PROTON Records Strong Sales Despite Slow September; Leads Multiple SUV Segments
PROTON posted total sales of 11,269 units in September 2024 (combining domestic and export numbers), which brings its year-to-date (YTD) sales volume to 112,758 units. This achievement helps the brand secure 2nd position in the national automotive sales rankings. The company’s market share for the month is estimated at 20.1%, with a YTD market share of 19.1%.
Despite September being a slow month for the automotive industry, where total industry volume (TIV) fell to 56,067 units, marking a 17-month low, PROTON’s reduction in sales was smaller than the industry average. The TIV for September represented a 22.2% drop compared to August, but YTD figures remain positive, surpassing last year’s performance by 3%, with close to 590,000 units sold.
The newly launched 2025 Proton X70, a significant update to Proton’s first SUV from 2018, has reclaimed its position as the best-selling C-segment SUV in September, with 1,466 units sold. This is nearly double the sales volume from August and the highest since December 2022, signaling robust consumer interest.
Other Proton SUVs also performed well. The Proton X50, refreshed in June, saw 1,771 units sold in September, retaining its lead in B-segment SUV YTD sales since its 2020 debut. Meanwhile, Proton’s flagship SUV, the X90, recorded 217 units sold, making it the best-selling D-segment SUV YTD with 2,724 units.
The Proton S70 also maintained its YTD lead in the C-segment sedan category, with 1,013 units sold in September, bringing its total to 14,768 units in its first full year of sales. Although it temporarily lost the monthly top spot, the upcoming release of the Proton S70 R3, set to compete in the Sepang 1000km endurance race in November, is expected to boost its visibility and sales.
PROTON’s top-selling model remains the Proton Saga, which recorded 5,162 sales in September, securing second place in A-segment sedans. Other models like the Proton Persona and Proton Iriz also performed steadily, with 1,295 and 345 units sold, respectively.
PROTON’s Outlook For Final Quarter
Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Edar, commented on the industry’s challenges and PROTON’s future plans. “September is traditionally a slow month for the automotive industry and 2024 was no exception. Thankfully, the reduction in PROTON’s volume was considerably less than the decrease in TIV, setting the stage for a challenging final quarter of the year for the industry.”
He added, “With 2 newly refreshed SUV models, and a new sedan in its first full year of sales, PROTON is confident it has the necessary products to push sales volumes higher in the next three months. This will be boosted by our promotional activities and soon, we will launch a nationwide campaign to reward our customers with lucrative gifts and prizes. At the same time, our efforts to deliver a premium brand experience at outlets and improve aftersales service will continue before culminating with the launch of our first EV offering in December”.
