Proton Jumbuck 2012 News

Three budget utes — two from China and one from Malaysia — have scored poorly in the latest crash tests done by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. The Great Wall Motors SA220 and V240 utes from China scored just two stars out of five. The third ute, the Malaysian-built Proton Jumbuck, did worse, scoring just one star.All three models received severely deformed cabins when crashed into a wall at 64km/h to replicate ANCAP's off-set head-on collision. The utes also had poor impact protection for both the driver and passenger crash test dummies, which recorded critical head and leg injuries.ANCAP council chair and VicRoads manager vehicle safety, Ross McArthur, said the results for the China utes were particularly disappointing because they were new models.The SA220 and the Jumbuck lack airbags and other safety features that are expected as standard equipment by new car buyers, McArthur said. “The V240 has dual airbags but these failed to protect the driver and passenger from injury in our crash tests,” he said.Proton axed its $16,990 Jumbuck several weeks ago in anticipation of the arrival of a new model. However, Proton Australia managing director, John Startari, said the ute was not withdrawn because of the impending crash test result.The ute, which has been in the market for about seven years, had reached the end of its production life, he said.“But a new Jumbuck is a fair way off,” Startari said.GWM is one of the first Chinese carmakers to begin a big push on to the Australian market with low-cost vehicles. Both the SA220 and V240 were launched in June, with prices starting at $19,990.Chinese-built vehicles have a history of poor crash test performances. A four-wheel drive Jiangling Motors LandWind model famously scored zero in similar German crash tests in 2005.To check out the latest results, go to www.ancap.com.au  

The Jumbuck ute is into run-out in Malaysia and, with limited supplies remaining at the factory, that means the car will die within six months. But the Jumbuck is expected to live again when Proton switches the compact pickup to the back of one of its newer production cars."The factory is running out their stocks of parts. Once that's done, that the end of the current Jumbuck," says John Startari, managing director of Proton Australia. "The Jumbuck has been our best seller since 2003 and has worked well for us. So we'll take as many as we can get from the final production."Startari denies the end of the Jumbuck is related in any way to a recent ANCAP crash test, which is expected to only give the Proton a two-star rating. "It's a Malaysian decision. It has nothing to do with the crash test. We haven't even seen the result yet," he says.The original Jumbuck - the name was chosen by Australian dealers - is based on the Proton Persona four-door sedan and the product planning team is considering several choices for its successor. It has built prototypes based on almost every model in the lineup, from the baby Saga sedan to the Satria and new Exora people mover."The important point will be that the new car will not only be the lowest cost commercial but also amongst the safest on the road," Startari says.He is promising everything from multiple airbags and anti-skid brakes to Lotus-tuned suspension and a passenger safety cell with much more protection than the original model.A go-ahead on the new model is expected sometime in 2010 but Startari says there has been no decision yet. "We are working with the factory on various concepts. Once the feasibility study is done the decision will be made. It's probably going to be early next year," he says. "But nothing official has come from the factory and we cannot speculate."The successor to today's Jumbuck will be a crucial model for Proton as, apart from Australia, it has worked well in other Asian countries where pickups are popular.Proton also hopes it will be an export spearhead into countries where it is looking to expand, particularly in north Africa and the Middle East. "If you look at the markets where they compete, Thailand is one of the world's biggest markets and will have a major say in any future Jumbuck," says Startari. "Australia is also an important market and we've sold 5234 since the Jumbuck was introduced."While the Jumbuck successor is still to be chosen, Proton is working on a model plan for 2010 that includes a range of vehicles from the go-faster Satria Neo R3 to the Exora MPV seven-seater. 

The Jumbuck is set for a crash test by the Australian New Car Assessment Program. Proton Car Australia managing director John Startari admits to being a little perplexed by the decision to test a vehicle that is close to the end of its sales life here, having been on sale here since early 2003. "I found it a bit strange they'd be testing a car in run-out, it wasn't done in conjunction with us, but I don't know why they selected it when we have newer models to test." "I know that it passed all the ADR requirements for the area that it was imported under, it complies with all the rules of today, it hasn't been tested for NCAP," he says. Startari says he'd be as surprised as everyone else with the ANCAP crash test result for the little utility but couldn't nominate a star rating estimate. "It won't be a five—star car though, no airbags and the like, it still has to pass the ADR tests and it did that without airbags, but I have no idea what star rating it will get." "Jumbuck was launched in 2002, and designed five or six years earlier than that, so NCAP wasn't really on their mind then, maybe other brands being introduced without airbags has had something to do with it, maybe they want to be seen as impartial but it really doesn't make sense to me," he said. The country's cheapest utility is well into run-out now and Startari says a decision is yet to be made on its replacement. "It's in run-out now — it's the last car we have on the old Mitsubishi technology, it's been around since 2002, but the platform has been around since the 1990s. "The Jumbuck has served us well here … it's been a great car for us in Australia. Proton is looking at replacements — they're just deciding which way they're going to go." ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh says the Jumbuck crash test was part of a focus on light—commercial vehicles, in particular utilities. "We've bought one and we're going to test it, they're still being sold. We're testing a few utes at the moment, we've got a focus on commercial vehicles generally and the Jumbuck is part of that group," he says.

Supplies of the Proton Jumbuck ute are starting to flow after months of tight supply that threatened to derail the little Malaysian ute's chances of success. The compact pickup looked like being a local hit until supplies dried up when component shortages limited production. But Proton is finally on top of the problem. And to celebrate, as well as boosting Australian sales, it is delivering every Jumbuck sold in January with a $2300 quad bike. The deal has a small hitch though, as buyers have to spend an extra $1000 on Proton accessories. Jumbuck prices start from $14,990 for the GLi model and $16,990 for the GLSi version. The 50cc ATV quad bike is a workhorse, not a play racer, and fits easily into the Jumbuck's ute tray. It was chosen because of the popularity of quads. Farmers are an important target for the Jumbuck. “It will appeal to a wide range of buyers, from security companies who could use the quad for patrolling ... to vineyard operators who can use the Jumbuck and its smaller mate to access the narrow vine rows,” Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari says.

  Proton Cars Australia chief John Startari, in hosing down speculation it will get all-paw traction, says it was seriously considered but dismissed on cost grounds. “It would price the car over $20,000 and that's not acceptable,” Startari says. The Jumbuck entry GLi model costs $16,990 and the upper-spec GLSi $18,990. It has been a consistent hit with rural buyers wanting a no-frills workhorse. Proton Malaysia is close to signing off on the new Jumbuck's design and will soon start development and engineering work. Carsguide understands the new Jumbuck will have an extended cab like the new VE Commodore ute, which will allow more storage room inside. However, Startari says it will remain a low-cost vehicle. An all-wheel-drive Jumbuck would have filled a niche left wide open by Subaru when production of its Brumby ute ceased in 1994. The just-axed VW and Proton technology tie-up could have given Proton access to VW's 4motion all-wheel-drive systems, making a four-paw Jumbuck more viable. Apart from the Jumbuck, Proton is looking at a range of vehicles to join its line-up, including a small sedan called the BLM (for base-line model). The BLM is expected to be launched in Malaysia next year and will arrive here in 2009; with either a 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre four-cylinder Campro engine. It's expected to cost less than $15,000, and Startari says it will be packed with equipment. The BLM promises spirited performance in 1.6-litre guise. The five-speed manual weighs 1060kg and the four-speed automatic 1080kg. In Malaysia it will replace the long-running Saga model. The 1.3-litre BLM is expected to cost about $10,000. The sedan's platform can also support a hatch and wagon, but Proton is yet to decide if additional models will be built.