As the good start to the 40th anniversary year celebration of Proton, the company has sold a total of 48,702 cars for the first quarter of 2023, which is 39.8% more than last year. As for the month of April, the local carmaker has sold 9,415 cars which includes the domestic sales and export. This is a growth of 6.5% compared to the same month last year.
Compared to February 2023, Proton’s sales in March was down by more than 41.4%, after the company set a new record high in March this year. This recession was caused by factors such as the holiday period throughout April, as well as the ending of deliveries for orders placed during the PENJANA tax-free incentive scheme, according to the company.
Proton also managed to capture an estimated 20.4% of the market share. This helped the carmaker maintain second place in the national automotive sales table.
Proton Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Roslan Abdullah said, “Proton’s export volume for 2023 has been slow to reach the expected volume due to several external global economic factors. However, we remain positive about our overseas sales prospects this year and are actively working with our partners to raise the profile of the brand as well as promote our intelligent products.”
“With the Proton X90 due to be officially launched by the Prime Minister on 7 May [this statement was made on May 5, 2023], the company will soon have a three-model SUV range to strengthen our position in the segment as well as its first model in the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market. This will help form a good base for our future model offerings and give Proton’s network of outlets invaluable experience in selling and servicing these vehicles,” added Roslan Abdullah.
RELATED: 2023 Proton X90 launched in Malaysia, from RM123,800
There are three models that have led their respective segments in sales and have contributed to Proton’s sales in the first quarter, as well as the month of April 2023. These models include the Proton X50, which had 2,644 units delivered in April, making it remain as the overall best-selling SUV in Malaysia.
The Proton Persona was also the B-segment sedan sales leader, with 1,236 units delivered in April as well. This allowed it to retain overall leadership in its segment throughout the first quarter of the year.
Proton sold a total of 465 units of its Exora MPV, which is by far this year’s highest record for the model. As a result, the Proton Exora retains as the best-selling C-segment MPV, with a total of 1,559 units sold this year.
Proton also recorded positive numbers for its other models. The carmaker delivered a total of 3,040 units of the Saga, making it second place in the A-segment sedan sales chart, and the best-selling Proton model. The Proton X70 had 756 units sold, while the Proton Iriz had 338 units sold.
Looking at Proton’s export sales, the company had their best month of the year in April, with a total of 187 units shipped to overseas markets. The Proton Saga, X50 and X70 are the most popular export models by far in Q1 2023, contributing to a total export sales of 603 units throughout the quarter.
RELATED: 2023 Proton X90 scores 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating – Full points for side impact test
