KUALA LUMPUR: Proton registered 12,666 vehicle sales in March, wrapping the first quarter of the year with a tally of 39,160 units.
According to the national car maker, its market share is estimated at 19.3%, the second-highest among all automotive brands, based on an estimated total industry volume (TIV) of 202,492 units for the first three months of 2024.
In a statement, Proton said the Proton Saga achieved its best 1Q volume since 2013 with 18,247 units sold. It said 5,906 units of the flagship model were sold in March, making it the second most popular in the A-segment sedan market.
Meanwhile, 2,072 units of the Proton S70 were sold in March, to bring total 1Q sales to 5,828 units. Proton said the production volume of the Proton S70, which is now its second best-selling model, is still catching up to demand.
As for the Proton Persona and Proton Iriz, the former sold 1,665 units in March bringing its 1Q total to 5,370 units and positioning it as the second most popular B-segment sedan in the country.
Its hatchback sibling achieved 468 units in March and 1,534 units for the quarter to retain fourth position in its market segment.
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said the first quarter of 2024 ended positively for Proton.
"With no external factors encouraging sales growth this year, the numbers achieved offer a more accurate reading of market demand.
"The automotive industry in Malaysia continues to be buoyant, and this is evident by the overall growth in TIV," he said.
He said the carmaker will be working with vendors to produce more units of its best-selling models, such as the Proton Saga and Proton S70.
He added that Proton will continue to build up export sales volume, which rose 63% in 1Q from the previous year.
