The Wira, Proton's family saloon, is over a decade old and beset with faults.

ECONOMIST: The car industry

In America it was twice the price of a family saloon, but less than half that of a Ferrari.

ECONOMIST: Alejandro De Tomaso, car maker, died on May 21st, aged 74

There was a largish family saloon (the Fluence), a supermini-sized hatchback (the Zoe), the Kangoo Be Bop ZE and a wacky two-seat urban runabout (the Twizy).

ECONOMIST: Renault's electric-car gamble

Now, with a big new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a revamped dealer network and the successful launch of the new Jetta, a family saloon, VW is back on a roll in America.

ECONOMIST: Volkswagen: VW conquers the world | The