National car maker PROTON created history as the Proton X50 set a new monthly sales volume record and grabbed the title of best-selling vehicle in Malaysia for July 2022. This achievement ensures PROTON retains its position as the leader in the hotly contested SUV segment and is also the first time such a vehicle has led the overall market in sales volume.
Following its best sales month of the year in June, PROTON registered 11,477 units (domestic + export) in July as the company’s successful efforts to resolve parts shortage issues were dampened by delays in approvals for a few of its models. Overall sales for the year now stand at 71,601 units, an increase of 19.7% over the same period in 2021.
PROTON also retains second position in the national automotive sales table with an estimated market share of 22.7% for July while year-to-date (YTD) market share increased to 18.7%. Total Industry Volume (TIV) for July is estimated to be at 50,500 units as registration retreat to the median following the expiry of SST incentives on 30 June.
PROTON retains leadership in four market segments
Following its best sales month in June, the Proton X50 continues to break records as deliveries speed up to catch up to demand. The 4,763 units registered in July is now the new highwater mark for SUV sales in the country and strengthens PROTON’s stranglehold on the segment.
This is bolstered by continued strong sales for the Proton X70. Deliveries of the all-new 2022 Proton X70 have ramped up following its launch on 9 June and 1,704 units were registered last month. This allowed it to retain sales leadership for C-segment SUVs and pushed PROTON’s overall SUV volume in 2022 past 31,500 units for the first seven months of the year.
The rejuvenated Proton Saga meanwhile continued to rack up strong numbers and kept its position at the top of the A-segment sedan class. 4,521 units were registered last month, pushing cumulative sales for the year to 28,005 units. The figures also indicate the 2022 model, that was launched on 12 May, managed to achieve 9,811 registrations in just 80 days.
The Proton Exora also retained its customary position at the head of the C-segment MPV class with 476 units registered. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Proton Persona and Proton Iriz as both models suffered approval delays in July resulting in registrations being temporarily halted.
“Following a hectic June where automotive industry players scrambled to lock in bookings before the end of SST incentives, July was a month of consolidation where market demand fell to normal levels, and everybody concentrated on fulfilling orders already received. PROTON was no exception and with our parts supply situation continuing to improve, we were finally able to show the true sales potential of the Proton X50.