PROTON maintains Sales ranking with 12,666 units sold in March

National carmaker PROTON closed March and the first quarter of 2024 in a positive fashion with strong sales for its domestic and export markets. With 12,666 sales (domestic and export) reported, total sales for the quarter totalled 39,150 units with export sales currently 63% higher than last year.

After setting a new sales record in 2023, total-industry-volume (TIV) for the Malaysian automotive market is estimated to be at 202,492 units for the first three months of 2024, equating to a 5.1% growth. Market share for PROTON is estimated at 19.3%, the second highest amongst all automotive brands.

Proton Saga posts best Q1 volume since 2013 while S70 dominates C-segment sedan market
While new model launches continue to proliferate in Malaysia, demand for a reliable, fun and feature rich vehicle at an affordable price point remains strong. Sales of the Proton Saga exemplify the point and with 18,247 units sold in the first three months of the year, the model has achieved its strongest Q1 performance in a dozen years. For March, 5,906 units were sold, including 93 units for the export market, placing the model second in the competitive A-segment sedan market.

The Proton S70 meanwhile has opened a new market segment for the company. 2,072 units were sold in March (35 units export) bringing total sales for Q1 to 5,828 units. While production volume is still catching up to demand as close attention is being paid to product quality, the C-segment sedan class leader is now the second best selling model in the Proton range.

Proton continues to be a major player in the SUV market with its lineup of three models. The Proton X50 achieved 1,626 units, while the Proton X70 saw an uptick of 35.5% over the previous month with 603 units sold. The company’s first NEV, the Proton X90, maintained its strong showing in the D-segment SUV market with 326 units delivered to customers in March.

As for the Proton Persona and Proton Iriz, the former sold 1,665 units in March bringing its Q1 total to 5,370 units and positioning it as the second most popular B-segment sedan in the country. Its hatchback sibling achieved 468 units and 1,534 units for the quarter to retain fourth position in its market segment.

“The first quarter of 2024 ended positively for PROTON and with no external factors encouraging sales growth this year, the numbers achieved offer a more accurate reading of market demand. The automotive industry in Malaysia continues to be buoyant, and this is evident by the overall growth in TIV.

“For the rest of the year, PROTON will look for continued sales growth by working closely with our vendors to produce more units of our best-selling models, such as the Proton Saga and Proton S70, while continuing to build our export sales volume. We are confident of meeting our growth targets while also working towards our other commitments such as the development and introduction of our own EV model in the future,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.

Two Proton SUVs launched in Trinidad and Tobago
Ansa Motors, the importer and distributor for Proton in Trinidad and Tobago gave the Proton X50 and Proton X90 their market debut on 13 March at an event held at their branch at Charles Street, Port of Spain. Speaking at the event Jerome Borde, Head of Regional Business, praised Proton for its focus on safety, reliability, and competitive pricing in the local automotive market.

““The addition of the Proton X50 and Proton X90 to the lineup in Trinidad and Tobago will help boost demand and brand visibility in the West Indies nation. It is another step in Proton’s export sales growth efforts as we look to raise the contribution of export sales to our annual sales volume,” said Roslan Abdullah.

PROTON March 2024 – Individual Model Performance (including export)

Model	No of units sold	Total Sales 2024	Sales achievement for the month
Saga	5,906	18,247	2nd highest volume A-segment sedan
Persona	1,665	5,370	3rd highest volume B-segment sedan
Exora	-	242	Discontinued
Iriz	468	1,534	4th highest volume B-segment hatchback
X70	603	1,420	3rd highest volume C-segment SUV
X50	1,626	5,444	2nd highest volume B-segment SUV
X90	326	1,065	2nd highest volume D-segment SUV
S70	2,072	5,828	Highest volume C-segment sedan
Total	12,666	39,150	2nd highest volume overall sales