KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 7): National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd said its sales crossed the 100,000-unit threshold for a fifth consecutive year in August, a month earlier than doing so in 2022.
In a statement on Thursday, the company said with 13,955 units (domestic and 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 said its market share is projected to be at 18.8% for August, with a YTD market share figure of 20.8%.
The company said its volume growth, however, remains ahead of TIV, which is now estimated as 12.2% for 2023.
Proton said X90, X50, Persona and Exora continue to lead 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 sports utility vehicles (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, it said the Proton Exora continues to set the standard for C-segment multi-purpose vehicle 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 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.
The carmaker said 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.
It said that for the first eight months, 45,836 units have been delivered, which is an increase of 34.2% over the same period in 2022.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said that 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.
He said that for Proton, the sales growth is a reflection of how the company’s focus on delivering better quality products paired with a premium experience delivered by the 154 3S/4S dealerships in its network, have a positive effect on customers.
“Going forward, these efforts towards better products and services will continue and be boosted by the recent announcement of Proton Test Labs receiving ISO 17025 accreditation as well as the company’s impending entry into the EV (electric vehicle) space with smart Malaysia,” he said.