PETALING JAYA: Proton Holdings Bhd continues to achieve new milestones, selling more than 100,000 units for the fifth consecutive year as of last month.
The national carmaker delivered 13,955 vehicles in August for both its domestic and export markets, bringing its total sales for this year to 104,602 units so far.
In a statement today, Proton said year-to-date (YTD) sales for 2023 have shown an increase of 19.6% compared to the same period last year.
With an estimated total industry volume (TIV) of 74,200 units for August, Proton said its market share for the month is projected to be at 18.8%, with a YTD market share figure of 20.8%.
For the 2022 financial year, Proton sold its highest number of units since 2013 at 141,432 units for both the domestic and export markets – a rise of 23.3% year-on-year (y-o-y).
Strong sales performance
The Proton Saga was the brand’s top-selling model in August with sales of 6,585 units. It maintains its place as the second best-selling car in Malaysia for the third consecutive month.
For the first eight months of 2023, 45,836 Saga units have been delivered, an increase of 34.2% compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Proton said the X90, X50, Persona and Exora models continue to be at the head of their respective automobile segments.
Despite having only three complete months of sales under its belt, Proton claimed that its newest model, the X90, leads the monthly and YTD sales for D-segment SUVs.
The model sold 719 units in August, bringing its cumulative total sold to 2,944 units so far.
The X50 also continues to head the B-segment SUV market with 2,558 units sold last month, contributing to a YTD figure of 22,750 units.
Proton added that the Exora continues to set the standard for C-segment MPV sales, with 409 vehicles sold in August, bringing YTD sales to 3,150 units.
Meanwhile, the Persona achieved sales of more than 2,000 units for the sixth time this year, with 2,028 units delivered last month.
While it did not lead sales in the B-segment sedan category, its YTD figure of 16,561 units is 72% higher than the corresponding period in 2022.
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said that the national carmaker is set to reach new milestones after setting a new volume record last year.
“Going forward, these efforts towards better products and services will continue and be boosted by the recent announcement of Proton Test Labs receiving ISO 17025 accreditation as well as the company’s impending entry into the EV (electric vehicle) space with smart Malaysia,” he said.
Proton’s majority shareholder DRB-Hicom returned to the black in its 2022 financial year with a net profit of RM187.71 million, compared to a net loss of RM296.42 million in the previous year.
As at 12.12pm, DRB-Hicom’s share price was up by two sen or 1.41% at RM1.44, giving it a market capitalisation of RM2.78 billion.