Geneva Motor Show: Proton EMAS concepts

More on Malaysian carmaker Proton’s hybrid concepts, developed by Lotus Engineering and styled by ItalDesign Giugiaro: there’s three of them, for a start. The EMAS trio (‘gold’, in Malay, as well as an acronym for Eco Mobility Advance Solution) are a five-door, four-seater city hatchback (EMAS), a higher-riding three-door crossover (EMAS Country, pictured) and a tiny three-door 3+1-seater city car (EMAS3).

The three are designed with global sales in mind, and feature the Lotus range-extender plug-in hybrid powertrain with three-cylinder 1.2-litre engine (51bhp). This ‘Omnivore’ engine can run on petrol, methanol, ethanol or natural gas.

Clever packaging has been a priority, with all three offering good interior space despite their compact exterior dimensions; features include a high-tech multi-function display, panoramic roofs and LED lighting.

These concepts are thought to be close to production reality – though more conventional engine options may be offered in the near future – and Proton appears to be serious about global expansion. Looks as if it’s finally making good use of its ownership of Lotus, too.