X70 and Saga fuel Proton sales in 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton ended 2019 on a high note with total sales of 100,821 units, underpinned by the popularity of the Proton X70 and Saga.

The carmaker recorded sales of 11,117 units in December, representing a 112% year-on-year increase over the same month in 2018.

For the year, total sales rose 55.7% over 2018, giving Proton the highest sales growth among the Top 5 automotive brands in the country, it said.

Proton's market share for the year was estimated at 16.7%, its highest since 2014.

According to Proton, the X70 was the fastest-selling premium SUV in Malaysia with a total of 26,331 units sold in 2019.

Saga sales volume grew 36% to 38,144 units in 2019 while the B-segment Persona saw total volume jump 29% to 21,876 units for the year.

"We are humbled by the popularity of the Proton X70 and would like to say a big thank you to all our customers for their support, despite it being a brand new market segment for the Company.

"As for the Saga, with over 41,000 bookings and counting, it remains as our core product and is a popular choice regardless of a buyer’s age, status and purchasing power, making it a car for all Malaysians," said Proton CEO Li Chunrong.

Meanwhile, the Iriz grew by 97% following the launch of its 2019 update in April while sales of the Exora jumped 40% after its update was launched in May.