Proton Year-To-Date Sales Soars Past 90,000 Units - X90 Its Top Selling Model!

PROTON, the national carmaker, saw tremendous growth in the first half of 2023, which continued into July with a total of 13,326 units sold (domestic + export). Data from Proton shows a remarkable 16.1% increment over July 2022, contributing to year-to-date (YTD) sales of 90,647 units. PROTON sales surpassed 90,000 units for the first time since 2012, representing a stunning 26.6% rise over the previous year. The company's market share for July is expected to be 20.5%, with a YTD market share of 21%.

Additionally the total industry volume (TIV) increased significantly in July, reaching 64,864 units, a 29.9% increase over the same month in 2022. This increase boosted the YTD result 12.9% higher than the same period the previous year, putting PROTON's sales performance 14% ahead of the industry.

The Proton X90, PROTON's latest addition to its SUV lineup, has been a surprising success, becoming the top-selling model in its sector despite being on the market for less than three months since its debut in May 7, 2023. As of July, it had sold 886 units, for a total of 2,225 units in just 86 days, beating its competitors.

In addition to the Proton X90, three other PROTON models are leading in their respective segments for YTD sales:

1. The Proton Persona saw a 107.1% increase in sales in 2023, making it Malaysia's best-selling B-segment car. With 1,953 units sold in July, its YTD sales have reached 14,533 units, and total sales from 2022 are likely to surpass total sales by the end of August.
2. With an extra 2,630 units delivered in July, the Proton X50 now has a YTD total of 20,192 units, maintaining its position as the sales leader for B-segment SUVs. Despite losing the overall SUV market leadership in July, its YTD total remains the highest among all SUVs, regardless of segment.
3. The Proton Exora, a large seven-seat MPV with Proton's distinctive performance and driving pleasure, increased by 13.1% in July, selling 374 units and totaling 2,741 units for the year.

The Proton Saga which celebrated its 38th anniversary in July and remains a popular vehicle having sold 5,926 units in July. Its demand for 2023 has climbed by a robust 40.2%, making the Saga the country's second most popular car for two months in a row, with a total sales total of 39,251 units.

This year, demand for the fourth-ranked B-segment hatchback, the Proton Iriz, increased by an astounding 80.7%. With 676 units sold in July, the company's overall sales are currently just 1,000 units short of last year's total, with 4,708 units sold thus far.

Finally, the Proton X70 sold 881 units in July, placing second in its segment and on track to sell 6,997 units by 2023.

According to Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar,  “PROTON of course has played a role in the increase of TIV. In terms of percentages, our growth in sales is more than double of the industry thus far and this can be attributed to car buyers being attracted to the technology, quality, safety, and value offered by our model range. With the Proton X90 already leading its class after just 3 months, a new model launches on the horizon and the company’s impending entry into the EV market in 2023 via smart Malaysia, we are confident of hitting our year-end targets.” 

Overall, PROTON's good success in 2023 reflects the company's strong position in the Malaysian automotive market, with several of its models leading in their respective segments.