DRB-Hicom Bhd, which fully owns Proton, and Geely are expected to sign the Definite Agreement to seal the deal tomorrow under which Geely will acquire a 49.9 per cent stake in the national carmaker. With it, Proton is given access to Geely's best-selling Boyue SUV and is expected to roll out its first SUV as early as the second half of 2018. Proton will manufacture, sell, market and distribute the Boyue SUV under the Proton brand name in the South-East Asian market. "Proton needs to reclaim its lost market share and this is no easy task given the fierce competition from foreign brands. "And to manufacture its own SUV will be an impetus for Proton to enter into an entirely new segment," Hezeri said. He said the Malaysian consumers were hungry for SUVs as could be seen by the resilient and high growth SUV sales this year amid declining passenger vehicle sales.