KUALA LUMPUR – Proton Holdings Bhd’s (Proton) sales grew 41.2% month-on-month (m-o-m) in March 2022 to 13,028 units, equivalent to a forecast market share of 19%.
For the first quarter ended March 2022 (Q1), the national carmaker saw its sales falling by 18.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 26,706 units due to a series of challenges, such as the floods which had affected local vendors, disruptions in logistics, and chip shortages.
However, Proton managed to capture a market share of 17.5% in Q1, allowing it to claim the number two spot in the nation’s automotive sales ranking.
Although March 2022’s sales recorded a y-o-y decline of 13%, sales of the Proton Saga, a model that was severely affected in January, hit 6,422 units in the month, registering its best performance since November 2013.
“Not only does this make Saga the sales leader for A-segment sedans, but it is also the best-selling A-segment model overall,” it said in a statement today.
On export sales, Proton exported 794 unit vehicles in March 2022, recording the highest number in 108 months, with Pakistan being its biggest export market at 690 units in that month.
“Overall Q1 export volume amounted to 1,117 units, an increase of 175% over the same quarter last year,” it said.
The company said Proton X70, Proton X50 and Proton Exora retained leadership in their respective segments with sales of 2,320 units, 1,573 units and 536 units, respectively, in March 2022.
However, Proton Persona and Proton Iriz finished third and fourth in their respective segments as stiff competition and parts shortages continued to affect sales.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the first three months of 2022 had been tough for Proton and its customers, as production issues continued to suppress its true potential and created a long waiting list for the cars.
He said although parts supply and production volumes began to stabilise in March, the company was still expecting a few more disruptions in the coming months as other industries ramp up their production.
“As for the rest of the year, Proton is still aiming to hit the targets as we work closely with our vendors and dealers to smooth out supply lines to deliver cars to our customers.
“We are also making progress on our after-sales issues, therefore, the company is confident it can rebound strongly over the next quarter,” he said. – Bernama, April 4, 2022
