Bookings for the new Proton Persona has reached 8,000 units, with 2,000 units already delivered by the national carmaker. This was revealed by Proton CEO Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali at the flag off of the Proton Persona media drive event today.
Of the 8,000 total figure, 45% are for the top Premium variant, which is a pleasant surprise for Proton, which had originally projected for the Standard to be the most popular variant. The Premium is only available with a CVT and is priced at RM59,350. That’s a full RM10,000 more than the Standard CVT, the most affordable automatic variant. The new Persona starts from RM46,350 for the Standard M/T.
Another interesting fact revealed today was that 35% of orders were for the Persona’s Carnelian Brown, the “impact colour” exclusive to the new model. The hero colour is an unusual, opinion polarising hue, and Proton expects demand to eventually taper off.
The company is also happy that 5% of those who booked the Persona opted for the “SE”, which is essentially the Premium CVT with an additional two-tone bodykit for RM1,000 extra. 10% of the cars delivered so far had a manual transmission.
This latest set of figures are up from the 7,000 bookings reported last week, and Ahmad Fuaad says that Proton is on track to achieve its monthly sales target of 3,000 to 4,000 units per month. The Persona was launched on August 23.
Will the Persona’s early popularity affect Iriz sales? Proton Edar CEO Rohime Shafie said that while the 1.6 litre version of the hatchback might overlap with the “Iriz Sedan” in price, there’s still demand for the 1.3 litre Iriz, which has a sportier flavour thanks to the hatch bodystyle.
Check out our spec-by-spec comparo post with full description and galleries of each Persona variant, as well as a walk-around video of the new model.
GALLERY: Proton Persona 1.6 Premium with optional bodykit
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments focus on the strong booking and initial sales of Proton Persona, with 8,000 units booked and 2,000 delivered so far. Many see the sales as a positive indicator, highlighting the car's competitive pricing, high specifications, and safety features. Some speculate that a significant portion of sales may come from government agencies and related entities. There is optimism about Proton’s improved quality and features, as well as pride in Proton’s efforts. Others express skepticism about the actual sales figures and Proton's transparency, amid concerns over past sales overstatements. Several comments also compare the Persona to other models, noting it as a B-segment sedan with decent performance and safety benefits. Overall, the sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with appreciation for Proton’s marketing success and hope for continued growth.