Proton Has Built Its 5 Millionth Car – Over 2 Million Came from Saga

Proton has built its five millionth car since its inception back in 1983

Proton has reached yet another milestone this week, as the automaker recently built its fifth millionth car since its founding 41 years ago, in 1983. The five millionth landmark car turns out to be the new Proton X90 SUV, which has been revealed in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.

Present during the special unveiling of Proton’s five millionth unit at the Proton Centre of Excellence (CoE) were the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Abdul Aziz, alongside his Chinese counterpart Dr. Jin Zhuanghong, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China.

The legendary Proton Saga is by far the most popular model ever built by the national automaker.

While the X90 was ‘chosen’ to be the landmark car, the bulk of the five million units produced by Proton came from its legendary model, the Proton Saga. Since its launch in 1985, Proton has churned out over two million units of Saga, cementing its position as the best-selling Malaysian car ever.

Proton X70 C-segment SUV (left) & Proton X50 B-segment SUV (right)

On top of that, Proton has also built more than 217,000 units of its X-series SUV lineup since the inception of the Proton X70 back in 2018, with the Proton X50 currently standing as the best-selling SUV model in the country. These achievements have signified the success of the national automaker’s collaboration with its Chinese partner, Geely.

As of 2024, Proton’s partnership with Geely has produced a total of four new Proton models, with the latest one being the Proton S70 C-segment saloon. Besides helping Proton co-develop new products, Geely’s involvement has also helped Proton improve its production quality, after-sales support, and parts support, as well as expand the national automaker’s dealership network.

As a result, Proton has been able to achieve five consecutive years of sales growth and a significant increase in its annual production capacity, thus further strengthening its position as the second-largest automaker in the nation.

Proton CEO Dr. Li Chunrong

“Proton was tasked with mobilising Malaysians and establishing a local automotive ecosystem when it was formed in 1983, and today, we continue to play a critical role in the nation’s economy. Over 100,000 people earn a living through activities linked to Proton, and each of them played a role in driving the company towards this landmark achievement of five million units,” said Proton CEO Dr. Li Chunrong.