KUALA LUMPUR: Proton sold 62,697 cars (both domestic and export) in the first five months of this year, securing the company's second position in the national automotive sales ranking with an estimated market share of 19 per cent.
In May alone, the national carmaker sold 12,522 cars, marking a 13.6 per cent increase in sales compared to the previous month.
Proton said this growth aligns with the overall industry trend, with the total industry volume (TIV) estimated to have increased by 20.7 percent to about 70,000 units in May.
The year-to-date (YTD) TIV figure stands at an estimated 330,236 units, reflecting an 8.8 percent rise over 2023.
In a statement, Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said following a quiet month in April where sales were affected by festive holidays, May saw a robust return as TIV grew both year-on-year and month-on-month, reflecting the resilience of the local automotive industry.
He believes there is still room for growth in the local automotive industry, given that the cumulative TIV until May already making up 44.6 per cent of the Malaysia Automotive Association's (MAA) full-year projection of 740,000 units.
"Entering the second half of 2024, Proton will be focusing on growing sales via updates to our existing models while also concurrently taking our first steps towards entering the EV market.
"By leveraging on the strength of our partner, Geely, it is not a question of if but when PROTON will be revealing our own electric vehicles, so do pay close attention as there are many exciting announcements on the horizon," Roslan added.
Meanwhile, Proton said its plans to expand and reestablish its brand in countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, and Iraq this year have proven fruitful, as its export sales came in at 509 units in May, the highest shipment recorded for 2024 thus far.
Since February this year, the best-selling export model is the Proton Saga, which again led the pack with 360 units exported in May. Most models also saw an uptick in May export sales, bringing the cumulative export sales to 1,344 units since January this year.
With a mild-hybrid system that improves performance and fuel efficiency, the company's flagship SUV, the Proton X90, regained its position as the most popular D-segment SUV in Malaysia, with 364 units sold.
Meanwhile, sales of the Proton Saga increased by 21.6 per cent to 6,119 units in May, leading to year-to-date sales of 29,397 units, an uptick of 8 per cent, as it remains an attractive proposition to Malaysian car buyers.
Proton's other market leader in May was its class-leading C-segment sedan, the Proton S70. Sales increased by 23 per cent to 2,011 units from 1,635 units in April, and as a result, cumulative sales for the first five months of 2024 are now 9,474 units.
As for the other Proton models, sales for the Proton X70 came in at 523 units, while its B-segment sedan sister, the Proton Persona, sold 1,645 units, bringing its YTD total to 8,444 units.
The brand's B-segment hatchback, the Proton Iriz, added 452 units to its May sales volume, making total sales to date 2,410 units, while Malaysia's favourite award-winning B-segment SUV, the Proton X50, achieved sales of 1,407 units in May.
The company said demand is expected to surge following the launch of the revamped 2024 Proton X50 model on June 4, which introduced a series of upgrades, promising an even more technologically advanced and refined driving experience.