Still lower than Perodua’s 14,160 but at least things are slowly improving for the first national carmaker
Proton has managed to get its sales back on track, thanks to the relaxation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the country transitions into Phase Two and Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP). For the month of September 2021, the national automaker registered a total sales 10,380 units including exports, which allows it remain second in the national automotive sales ranking.
In terms of market share, Proton says it is currently at 23.9% on the back of an estimated Total Industry Volume of 43,500 units. With a total sales of 73,017 units thus far, the company’s year-to-date market share comes in at 23%, compared with last year’s closing figure of 20.7%.
The Saga remains Proton’s bread and butter with 3,907 units sold last month, followed by the X50 with 2,431 units and the X70 with 1,577 units. According to Proton, both of its SUVs account for 37.4% of the overall YTD sales with a total of 27,312 units delivered.
PRESS RELEASE
The first full month of restored market conditions was a productive one for national car maker PROTON as the company garnered 10,380 of sales to retain its hold of second place in Malaysia’s automotive sales table. Market share for the month is expected to come in at 23.9% on the back of an estimated Total Industry Volume (TIV) of around 43,500 units. Year to date market share currently stands at 23%, comparing favourably with last year’s closing figure of 20.7%.
Proton Saga leads the nation again
PROTON’s performance in September was powered by the Proton Saga. 3,907 units of the A-segment sedan were sold last month, an achievement that not only leads its segment but also allowed the company’s evergreen model to snatch top spot in the individual sales rankings.
Elsewhere in the product range, sales of PROTON’s SUVs continued to be strong as deliveries of the two X-series models accelerated to catch up with demand. Both models lead their respective segments as 2,431 units of the Proton X50 were delivered in September while the C-segment Proton X70 continued to lead its class with 1,577 units. Overall, 27,312 units of SUVs have now been sold by the company in 2021, which accounts for 37.4% of the overall YTD sales of 73,017 units.
The newly launched 2022 Proton Iriz and Persona meanwhile posted a strong first month of sales. With production affected by a shortage of components, PROTON still managed to deliver 1,440 units of the Persona and 749 units of the Iriz, which features a new Active variant.
“Sales were strong for PROTON in September, so we are happy with the results. While we could have sold more than the 10,380 units achieved, some context should be given to our performance as Malaysia is recovering from a pandemic that is still affecting our vendors. The situation is slowly improving but the shortage of chips and other components is a real issue that will not change in the short term, so we must exercise caution when trying to forecast sales as production volumes remain subject to change.
“Therefore, for the remaining three months of the year, PROTON will concentrate on meeting our commitments to our customers and delivering as many cars as possible. Clearing the backlog will free up more volume for the next calendar year and help us move forward with plans to expand our offerings both locally and in export markets,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.
Outlets and service centres open nationwide
With all states in Phase 2 or higher of the National Recovery Plan, all PROTON outlets and service centres have now reopened nationwide. While operations remain governed by strict SOPs to limit the physical number of people on site, fully vaccinated customers are welcome to visit showrooms to view and test drive the company’s range of offerings.
“While we continue to see growth in the number of bookings made online, PROTON and its dealers have made big investments to upgrade our sales and service network the last few years. The best brand experience is still delivered in person, so we have adopted new operational procedures in light of the pandemic situation,” added Roslan Abdullah.
