PROTON Vehicle Sales Surge Past 100,000 Units For 5th Consecutive Year

Sales of Proton vehicles has surged past the 100,000the unit mark for the 5th consecutive year. This time it surpassed this threshold in the month of August, a month earlier than it did in 2022.

PROTON’s year-to-date (YTD) sales ending 31 August 2023 amounted to 104,602 vehicles (domestic and export), an increase of 19.6% year-on-year to give it a 20.8% market share. For August, it had delivered 13,955 vehicles, putting its estimated market share for the month at 18.8%, based on the projected total industry volume (TIV) of 74,200 vehicles for the month.

Contributors to PROTON’s sales growth, in particular, are the X90, X50, Persona and Saga. The former 2, as well as the Exora, are current sales leaders in their respective segments. The latest Proton, the X90 D-segment SUV, has a cumulative sale of 2,944 units despite recording only 3 full months of sales (719 units in August). Similarly, the Proton X50 also continues to lead the B-segment SUV market with 2,558 units last month, contributing to a YTD figure of 22,750 units. The X50 not only leads its class but also the overall SUV category.

Meanwhile, the company sold over 2,000 units of the Persona sedan for the 6th time in 2023. With 2,028 units delivered last month, it may not have led sales in its segment but its YTD figure of 16,561 units is 72% more than in 2022 and still places it at the head of the B-segment sedan category overall.

Additionally, the Exora continues to head C-segment MPV sales, selling 409 units in August and accumulating YTD sales of 3,150 units. As usual, the Proton Saga was the best-selling Proton in August, achieving its highest monthly figure of 2023 with 6,585 units, placing it 2nd overall for sales in Malaysia for a 3rd consecutive month. In the first 8 months of 2023, a total of 45,836 units have been delivered, which is an increase of 34.2% over the same period in 2022.

The Proton Iriz is also experiencing a resurgence in sales. 654 units sold in August places it 4th in its segment but with 5,362 units delivered in 2023, YTD sales are 50.3% ahead of the previous year. Finally, the Proton X70 ended the month with 1,002 units sold, pushing its YTD sales to 7,999 units.

“After setting a new volume record the previous year, Malaysia’s automotive industry is on a trajectory to reset the record books again in 2023 as PROTON and other brands continue to compete for sales. The buoyant mood of buyers is reflected in the high number of new products introduced, and with many more models making their debut before the end of December, we expect market conditions to remain highly competitive” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Edar.

“For PROTON, our sales growth is a reflection of how the company’s focus on delivering better quality products paired to a premium experience delivered by the 154 3S/4S dealerships in our network, have a positive effect on customers. Going forwards, these efforts towards better products and services will continue and be boosted by the recent announcement of Proton Test Labs receiving ISO 17025 accreditation as well as the company’s impending entry into the EV space with smart Malaysia,” he added.