SHAH ALAM: National carmaker Proton has recorded sales of 12,799 units (domestic + export) in October, an increase of 13.6% over the previous month, boosting its year to date (YTD) total sales volume to 125,557 units as the company strives to achieve a sixth consecutive year of sales growth.
As a result of the performance, Proton remains as the second most popular brand in the national automotive sales rankings with a forecast market share of 18.1% for the month and a YTD figure of 18.9% for the whole of 2024.
Total sales for the automotive industry recovered in October after slumping the previous month.
As OEMs flood the market with offers to boost year-end sales figures, total industry volume (TIV) is estimated to have ended the month at 70,668 units, the fifth time it has breached the 70,000-unit threshold this year and keeping it on pace to achieve a new record at the end of 2024.
Hailed as Malaysia’s first homegrown vehicle, the Proton Saga was launched on 9 July 1985 and nearly 40 years later, it remains a popular choice for car buyers looking for affordable, safe, and reliable transportation.
With 6,112 units delivered in October, YTD sales have exceeded 60,178 units positioning the model as the third highest volume vehicle in the country.
With two months remaining, hopes are high for the Saga to break exceed 70,000 units for a second successive year and reach 72,000 total sales for the year.
While the Saga does not lead its segment for overall sales, three other Proton models are top sellers for October as well as YTD volume.
The Proton X50 continues to set the pace in the B-segment SUV market despite a slew of competitors launching rival products this year.
Its combination of a stylish design and powerful performance paired with market leading levels of safety, connectivity, and comfort ensure that interest in the model remains high.
2,122 units were delivered in October, allowing the X50 to comfortably hold on to its position at the top of the segment for both monthly and YTD sales volume.
After being briefly deposed as the best-selling C-segment sedan in September, sales of the Proton S70 recovered with 1,432 units sold, returning it to the top of the class for the month and maintain its YTD lead.
A total of 16,200 units have now been sold in 2024 and the model will receive a further boost with the Proton S70 R3 leading the charge for the company at the Sepang 1000km Endurance Race from 22-24 November.
The third segment leading Proton model is the flagship Proton X90 SUV.
245 units were delivered last month to keep it as the sales leader for D-segment SUVs and boost YTD sales to 2,969 units.
The three remaining Proton models continue to put up respectable sales numbers.
The Proton Persona remains a strong competitor for B-segment sedans with 1,520 units sold, placing it third in the segment.
The Proton X70 meanwhile achieved 989 units sold in October while the Proton Iriz clocked in 379 units to remain fourth in B-segment hatchback sales.
“The final quarter of 2024 will be a challenging time for automotive players. An influx of new brands and products together with the drive to meet sales targets and end the year strongly will see multiple offers for new car buyers.
In the short term, this will result in a second consecutive year of TIV exceeding 800,000 units, but it is an unsustainable long-term business strategy and affects residual values.
Therefore, Proton remains focused on ensuring we preserve the value of our customers’ cars by raising product quality and delivering a class-leading sales and service experience via our 157 3S/4S outlets nationwide.
“Heading into the new year, the company will build the foundation to become a major presence in the EV market.
The Proton e.MAS 7 has already been previewed to thousands of potential buyers and will have its grand launch in December, with 36 dealers representing the brand. At the same time, work is continuing to offer more value to current Proton owners via OTA updates that improve the user experience in all our intelligent models,” said Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.
