2020 was an exceptionally tough year for automakers, but the SST discount and moratorium definitely helped keep some sales up. This varied from carmaker to carmaker, and now we know one brand that definitely did benefit was Perodua. The company initially projected that it would sell 210,000 units in 2020. However, they’ve now reported that the number of cars registered by the end of 2020 was 220,154!
That’s 10,154 units higher than expected. Pretty incredible when you factor in a couple of other factors. Firstly, they only launched facelifts and updates this year, with no full model changes nor new models introduced. That being said, the facelifts came to their more affordable and popular A-segment sedan, the Bezza, while the update came to their best all-rounder, the Myvi.
Another factor that makes this achievement even more incredible is the fact that Perodua had to keep production lines open with all the limitations imposed by new S.O.Ps during the MCO, RMCO, and CMCO periods. They outright halted production between the months of March and May as well.
Perodua will update us on their 2021 sales targets at a later date. Here’s their full announcement below.
PRESS RELEASE
Perodua registered 220,154 vehicles in the whole of 2020, 10,154 more than its 210,000-unit sales target for the year, on the back of strong demand for its vehicles as consumers took advantage of the government’s sales tax exemption.
“We thank all Malaysians for choosing Perodua and the government for extending the sales tax exemption under PENJANA to sustain the sales momentum which the automotive industry is now enjoying,” said Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
He added that Perodua manufactured 220,968 vehicles this year despite temporarily halting production between March and May 2020 due to the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“Despite this, the tax exemption introduced in June 2020 succeeded in spurring car buyers’ interest that was able to sustain the players as well as the local automotive ecosystem.
“Perodua also hit the one million Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) milestone in November 2020 – exactly two years after achieving the half-million – further solidifying our position as Malaysia’s largest EEV manufacturer,” said Dato’ Zainal.
Dato’ Zainal said that the better-than-expected sales achievement had a direct positive impact on the Malaysian automotive ecosystem, helping both independent parts suppliers and dealers weather the challenges in 2020.
“We look forward to a better year ahead as there are positive indications that the COVID-19 pandemic would be overcome with the recently-released vaccines. We will announce our 2021 targets and updates later,” he said.
Dato’ Zainal said that for now, Perodua will continue to fulfil outstanding orders and push for higher sales in 2021.
“We wish all Malaysians a safe, healthy and happy 2021. Perodua will never stop improving all aspects of our business to continue to satisfy and surpass all your mobility needs and wants, including continuing to push the fuel-efficiency envelope via advanced technology that will remain affordable,” said Dato’ Zainal.
