The recent trend of posting strong sales numbers for PROTON continued in August 2018 as the company set a new high point for monthly sales in 2018 for the third consecutive month. Sales grew by 18.5% over July, making August the strongest sales month for Proton cars over the last 36 months. In total, 9,501 cars were sold marking not only a new record for the year, but also the highest sales volume since July 2015.
Market share increase forecasted as Saga and Persona continue to dominate overall sales
In line with the increase in sales volume, a third consecutive month of growth in market share is projected. An estimated 15.4% share of Total Industry Volume (TIV) is expected for August though actual percentages will only be confirmed after the official numbers are published by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).
As was the case for the first seven months this year, the evergreen Proton Saga and Persona remained popular with car buyers as they continued to lead sales for the company. The Saga put in a sparkling performance and broke through the 4,000 unit barrier with 4,174 registrations. The Proton Persona meanwhile just missed out on breaching the 3,000 unit plateau with 2,957 registrations for August. Other models performed strongly as well, fuelled by buyers looking for new cars before the end of the month.
PROTON to absorb SST for all models in September
The looming implementation of SST caused disruption in the Malaysian automotive market as car buyers rushed to make purchases before the tax took effect. PROTON had previously stated there would be a change in car prices when the SST is enforced but those changes won’t affect buyers of Proton cars just yet. This is because PROTON will absorb the SST charge for all Proton models in September, ensuring buyers can still benefit from the tax-free price.
