since 1976
since 1976
Sales for national carmaker PROTON surpassed the 100,000-unit barrier for a fifth consecutive year by surging past the threshold in August, a month earlier than doing so in 2022. With 13,955 units (domestic + export) delivered last month, year-to-date (YTD) sales for 2023 now stand at 104,602 units, 19.6% or 17,121 units more than the volume recorded for the first eight months of the previous year.
With total industry volume (TIV) for the month estimated to be at 74,200 units, PROTON’s market share is projected to be at 18.8% for August, with a YTD market share figure of 20.8%. The company’s volume growth however remains ahead of TIV, which is now estimated as 12.2% for 2023.
X90, X50, Persona and Exora continue to lead respective segments
Powering sales growth for Proton vehicles in 2023 is a model line-up featuring four models that lead YTD sales for their respective segments. This is best exemplified by the Proton X90, the company’s newest addition, which leads monthly and YTD sales for D-segment SUVs with the addition of 719 units in August and a cumulative total of 2,944 units thus far, despite having only three full months of sales under its belt.
Mirroring its dominance, the Proton X50 also continues to head the B-segment SUV market with 2,558 units last month contributing to a YTD figure of 22,750 units that not only leads its own class but is also the best overall for SUVs. Similarly, the Proton Exora continues to set the standard for C-segment MPV sales as 409 units sold in August has led to YTD sales of 3,150 units.
The Proton Persona meanwhile achieved sales of more 2,000 units for the sixth time in 2023 with 2,028 units driving off delivered last month and although it did not lead sales in its segment, 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.
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 second overall for sales in Malaysia for a third consecutive month. For the first eight months, a remarkable 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 fourth 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.
