KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Local carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd announced today that it has returned to the second spot in total sales for Malaysia’s automotive market, for the first time since March 2016.
Buoyed by sales of Proton X70 SUVs, Proton Persona sedans, and Proton Iriz hatchbacks, the marque also said that its sales grew last month compared to the same period last year — the only brand to do so here.
“Proton’s return to second place overall in the Malaysian automotive market has happened ahead of schedule,” Li Chunrong, Proton’s chief executive, said in a statement.
“The growth in demand for our products show we are on track to meet our long term targets and for the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year ranked second for the first time in four years.
“With the launch of the updated 2019 Proton Saga set to take place shortly and our other product introductions in the pipeline, the company is quietly confident of even better results in the future,” he added.
Proton said its market share for the month is estimated at 16.5 per cent with a Total Industry Volume estimated at 51,960 units, while its overall market share is now estimated at 15 per cent.
Having achieved a 23 per cent increase in sales for June, Proton said it grew sales by a further six per cent in July with a total of 8,590 units sold.
It said the Proton X70 Premium and Executive variants continue to be the leader in their respective SUV segments with 1,932 units delivered in July and a total of 17,023 units for 2019.
Meanwhile, Proton Persona had 2,720 units sold in July making it the best-selling vehicle in the B-segment sedan market while the Iriz sold 974 units in July and 3,035 units for the year so far making it the best selling B-segment hatchback.
The Proton Saga managed 2,381 units in July for a year-to-date total of 17,722 units.
“While the Proton X70 continues its trajectory, Proton’s other models are the staple of our performance. The Proton Persona is now the sales leader in a segment that is ruled by Japanese products while the Proton Saga is still a popular choice amongst first time car buyers looking for a safe, reliable and economical vehicle.
“Even the Proton Iriz has seen a surge in demand with sales growing by over 50 per cent, so the company is humbled by the trust Malaysian car buyers are putting in our brand,” Li added.
