SUBANG JAYA:Proton posted a 17.1% growth rate over the same month in 2023 with 11,025 units (domestic and export) sold compared to 9,415 units in April last year.
As a result, sales for the first four months of 2024 also closed stronger with 50,175 units, higher than the 49,702 units sold from January to April 2023.
Total industry volume (TIV) for the Malaysian automotive market meanwhile also grew for the same period to an estimated 59,100 units and a cumulative total of 261,345 units for the year.
Market share for Proton is estimated at 18.7% in April alone while year-to-date market share is forecast to be at 19.2%, maintaining its second position in the overall national automotive sales ranking.
Notably, export sales have played a key role in the company’s performance having soared 38.5% from 603 units to 835 units year-to-date in April.
The X50, Malaysia’s favourite SUV for the last three years, regained the top spot for B-segment SUVs despite growing competition from the market with 1,642 units sold in April.
Meanwhile, the S70 has led sales for C-segment sedans since the beginning of the year and continues to do so with 1,635 units sold in April, resulting in cumulative sales of 7,463 units for 2024.
Malaysian buyers are showing much interest in the newest sedan model that features a youthful design, seamless connectivity, a comfortable interior and a turbocharged drivetrain.
It is also equipped with a comprehensive list of advanced safety features prioritising the well-being of both the driver and passengers, a testament to its 5-star Asean NCAP rating.
Proton’s best-selling model, the Saga, registered 5,031 units in April with year-to-date sales up 8.8% to 23,278 units.
As for the other Proton models, sales for the X70 came in at 552 units while B-segment sedan, the Persona and the company’s flagship SUV, the X90 have registered sales of 1,429 units and 312 units respectively.
Proton’s B-segment hatchback, the Iriz, added 424 units to its April sales volume, making the total sales to date 1,958 units.
“The slowdown in automotive sales in April, where TIV shrank by 16.8% compared to March 2024, can be attributed to the long holiday period as OEMs, dealerships and other members of the local automotive ecosystem took time off to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri," said Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.
"However, the sustained demand for Proton models is further bolstered by ongoing efforts in quality improvement with better Global Customer Product Audit (GCPA) scores since 2019, instilling greater confidence among drivers,”
Year to date, Proton export sales volume has surged 38.5% to 835 units as compared to 603 units registered in the same period last year.
Leading the pack in terms of exports is the Saga with 427 units sold year-to-date, an increase of 16% from 368 units from the same period last year.
The X50 came in second with 176 units sold while the S70 recorded 89 units in its only export market — Brunei, for the first four months of the year.
“Export sales remains a vital pillar to Proton’s long-term goals and with the S70 ramping up its sales in the domestic as well as export market, we are confident of achieving sustainable exports sales growth this year and raise the contribution of export sales to our annual sales volume," said Roslan.
"This year, we have added Trinidad and Tobago to our export portfolio and reestablished our foothold in Bangladesh."
