Here is Proton's sales report for Q1 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Yes, with April starting automakers are busy analyzing their last three-month performance. One such brand to do so is Proton. In the first quarter of the year, the national carmaker sold a total of 40,287 vehicles, domestic and export.

The above figure would make more sense when compared to last year’s numbers, which reveal a stunning 50.9% growth! But why isn’t Proton considering it as the true market picture? Well, giving the answer is Roslan Abdullah, the brand’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, who revealed that the sales figures for Q1 2023 are “inflated because brands were rushing to deliver cars for bookings made during the PENJANA incentive period”. According to him, a more clear performance picture will come out in Q2 2023.

Proton Q1 2023 sales: Model-wise

Saga	17,446
X50	9,668
Persona	6,773
X70	3,186
Iriz	2,120
Exora	1094
Total	40,287 units

As of March 2023, the Saga again topped the charts at 6,313 units and the X50 followed it with 3,429 units. The Persona, X70, Iriz, and Exora sales figure on the other hand read 2,421, 1,272, 712, and 426 units respectively.

“The first quarter of 2023 has been exceptionally good for PROTON and our achievement of over 40,000 units sold is something we are justifiably proud of. However, we must consider that sales for the first three months were inflated because brands were rushing to deliver cars for bookings made during the PENJANA incentive period,” said Roslan Abdullah.

He further added that “This is especially true for this month as the deadline to deliver those bookings was 31 March 2023, helping to explain the record estimated TIV number of 78,000 units. A better reflection of market sentiment would emerge by the end of Q2, but we remain confident of maintaining our sales momentum.”

On the brand’s future prospects, the launch of the Proton X90 along with other new models will surely help the brand accelerate its growth.

Also Read: Proton X90 revealed as the brand’s first mild-hybrid EV

On similar lines, Mr. Abdullah said, “We will be launching the Proton X90 soon and will also have more additions to the range later in the year. At the same time, we recently announced our commitment to expanding our future New Energy Vehicle (NEV) offerings and this will take the brand into new market segments as we seek out long-term growth to fulfill our ten-year plan. Yes, the runway to Malaysia being a hub for Next-Generation Vehicles (NxGV) is still long but PROTON is excited to lead the automotive industry to new horizons in the future.”

Which Proton model do you find most attractive and why? Let us know in the comments.

Also Read: UMW Toyota registers highest-ever Q1 sales