PROTON Saw 4th Consecutive Month Of Year-On-Year Sales Growth
Prior to the official launch of its new D-segment SUV, the X90, PROTON recorded a 4th consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Despite a shortened sales and production month due to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holiday period, PROTON managed to record sales of 9,415 vehicles (domestic and export), representing a 6.5% increase compared to April 2022. This brings the total sales for the first 4 months of 2023 to 49,702 vehicles, a significant growth of 39.8% compared to the same period in the previous year.
For April, PROTON is the only Top-5 ranked brand to achieve sales growth, taking an estimated market share of 20.4% and maintaining its 2nd position in the national automotive sales chart. Overall, the industry saw a decline of over 41.4% in April compared to the record high achieved in March; the Total Industry Volume (TIV) for the month is estimated at 46,203 vehicles. This decrease can be attributed not only to the holiday period but also to the ending of the PENJANA tax-free incentive scheme.
Despite the decline in TIV, 3 PROTON models stayed as segment leaders for 2023. The Proton X50 remains the best-selling B-segment SUV with 2,644 units delivered in April, maintaining its position as the overall top-selling SUV in Malaysia. Another segment leader is the Proton Persona, which achieved 1,263 deliveries, securing its leadership in the B-segment sedan market for 4 consecutive months. Further, the Proton Exora experienced its best sales month of the year, with 465 units sold, and retained its sales leadership in the C-segment MPV category, totaling 1,559 units sold to-date.
Other PROTON models also fared fairly well. The Saga leads all Proton models with 3,949 units delivered, placing it 2nd in A-segment sedan sales for 2023, while 756 Proton X70 and 338 Proton Iriz were sold, ranking them 3rd and 4th in their respective segments.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PROTON, Roslan Abdullah, expressed gratitude to customers for contributing to the brand’s sales growth despite the anticipated lower sales numbers due to the holiday season and the expiration of the grace period for tax-free period. He also highlighted that the new Proton X90 is expected to contribute positively to the company’s sales. The X90 mild hybrid is the first New Energy Vehicle (NEV) introduced by the company and it will lay a foundation for future model offerings and provide valuable experience to Proton’s network of outlets in selling and servicing these vehicles.
In terms of exports, PROTON had its best month of the year in April, shipping 187 units to overseas markets. The Proton Saga remains the most popular export model, followed by the Proton X50 and Proton X70. Overall, PROTON’s export sales for the first 4 months of the year have reached 603 vehicles. Despite external global economic factors impacting export volumes, PROTON remains optimistic about its overseas sales prospects for the year and is actively collaborating with partners to enhance the brand’s profile and promote its products.
