Proton Delivered 13,268 Cars In May, Up 35% Year On Year

"Sales for the first five months of the year totaled 62,970 units, representing a 38.9% year-on-year increase, the highest for any brand in the Malaysian automotive sales table."

"Meanwhile, total industry volume (TIV) is estimated to have rebounded by 32.2% in May, closing at 61,600 units, and as a result, Proton's market share is calculated as 21.5% for the month and 20.9% for the year," said Proton in a statement.

The Proton brand debuted in Mozambique on May 24, the first market for 2023 and the 12th overall, according to the national carmaker.

In terms of overall sales, the Proton Saga remained the best-selling model in May, with 5,819 units sold.

Proton said the achievement places it second overall for A-segment sedans, with 27,214 units sold so far, a remarkable 51% increase over the previous year.

With 2,801 units sold in May, the Proton X50 maintained its lead in the B-segment and overall SUV sales.

Despite finishing second in B-segment sedan sales last month with 2,290 units, the Proton Persona remains the segment's overall leader, while the Proton Exora achieved 440 sales to maintain its lead in the C-segment MPV market.

“Year-to-date (YTD) sales growth for the three segment leaders are 31% for the Proton X50, 78% for the Proton Persona and 39% for the Proton Exora, proving demand for Proton’s models remains strong despite competition from newer rivals.

“This remains true for the Proton Iriz too as the 732 units sold in May helped it achieve a 47% increase in YTD sales,” it said.

The Proton X70 sold 929 units in May, while the all-new Proton X90 sold 257 units in its first three weeks on the market, placing it second in the D-segment SUV market.

According to Deputy Chief Executive Officer Roslan Abdullah, the Proton X90 has been in high demand as customers take advantage of its early bird package, which included accessories, a Proton X-Watch, a data package with 4GB free for five years, and enhanced insurance benefits.

"The company will also have more new product launches and introduce updates to our existing range while making our debut in the EV market via our subsidiary, Pro-Net so there are a lot of activities on the horizon for the rest of 2023,” he added.