Proton sold a total of 12,882 cars in January this year, in both its domestic and export markets, marking the brand’s best start to a year since 2013. The company’s sales record for January has also exceeded both its record from the previous month, as well as January 2023, where it sold 11,681 cars, marking 10% year-on-year (YoY) growth.
The national carmaker’s market share for the month is estimated to be 19.5%, which is 3.3% higher compared to the previous month. Proton’s total industry volume (TIV) for January is estimated to be 66,134 units, translating to a 15.6% decline from December, which saw the numbers inflated by the traditional year-end push for higher vehicle sales to close in 2023.
Deliveries for the Proton S70 started in January 2024, and in that month itself, the national carmaker sold 1,442 units of its new saloon, making it the best-selling “C-segment saloon”. The company has also received over 8,000 bookings for the S70. Aside from Malaysia, 15 units of the Proton S70 have been delivered to Brunei, ahead of its launch there in February.
Proton sold a total of 2,002 units of the Proton X50, stabilising its position as the best-selling B-segment SUV. It is then followed by the X90 with 365 units, and the X70 with 372 units. As for Proton’s best-selling model, the Saga, the company sold 6,129 units of it, making it the second-highest volume A-segment saloon.
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The brand’s B-segment saloon, the Persona, marked a good start to the year with 1,846 units sold, while the Iriz recorded 523 units of sales, a 7% jump compared to December last year. Proton also sold 203 units of the Exora, despite production for the MPV having ended last year.
Proton Edar Chief Executive Officer, Roslan Abdullah said, “Proton is thrilled to start 2024 strongly, highlighted by the strong delivery numbers for our latest addition, the Proton S70. The enthusiastic response to our lineup confirms how our models resonate with buyers searching for innovative vehicles. Rest assured, we are fully dedicated to meeting the heightened demand from our customers, and the team is diligently working to ensure timely deliveries, to ensure customer expectations are not only met but exceeded.”
“Currently, many project Malaysian automotive sales to contract in 2024 after a record-setting year in 2023 due to factors such as increase in SST as well as the introduction of the luxury goods tax. Proton however remains optimistic our strong start to the year will set the tone for the next 11 months as we target more sales growth with our continued focus on innovation, quality and customer service”, added the CEO.
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