Proton has announced that it sold 12,882 units (domestic and export) in January, making last month its best start to a year since 2013. The numbers represent a 1.3% improvement in volume from that of December 2023 and a 10.3% increase from the same period last year.
The numbers are good enough to maintain its second-place ranking in overall sales. As for market share, the company calculates it to be at 19.5%, which is 3.3% higher compared to the previous month, despite the total-industry-volume (TIV) for January – estimated at 66,134 units – being 15.6% lower than December.
In terms of model specific numbers, it is again no surprise to find the Saga leading the way for the national automaker, with the 6,129 units sold making for almost half the total accomplished by the company in January. The second-best seller was the X50, which shifted to the tune of 2,002 units, continuing its run as the top-selling B-segment SUV locally.
The third-best performer for Proton last month was the Persona, with 1,846 units sold. Meanwhile, the new S70 sedan took fourth spot, with 1,442 units shifted in January as series production deliveries got underway. With 8,000 orders, expect it to continue climbing up the internal rankings in the next few months. The model also made its way to its first export market last month, with 15 units delivered to Brunei ahead of the car’s official launch there sometime this month.
Elsewhere, sales of the Iriz increased by 7% compared to the previous month, with 523 units sold, while 372 X70s were delivered last month. As for the X90, 365 units were sold in January, and the Exora, despite having been discontinued, continued to find buyers, with 203 units being delivered.
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said the company was thrilled to start the year strongly. “The enthusiastic response to our line-up 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,” he said.
“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 that 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,” he added.
The post Proton sold 12,882 units in January 2024, best start to year since 2013 – 19.5% share, Saga again top seller appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
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