PROTON ENDS Q3 BY EXCEEDING 100,000 UNITS FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

– 100,000 units barrier exceeded two months earlier than in 2021
– Saga sales continue to climb with highest volume since October 2013  

Subang Jaya, 5 October 2022 – National car maker PROTON ended Q3 of 2022 with another strong sales month that contributed to its best quarter of the year and helped it smash through a key sales milestone. 14,872 units (domestic + export) in September means the company now has a cumulative year-to-date (YTD) sales total of 102,353 units, a jump of 40.2% compared to the first nine months in 2021. It’s the fourth consecutive year the 100,000-unit barrier has been exceeded and by doing it last month, the achievement came two months earlier than in 2021.

Compared to its rivals, PROTON remains second in the sales table with an estimated market share of 23.8% for the month of September. As a result, the YTD market share figure has exceeded 20% for the first time this year and currently sits at 20.1%. Overall Total Industry Volume (TIV) for September is estimated to have receded to approximately 62,500 units, the fourth best total of the year as the Malaysian automotive market continues its march towards posting its best sales year.

Saga and X50 sales continue to climb as production numbers remain stable
After starting the year with a slew of parts availability issues due to the lingering effects of the December floods, Covid-19, and a global microchip shortage, PROTON’s production volumes have stabilised allowing the company to deliver more units to waiting customers.

This is most apparent with the Proton X50, the best-selling SUV in Malaysia, which has historically struggled to meet demand since its launch in October 2020. With 4,517 units delivered in September, more than 4,000 units have been delivered for four consecutive months leading to a cumulative YTD total of 29,591 and marking a 78.2% jump over the first nine months of 2021.

The Proton Saga is also posting impressive numbers. Severely affected by the floods last year that caused deliveries to dwindle to just 76 units in January, the evergreen model set a new high for 2022 with 6,442 units, scaling heights not reached since October 2013. Its YTD total of 40,603 units is also far ahead of its 2021 number, showing an increase of 49.3% and proving it remains a relevant choice for all Proton customers.

Other models performed equally well in September. The Proton X70 continues to lead the C-segment SUV market and with 1,730 units delivered, its YTD total now stands at 14,145 units, equivalent to an increase of 32.1%. The Proton Exora is also continuing to show its popularity despite the launch of newer MPV rivals. With 418 units delivered last month, its YTD volume has grown by 15.6% with 3,108 units delivered in 2022.

The Proton Persona and Proton Iriz posted 1,159 units in September while the latter clocked up 606 units delivered. Both are down by 2.3% and 13.2% respectively with 10,787 and 4,119 YTD totals but there is hope for a recovery in the last quarter of the year as chips supply and production numbers continue to stabilise.

“PROTON’s Q3 performance was our best quarter of the year, coming in with 42,229 units for the previous three months. This was made possible by a combination of stability in our production numbers as well as the continued strong appeal of our models, especially for the 2022 Proton Saga and the Proton X50. Therefore, despite the poor start to the year, we are confident of achieving a fourth consecutive year of double-digit sales growth.

 
“Aside from concentrating on sales growth, the last quarter also saw us laying the groundwork for our future growth. The General Distributorship Agreement with smart sets us up to sell EVs from the brand starting in 2023 while the formation of PRO-NET crystalises PROTON’s commitment to developing and offering new energy vehicles in the future,” said Roslan Abdullah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, PROTON.

Proton Commerce achieves new high point for disbursements
A direct result of the strong demand for Proton products is the growth in financing by PROTON’s subsidiary, Proton Commerce Sdn Bhd. In September, the company disbursed 2,872 loans, breaking its previous high set in March this year. That brings the total number of loans secured in 2022 to 15,504, which has already exceeded the total number of 14,550 loans for the whole of 2021.

“With the OPR increasing by 75bps this year, customers are actively searching for the best packages available to finance their new car purchases. As the preferred financier for Proton vehicles, Proton Commerce offers a range of innovative deals including the lowest rates for Proton Saga buyers as well as low monthly income requirements. These moves have proven to be effective, so we are expecting more growth in Q4 this year,” added Roslan Abdullah.

PROTON September 2022 – Individual Model Performance (including export)