August 2024 sales figures are in, and with that, Proton sales has exceeded the 100,000-mark for the sixth year running. Last month saw sales of 12,690 units (including exports, which is how Proton counts), bringing the year-to-date (YTD) tally to 101,489 units. The company says that it has solidified its second position in the overall league table with a forecast market share of 19%.
Total industry volume (TIV) for the Malaysian automotive market is estimated to have grown by 1.3% month-on-month to approximately 72,678 units in August, while the YTD figure is estimated to be at 534,766 units, an increase of 6.2% over 2023, Proton says.
Highlights for the month include strong sales of the Proton X50 for a second consecutive month (updated X50 ‘RC’ was launched in early June) and export volume doubling compared to July thanks to a record month in Brunei.
With 2,440 units delivered in August, YTD sales of the B-segment SUV now stand at 15,229 units. Overall, the evergreen Saga leads the way in total sales – following record delivery of 7,855 units in July, sales of the budget sedan came in at 6,211 units last month for a YTD total of 48,904 units, up 6.7% over 2023.
The S70 sedan contributed 1,205 units (13,755 YTD), the Persona 1,452 units (13,116 YTD) and the X90 flagship SUV saw sales of 241 units in August (2,507 YTD). There were 403 buyers of the Iriz hatchback (3,719 YTD).
“In light of the resilient domestic economy, with GDP growth projected at 4% to 5%, Proton agrees with the Malaysian Automotive Association’s decision to increase the full-year TIV projection to 765,000 units and we remain optimistic about the potential for further growth in the local automotive industry. Malaysia’s automotive market remains buoyant, and this is reflected by our sales volume exceeding 100,000 units for a sixth consecutive year with four months remaining in 2024,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.
“While there has been a lot of competition this year from new brands, market response to Proton’s latest updated models has been positive with strong booking numbers seen nationwide. This is a testament to the effectiveness of the enhancements made and speaks volumes about the importance of having a market leading network of 3S/4S outlets to serve our customers’ needs,” added Roslan, who is also deputy CEO of Proton.
As for exports, Proton’s main model is the Saga, which again led the pack with 140 units in August. Proton has shipped a total of 2,110 units to its international distributors this year. Last month, Brunei set a monthly record with 120 units sold there.
“As one of our first export markets, Proton has a long history with Bruneian car buyers stretching back to the original Proton Saga. Thanks to the painstaking efforts of Pad Motors Proton Brunei and our latest range of intelligent models, the brand has undergone a rejuvenation in the country leading to achieving a record sales month in August,” Roslan said.
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