since 1976
since 1976
National carmaker PROTON is powering towards a fifth consecutive year of sales growth as vehicle sales in Malaysia continue to surge upwards. The company sold 12,772 units in October to bring its year to date (YTD) figure to 129,604 units (domestic + export) for the first 10 months of 2023, equivalent to a 12.3% increase over the previous year.
Compared to the previous month, sales in October grew by 4.4% as total industry volume (TIV) is forecast to have exceeded the 70,000-unit barrier for the third time in 2023. PROTON’s overall market share is estimated to be 20.1% as YTD volume for the entire automotive industry has exceeded 645,000 units and is on track to break the all-time record set in 2022.
Strong demand for PIES models continues as X50 sales exceed 100,000 units
With two calendar months remaining in 2023, four Proton models continue to be sales leaders in their respective market segments. 2,021 units of the Proton X50 were sold in October to position it as the market leader and cumulatively, since its launch on 27 October 2020, the country’s most popular B-segment SUV has achieved 100,210 units sold. This is the shortest time it has taken for any SUV to achieve the benchmark in Malaysia, which is a testament to its popularity with SUV buyers.
The Proton Persona ended October as the third most popular B-segment sedan but with 2,041 units sold it exceeded the 2,000-unit barrier for the eighth time this year and remains the market leader with YTD total sales of 20,655 units. Compared to 2022, total sales are now 65.5% more and the model is on track to have one of its best sales years.
Sales for the Proton X90, remain strong as the model continues to lead D-segment SUV sales. 479 units were sold in October as PROTON approaches completion of its product update initiative for the model. Cumulatively, 3,914 units have now been sold in 2023 and there is expected to be an uptick in demand in the coming months as orders start coming in from export markets following the overseas roll-out of Proton’s first mild hybrid offering.
Meanwhile, the Proton Exora is bowing out as the undoubted C-segment MPV sales champion. Production has come to an end after 196,583 units were built at PROTON’s Shah Alam plant and in October, 393 units were sold to bring the YTD number up to 3,910 units. Despite being in its final year of production, demand for the Proton Exora is up by 11.5% in 2023, proving that its combination of practical features and performance remain relevant to many customers.
The company’s most popular model remains the Proton Saga and in October, 6,322 units were sold, which has increased YTD sales to 57,806 units. This means the model has surpassed its volume from the whole of 2022 as a result of a 26% increase in demand for the popular A-segment sedan.
Finally, the Proton Iriz continued its strong 2023 performance with 589 units sold to bring cumulative sales up to 6,633 units. This is an improvement of 37.2% over the previous year as more customers choose the stylish Bsegment hatchback as an alternative to its rivals. Similarly, the Proton X70 is also performing steadily and with 927 units sold in October, it managed an increase of 18.9% over the previous month and retained its standing as the second most popular C-segment SUV.
“Following a relatively quiet September, automotive sales surged again in October as the market posted its second-best sales month for the year. With two full calendar months remaining, it is guaranteed the industry will set a new TIV record for the second year in a row, which reflects not only customer demand but also the amount of liquidity in the market.
“PROTON has benefited from these market conditions and as our sales have gone up by 12.3% this year, we continue to outpace TIV growth. This is despite some of the recent challenges faced, which were countered by quick and decisive action taken by the company. Heading in to the final two months of 2023, we are optimistic of exceeding our targets as we prepare to introduce more new models to position the company for a great start to 2024,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.
