Proton, Malaysia’s national carmaker, had a strong February as sales surged 52% compared to the same month in the previous year. The company sold 14,033 units, a 20.1% increase from January, bringing the year-to-date volume to 25,714 units, an 88% surge from the previous year.
Proton’s market share for the month was estimated to be 22.7%, putting it in second place, and representing a 7.3% rise over February 2022. The Malaysian car market continued to surge, with an estimated total-industry-volume of 62,300 units, as players rushed to fulfil sales tax exempt bookings before the March 31 deadline.
The Proton Persona continues to lead B-segment sedan sales, with three models achieving segment sales leadership. The model broke through the 2,000-unit barrier for a third consecutive month, selling 2,313 units in February.
The Proton X50 remained the most popular SUV overall, retaining leadership of the B-segment SUV market with 3,247 units sold. Sales of the Proton Exora, the C-segment MPV leader, grew by 216% over the same period in 2022.
The Proton Saga retained its position as the best-selling Proton with 6,345 units sold, while the Proton X70 delivered 981 units in February, matching its performance from the first two months of 2022. The Proton Iriz had its best performance since August 2022 with 811 units sold, improving by 156% in the first two months of the year.
Roslan Abdullah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proton, attributed the strong start to the year to the popularity of the current model offerings. He also revealed that Proton will be making several announcements over the next few months to shape the company’s direction for 2023 and beyond.
Proton plans to establish its presence in new segments, enter the new energy vehicle (NEV) market, and build its EV credentials when sales of the smart #1 begin.
