Proton’s 10,000 sMILEs Expedition Proves Real Performance in Sabah
PROTON continues its PROTON 10,000 sMILEs Expedition in Sabah through an adventure that connects people, destinations and products through real-life driving experiences on the road. Starting from the bustling city of Kinabalu to the Kundasang plateau route, this expedition brings together elements of local culture, community contributions, sustainability initiatives and verification of vehicle performance in real driving conditions close to the daily lives of users in Sabah.
Organized in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026, this trip in Sabah reflects the campaign’s aspirations to collect smiles while strengthening PROTON’s relationship with communities in East Malaysia. More than just a convoy, the Expedition is a mobile platform to show how the Proton Saga, Proton
Real Path, Real Product Confidence: From City to Cloud
From the busy streets of Kota Kinabalu to the twisting corners and climbs of Kundasang, the Sabah circumnavigation expedition provides a real platform for PROTON to show how the Proton Saga, Proton X50 and Proton S70 offer driving confidence in a variety of road environments and consumer lifestyle needs.
In Kota Kinabalu, which is alive with the atmosphere of Kaamatan celebrations, the urban environment provides an opportunity for PROTON to highlight features that are important in everyday ownership such as comfort, practicality, connectivity and confidence when parking. Proton Saga, Malaysia’s Iconic Sedan, continues to prove its appeal through a combination of practicality such as 420L of boot space, Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ support, reversing camera and parking sensors. Paired with a 1.5L i-GT engine and CVT transmission, the Saga offers reliable driving comfort and fuel efficiency for families and first-time car buyers.
As the King of Malaysian SUVs, the Proton Powered by the i-GT 1.5 turbo four-cylinder engine, combined with adaptive driving modes and Hill Descent Control, the X50 delivers confident performance across busy city routes and changing terrain in Sabah.
As the convoy continued its journey to Kundasang, the hilly inclines and turns provided the best terrain to showcase its true performance capabilities outside of an urban environment. Proton S70, Malaysia’s Sportif Sedan, proves its “city to cloud” character through its four-cylinder i-GT 1.5 turbo engine with 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), equipped with features such as Intelligent Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and PROTON Ride & Handling tuning, to guarantee a smooth, responsive and comfortable driving experience on highland routes.
Overall, the Proton Saga, Proton X50 and Proton S70 prove how practical everyday use, smart technology and performance are believed to be able to meet the real mobility needs of users in Sabah.
Faster and Better Support in the Field
Apart from showcasing the product’s capabilities on Sabah’s roads, the expedition also highlights PROTON’s ongoing commitment to providing a faster and better ownership experience through its after-sales network.
At Fook Loi Corporation, one of PROTON’s sales and service center partners in Sabah, the convoy carried out a Fast Service 10-Point Service Check, thus showing how a faster and easier after-sales experience can increase customer confidence in the care and maintenance of their vehicles. Supported by a network of 12 PROTON service centers in Sabah, customers also benefit from Regional Part Center (RPC) support in Inanam which helps speed up spare parts availability and after-sales service efficiency.
During the visit, the expedition participants also had the opportunity to see for themselves the level of professionalism, technical expertise and friendly service from PROTON service counsel who received positive feedback from the convoy participants.
This activity reflects PROTON’s “Faster and Better” commitment to ensuring a smoother and more confident ownership experience. By bringing direct after-sales involvement into the expedition, PROTON reinforces the message that customer trust goes beyond the riding experience, but extends to every aspect of ownership from purchase to long-term maintenance.
Connecting Mobility to More Meaningful Goals
Apart from the product experience, the expedition also brought a meaningful community mission as PROTON visited Sabah Cheshire Home and Services by donating basic necessities, food and care equipment, in addition to a cash donation of RM10,000 to support the center’s daily operations.
This initiative reflects the campaign’s desire to create smiles not only through engagement with the community, but also through genuine support to communities that play an important role in Sabah’s social landscape. It also reinforces the message that mobility is not just about reaching a destination, but also about the relationships built along the journey.
Leaving a Greener Footprint
At Kinabalu Park, PROTON is also strengthening its commitment to sustainability through collaboration with Sabah Parks, as part of joint efforts to support environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainability initiatives in Sabah.
This collaboration reflects a shared commitment towards more meaningful sustainability efforts in the future, thereby demonstrating how the PROTON 10,000 sMILEs Expedition goes beyond mobility to provide a positive impact on the communities and destinations it travels through.
From demonstrating confidence in vehicle performance on Sabah’s roads to making a contribution to society and the environment, this expedition proves how the 10,000 sMILEs campaign goes beyond the concept of conventional driving events.
“This expedition allows PROTON to experience Sabah more meaningfully through its people, communities, culture and also its streets,” said Dato’ Ir. Abdul Rashid Musa, Deputy Chief Executive of PROTON. “From Kota Kinabalu to Kundasang, we have the opportunity to show how our vehicles perform in real driving conditions while contributing to Sabah Cheshire Home and strengthening cooperation regarding sustainability efforts in Kinabalu Park. This is the true meaning of the PROTON 10,000 sMILEs Expedition that connects products with people, and mobility with a more meaningful purpose.”
The PROTON 10,000 sMILEs Expedition will continue to Brunei and Sarawak, including activities with sales centers, local cultural experiences, community programs, social media content and live product demonstrations along the way. People can follow PROTON Cars Official on all major social media platforms for the latest information on upcoming convoys and public activities.
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