KUALA LUMPUR – Proton has exceeded its year-to-date (YTD) sales volume from last year by selling 13,362 cars in October 2021 and the cumulative sales now stand at 86,379 cars – a 1.6% improvement over sales from the first ten months of 2020 (84,999 cars).
Proton said the achievement means the company has outperformed the total industry volume (TIV) for the Malaysian automotive market, which has fallen by an estimated 4.7% despite selling more than 65,000 total units for the first time in 2021 in October.
Forecast market share for the month is estimated at 20.5%, while the YTD market share figure now stands at 22.7%.
“Proton Saga continues to lead the way in sales achievement with 5,107 cars sold in October, marking the third time the model has breached the 5,000-unit barrier this year.
“Year-to-date, the Saga also remains as the undisputed A-segment sedan volume leader and a favourite for buyers wanting an affordable car with up-to-date features and a race-proven dynamics,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Proton said the two other volume leaders for the company are its sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the Proton X50 and Proton X70.
The B-segment Proton X50 managed to achieve its best month since its launch with 3,839 units sold. The larger Proton X70 kept pace with 2,165 units in October, its best achievement since March this year,” it said.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said Proton’s sales in October can be summarised as a story of strong buyer demand and unrealised sales potential.
“While we are happy with the continued popularity of the Proton Saga and our achievement with the two SUVs, we missed out on adding more units to our final tally as we continue ramping up our supply of components.
“Market demand however is expected to remain strong towards the end of year, so we are working diligently towards closing 2021 on a high note,” he said.
On the recent Budget 2022 announcement that the Sales and Service Tax (SST) exemptions for the car industry would be extended to June 30, 2022, Proton said it brought cheer not only to industry players but also customers.
Proton said it means buyers who have been patiently waiting for their vehicles no longer need to worry about missing out on the incentives if their cars are delivered next year.
“It gives us a chance to fulfil the bookings we have already received and does not unfairly penalise customers who are waiting due to circumstances beyond their control.
“We predict the extension will also help to spur sales through the first half of next year when there could be more new models introduced to the market,” he said. – Bernama, November 4, 2021
