Proton Takes Second Place In Overall Sales In Malaysia

It has been a while since Proton reached the second spot of the sales ladder. The last time that happened was in March 2016; and it was second overall in the 2015 calendar year. According to Proton’s data, after a gap of 40 months since March 2016, Proton is in second place in total sales for the Malaysia automotive market. Selling 8,590 vehicles in July 2019, the company’s sales momentum has been positive for the seventh consecutive month, making Proton the only brand to achieve this feat in 2019.

The company estimates its market share for the month at 16.5% with Total Industry Volume (TIV) estimated at 51,960 units. Proton’s overall market share for the year is now estimated to be 15%.

It achieved a 23% increase in sales for June 2019, and grew by a further 6% in July. Although the rate of growth has tapered, mainly due to the exceptional numbers posted in 2018 because of the three-month tax holiday, Proton is the only automotive brand to boast positive growth for the month, pointing towards strong demand for its products.

To-date, total sales is 52,269 vehicles compared to 35,561 in the same period in 2018. This equates to a 47% growth in overall year-on-year sales.

“Proton’s return to second place overall in the Malaysian automotive market has happened ahead of schedule. The growth in demand for our products show we are on track to meet our long term targets and for the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year ranked second for the first time in four years. With the launch of the updated 2019 Proton Saga set to take place shortly and our other product introductions in the pipeline, the company is quietly confident of even better results in the future” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton.

The chief contributor for Proton’s sales growth is the X70 SUV, where its Premium and Executive variants continue to be the leaders in their respective SUV segments. 1,932 units were delivered in July which makes the total for 2019 so far stand at 17,023 units.

The updated Proton Persona is another star for the company. It was launched in April this year and since then sales have almost doubled over the same period in 2018. 2,720 units were delivered in July, making the model the best-selling B-segment sedan in the local market. With 10,034 units delivered so far, sales are up by 3% year-on-year, a figure that is set to grow in the latter five months of 2019.

The Proton Iriz hatchback, which was launched together with the Persona, has also experienced growth. 974 units of the updated Iriz were delivered in July and year-to-date sales of this race-winning B-segment hatch is 3,035 units. The Iriz has a year-on-year growth of 53%, which is likely due to the consumers’ acceptance of the improvements made.

Meanwhile, the Proton Saga managed to achieve sales of 2,381 units in July for a year-to-date total of 17,722 units. Despite the declining sales trend for this model, overall sales are still up by 14%, which is still commendable for a model due to be updated in August.

“While the Proton X70 continues its trajectory, PROTON’s other models are the staple of our performance. The Proton Persona is now the sales leader in a segment that is ruled by Japanese products while the Proton Saga is still a popular choice amongst first time car buyers looking for a safe, reliable and economical vehicle. Even the Proton Iriz has seen a surge in demand, with sales growing by over 50%, so the Company is humbled by the trust Malaysian car buyers are putting in our brand,” added Dr Li Chunrong.