KUALA LUMPUR: National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd reported sales of 10,999 units in June, down from the 12,522 sold in May.
Proton said the sales volume was affected by a planned one-week plant shutdown for scheduled operations improvement activities.
The company said overall, it achieved a market share of 19.1 per cent for the month, the same as its year-to-date (YTD) share figure.
Proton's total sales for the first half of 2024 (1H24) stood at 73,696 units.
Proton said the total industry volume (TIV) for the month is expected to be the lowest this year.
Around 57,700 units were sold last month, fewer than April's sales, which marked the lowest point in 2024 due to the extended festive holiday period.
Overall, the TIV for 1H24 is projected to be about 386,600 units.
The figure will be nearly 20,000 units higher than the TIV during the same period in 2023, a new record high then.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the first six months of 2024 had been a period of consolidation for the brand, as it invested in strategic moves that would benefit its future.
"So, while the plant shutdown resulted in a short-term effect on our sales numbers, the efficiencies gained as a result of the work performed will help us to catch up in 2H24.
"We are also pleased to see our recent launch of the 2024 Proton X50 has been met with strong demand from the market.
"The model remains as the best option for those looking for a B-segment SUV and we expect a similar reaction from the market when we unveil the heavily revised 2025 Proton X70," he said in a statement.
Roslan said with a new model launch from smart just around the corner and the impending arrival of the first electric vehicle (EV) model from e.MAS, the market can expect more positive developments from Proton for 2H24.
Besides introducing its e.MAS EV brand, Proton marked the production of its five millionth vehicle and launched the 2024 Proton X50, a refreshed version of its popular SUV with over 20 NVH improvements.
As a result, sales surged with the Proton X50 reclaiming the top spot in the B-segment SUV category, with 1,711 units, its best performance in three months.
The other model to finish at the head of its segment was Proton S70, which has lead C-segment sedan sales every month in 2024.
Proton Saga raked in a further 5,441 units in June, bringing its YTD sales figure to 34,838 units.
Proton Persona saw sales of 1,309 units in June, placing it second for both the month and the year in the competitive B-segment sedan category.
As for the remaining models, Proton X70 and Proton X90 achieved sales of 481 units and 248 units respectively.
Proton Iriz, meanwhile, ended June with 369 units sold, finishing fourth in the B-segment hatchback category.