Proton recorded a total sales number of 40,287 cars (domestic + export) in the first quarter of the year, showing a 50.9% growth from last year. As for the month of March alone, the local carmaker sold 14,753 cars (domestic + export), a 3.8% growth from February and an 11.9% growth from the same month last year.
According to Proton Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Roslan Abdullah, the first quarter results “were inflated because brands were rushing to deliver cars for bookings made during the PENJANA incentive period”. A better reflection of the market sentiment will be seen in the second quarter.
Of the 40,287 cars sold in the first three months of 2023, the best-selling model was the Saga with 17,446 units sold. This was followed by the X50 with 9,668 units, the Persona with 6,773 units, the X70 with 3,186 units, the Iriz with 2,120 units, and the Exora with 1,094 units.
As for the month of March alone, the Saga leads the charts with 6,313 units sold. The sales figures reflect the Q1 numbers with the X50 following behind at 3,429 units. This is followed by the Persona with 2,421 units, the X70 with 1,272 units, the Iriz with 712 units, and the Exora with 426 units.
Proton Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Roslan Abdullah said, “The first quarter of 2023 has been exceptionally good for PROTON and our achievement of over 40,000 units sold is something we are justifiably proud of. However, we must consider that sales for the first three months were inflated because brands were rushing to deliver cars for bookings made during the PENJANA incentive period.”
“This is especially true for this month as the deadline to deliver those bookings was 31 March 2023, helping to explain the record estimated TIV number of 78,000 units. A better reflection of market sentiment would emerge by the end of Q2, but we remain confident of maintaining our sales momentum.”
“We will be launching the Proton X90 soon and will also have more additions to the range later in the year. At the same time, we recently announced our commitment to expanding our future New Energy Vehicle (NEV) offerings and this will take the brand into new market segments as we seek out long-term growth to fulfill our ten-year plan. Yes, the runway to Malaysia being a hub for Next Generation Vehicles (NxGV) is still long but PROTON is excited to lead the automotive industry to new horizons in the future.”
