to release a new small five-door model.

"That car will be coming in August, but I don't want to say too much yet. We have to get everything locked away."