PROTON continued its sales momentum 2021 by posting a third consecutive month of growth in April. The company sold 15,017 units (domestic+export) to kick off the second quarter of the year, which was an increase of 1.8% over the previous month and equivalent to an estimated market share of 26.7%. Overall, PROTON continued to strengthen its hold on second position in the sales rankings table with market share for the year estimated at 24.4% while overall volume now stands at 47,843 units after the first four months of the year.

PROTON has recorded a bright start to 2021. Cumulative sales in the first quarter of the year were the highest since March 2012, pointing towards a healthy order book and strong interest in the company’s range of offerings. This has created a knock-on effect and for Proton Commerce Sdn. Bhd. (Proton Commerce) it could lead to a record number of loan disbursements.

PROTON today began work on a further addition to their Tanjung Malim plant. The company performed a groundbreaking ceremony for a new stamping facility that will complement the existing lines. This expansion will house a new Superlarge press machine to further enhance stamping abilities. More significantly, it is part of PROTON’s overarching plan to increase levels of localisation, both for current and future models.

PROTON added another international market to the current Proton Saga’s portfolio when the company’s best-seller made its debut in Pakistan earlier this month. With the addition of the fifth most populous nation the Saga, which received a significant update in 2019, is now available in eight international markets - Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal and Pakistan.

PROTON’s strong start to 2021 continued in March as the company posted not only a new high point for the year but also achieved its best sales month since September 2013. 14,989 units (domestic + export) were sold last month, equivalent to a 26.2% increase over February and an estimated market share of 23.5%.

February was a productive month for PROTON as the Malaysian automotive brand reached market highs that had not been experienced for several years. By delivering 11,873 units (domestic + export), PROTON had its best February in over a decade equivalent to an estimated market share of 27.1%, the highest for the company since September 2013.

PROTON launched four Special Edition models which it unveiled simultaneously during the company’s third virtual launch. The limited production models have been given the moniker Black Edition (Persona and Exora) and R3 Limited Edition (Iriz and Saga); and were designed to
broaden the appeal of each model while offering more choice to customers.

As Malaysians live through a second Movement Control Order (MCO) to help bring Covid-19 infection rates down, the economic effect on various industries are being seen. Malaysia’s automotive sales for January is forecast to be slightly above 32,000 units, corresponding with a major drop in volume for most major players.

Following a year that saw it successfully overcoming challenges posed by the pandemic and launching a second SUV, Malaysian car manufacturer PROTON has set its sights on growing export sales in 2021. A flurry of activity in December that included the beginning of CKD operations in Kenya and the launch of the Proton X70 in Pakistan saw export sales end the year with an increase of nearly 50% compared to domestic sales that grew by 8.8%.

After a year of unprecedented challenges, PROTON closed 2020 on a high with an increase in sales over its landmark performance in 2019. Despite losing over two months of car production and sales to the MCO, the company sold 109,716 vehicles for the whole of 2020 after shifting 13,306 units in December. This 2020 total represents an increase of 8.8% over the 100,821 units sold in 2019, making PROTON the only major automotive company to record growth in Malaysia. Market share for the year also increased to an estimated 21.1%, equating to a significant 4.4% increase.