Malaysia May 2025 Auto Sales Rebound 14.1%

Malaysia’s automotive sector regained momentum in May 2025, registering 74,393 vehicles, marking a 14.1% increase from April’s 65,200 units, based on data from data.gov.my.

The rebound was driven by strong performances across all powertrains, especially electric and hybrid models, amid continued policy-driven urgency and evolving consumer preferences.

Petrol-powered vehicles remained the cornerstone of the market, accounting for 63,363 units, up 12.7% from April’s 56,204. Perodua led the charge once again. The Bezza climbed 21.7% to 9,163 units, followed by the Axia with a 15.0% rise to 7,608 units, and the Myvi at 6,215 units, growing 11.7%. 

Proton’s Saga gained 5.7% with 5,357 units, while the Perodua Alza surged 20.8% to 4,357. The Toyota Vios saw a 12.1% increase to 2,688 units, and the Honda City rebounded sharply by 40.5% to 2,134 units. 

Other notable petrol performers included the Proton X50 (1,893), Toyota Alphard (1,677), and Honda HR-V (1,541). The Chery Jaecoo J7 stood out with a 20.7% month-on-month rise, registering 1,040 units.

The electric vehicle (EV) segment saw a 47.1% surge, reaching 4,152 units, compared to 2,892 in April. Tesla made a headline-grabbing leap with the Model Y soaring from just 18 units in April to 985 in May.

The Proton e.MAS 7 continued to lead in volume with 862 units, up 7.9%. BYD also showed strong results, with the Atto 3 growing 57.3% to 505 units and the Sealion 7 up 3.3% to 406 units.

The Chery Omoda E5 registered 116 units, marking an exceptional 163.6% jump from April’s 44 units, further establishing Chery’s growing foothold in Malaysia’s EV space. Other strong contributors included the BYD M6 (136 units), Denza D9 (129), and Zeekr 009 (90).

Hybrid vehicle registrations reached 2,695 units, an increase of 6.2% over April’s 2,538 units. The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid led with a sharp 5% jump to 720 units. GWM's Haval H6 continues its strong showing, moving up 8.2% to 305 units.

Honda’s HR-V Hybrid grew 63.6% to 252 units, while the CR-V Hybrid rose 13% to 208. Premium hybrids also saw steady demand, including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (141 units), GLC (136), and E-Class (120), supported by emerging options like the Jaecoo J7 PHEV (102 units) and the Nissan Kicks Hybrid (108).

Diesel vehicle registrations ticked up to 4,183 units, a 9.1% increase over April’s 3,835 units. The Toyota Hilux remained the undisputed leader with 2,390 units, up 18.6% month-on-month.

The Isuzu D-Max added 493 units (6% growth), Ford Ranger rose 22.4% to 421 units, and the Mitsubishi Triton increased 22.9% to 370 units. The Toyota Fortuner closed the top five with 151 units.

As Malaysia moves through the second quarter of 2025, all eyes are on the fast approaching expiration of EV import and excise duty exemptions. The strong upward trend in electrified vehicle registrations indicates that consumers are acting fast to secure vehicles before expected price hikes.