Proton sales have been steadily rising as the company ramped up production after overcoming its parts shortage issues. The Malaysian carmaker reports that for the month of May, its sales totalled 9,792 units (inclusive of export sales), which was 10.8% higher than the month before, and 3.7% more than the volume in May 2021.
The brand retains its position overall No.2 in domestic market sales and with the May volume accounting for an estimated market share of 19.6%, the market share after 5 months is estimated to be up to 17.1%.
“The increase in sales for Proton in May is a direct result of the company boosting its production volume to catch up to market demand. As with the rest of the automotive industry, we are continuing to try and secure sufficient parts supply to clear our backlog of orders. While that is happening, Proton would like to express its gratitude to customers who have supported us in bearing with the long waiting period,” said Roslan Abdullah, Deputy CEO of the company.
Proton X50 dominates
The little brother of the X70 has been in great demand since being and continues to dominate the SUV segment of the market. 2,779 units were registered nationwide in May, and Proton believes that it is the leader for B-segment SUVs as well as the overall leader for the SUV market.
The company also states that the X70 and Exora continue to lead their respective segments with sales of 692 units and 387 units, respectively.
As for the Saga, the company’s perennial bestseller, 3,996 units were delivered in May, which the company said placed it in second position for A-segment sedans. The continuing popularity of the model comes as it switched from the previous version to the 2022 models which was launched on May 12. Over 12,000 bookings have been received for the new model which has improved features, safety and quality in a refreshed design.
Overseas sales
The Saga has also been doing very well in export markets. The export volume for the first 5 months of this year now stands at 1,482 units, an increase of 71% compared to the previous year. Export sales for May were reported to be 513 units, an increase of 12.5% compared to previous month while the cumulative total is 2,086 units is an increase of 47% compared to the same period in 2021.
After the first 5 months of this year, Pakistan has emerged as the biggest export market with 1,350 units, followed by Egypt and Brunei with 172 and 158 units. respectively.
