KUALA LUMPUR: National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd reported October sales of 12,799 units in both domestic and export markets, reflecting a 13.6 per cent increase from the previous month.
This brings the year-to-date (YTD) sales volume to 125,557 units as Proton aims for its sixth consecutive year of sales growth.
According to Proton, overall automotive industry sales rebounded in October following a decline in the previous month.
"As original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) flood the market with offers to boost year-end sales figures, total industry volume (TIV) is estimated to have ended the month at 70,668 units, the fifth time it has breached the 70,000-unit threshold this year and keeping it on pace to achieve a new record at the end of 2024," it said.
Proton delivered 6,112 units of the Saga in October, pushing YTD sales to 60,178 units to position the model as the third highest volume vehicle in the country.
"With two months remaining, hopes are high for the Saga to break exceed 70,000 units for a second successive year and reach 72,000 total sales for the year," the company said.
Proton said while the Saga does not lead its segment for overall sales, three other Proton models are top sellers for October as well as YTD volume.
"The Proton X50 continues to set the pace in the B-segment SUV market despite a slew of competitors launching rival products this year. Its interest in the model remains high.
"A total of 2,122 units were delivered in October, allowing the X50 to comfortably hold on to its position at the top of the segment for both monthly and YTD sales volume," it said.
Proton said after a brief dip in September, the S70 bounced back as the best-selling C-segment sedan, with 1,432 units sold.
"This strong performance restored its top position for the month and helped it retain its year-to-date lead in the segment.
"A total of 16,200 units have now been sold in 2024 and the model will receive a further boost with the Proton S70 R3 leading the charge for the company at the Sepang 1,000km endurance race from Nov 22-24," Proton added.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the final quarter of 2024 will be a challenging time for automotive players.
He noted that an influx of new brands and products together with the drive to meet sales targets and end the year strongly will see multiple offers for new car buyers.
"In the short term, this will result in a second consecutive year of total industry volume (TIV) exceeding 800,000 units, but it is an unsustainable long-term business strategy and affects residual values.
"Therefore, Proton remains focused on ensuring we preserve the value of our customers' cars by raising product quality and delivering a class-leading sales and service experience via our 157 3S/4S outlets nationwide," he added.
Roslan said heading into the new year, the company will build the foundation to become a major presence in the electric vehicle market (EV).
"The Proton e.MAS 7 has already been previewed to thousands of potential buyers and will have its grand launch in December, with 36 dealers representing the brand.
"At the same time, work is continuing to offer more value to current Proton owners via over-the-air updates that improve the user experience in all our intelligent models," said Roslan.