KUALA LUMPUR: National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd recorded sales of 11,269 units in September, both domestically and for export, pushing its year-to-date (YTD) sales volume to 112,758 units.
The performance keeps Proton in second place in the national automotive sales ranking, with an estimated market share of 20.1 per cent for September and a YTD figure of 19.1 per cent.
However, the automotive industry's overall sales saw a decline in September, with total industry volume (TIV) reaching its lowest point in 17 months.
Proton said early data suggests the TIV stood at 56,067 units, marking a 22.2 per cent drop from the previous month.
"The estimated YTD total for TIV, however, remains ahead of 2023 with a total volume of just under 590,000 units being 3 per cent better than last year," it said.
The 2025 Proton X70 saw sales in September with 1,466 units sold, the model's highest since December 2022, nearly doubling its sales from August this year.
The X50 continued its strong performance, selling 1,771 units and maintaining its leadership in B-segment SUV YTD sales, a title it has held since its launch in 2020.
Meanwhile, the X90, the flagship of the brand's lineup, regained the top spot for D-segment sales with 217 units sold, bringing its YTD total to a segment-leading 2,724 units.
In another segment, Proton S70 remains the cumulative sales leader, adding 1,013 units in September and bringing its total to 14,768 units in its first full year of sales.
Proton Saga recorded 5,162 units sold, while Proton Persona reached 1,295 units, and Proton Iriz had a steady month with 345 units sold.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the reduction in Proton's volume was considerably less than the decrease in TIV, setting the stage for a challenging final quarter of the year for the industry.
"With two newly-refreshed SUV models, and a new sedan in its first full year of sales, Proton is confident it has the necessary products to push sales volumes higher in the next three months.
"This will be boosted by our promotional activities and soon, we will launch a nationwide campaign to reward our customers with lucrative gifts and prizes.
"At the same time, our efforts to deliver a premium brand experience at outlets and improve after sales service will continue before culminating with the launch of our first electric vehicle offering in December," he added.