KUALA LUMPUR (July 5): National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd posted its best cumulative sales numbers since 2012 in the first half of 2023, with total sales reaching 77,321 units.

In a statement on Wednesday (July 5), the company said it sold 14,351 units in June (domestic and export), a 28.6% year-on-year increase.

Proton said that for June, total industry volume (TIV) is estimated to be 61,900 units and as a result, market share for the carmaker is estimated at 23.2% while the year-to-date market share figure has increased again to 21.3%, an improvement of 3.2% over the corresponding period from 2022.

It added that this is the highest growth figure amongst the top five brands in Malaysia’s automotive market, which also grew by 9.4% in the first half on the year.

Proton said its models performed outstandingly in June with five models leading sales in their individual market segments.

It said the Proton Saga retook the lead for A-segment sedans by going over the 6,000-unit threshold for the third time this year and ending the month with 6,111 units.

Cumulatively, 33,325 units have been sold thus far, which is the model’s best performance since 2012.

Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the company’s performance in the first half of 2023 is noteworthy as it achieved its best start to a year since 2012 and was also on track for a fifth consecutive year of sales growth.

“The numbers show demand for our products remains strong despite projections of a reduction in liquidity for consumers, and this is proven by our growth rate outpacing the overall market by over three times.

“For the second half of the year, Proton is confident we have the products and promotional strategies in place to continue our growth trajectory.

“We will also execute our plans to update our range, launch our entry into the Malaysian EV market with PRO-NET and further improve the quality of our products via investments announced this year to improve our production capabilities,” he said.