Proton sales surge by 13.6% in May - X90 and S70 leading their segments

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton has reported a notable 13.6% increase in sales for May 2024, with a total of 12,522 units sold, including both domestic and export markets. This growth cements Proton's position as the second-highest in the national automotive sales rankings, with a projected market share of 19% for the first five months of the year, which saw total sales of 62,697 units.

 

Segment Leaders: Proton X90 and S70

The Proton X90, featuring a mild-hybrid system for enhanced performance and fuel efficiency, reclaimed its position as the leading D-segment SUV in Malaysia with 364 units sold in May. Meanwhile, the Proton S70, a top contender in the C-segment sedan market, saw a 23% increase in sales to 2,011 units, bringing its year-to-date total to 9,474 units.

Other Proton models also performed well in May. The Proton X70 sold 523 units, the Proton Persona 1,645 units, and the Proton Iriz 452 units, bringing their year-to-date totals to 8,444 and 2,410 units, respectively. The award-winning B-segment SUV, the Proton X50, achieved 1,407 units in sales, with demand expected to rise following the launch of the updated 2024 model.

The overall trend for the Total Industry Volume (TIV) reflects positive market sentiment, with an estimated growth of 20.7% to around 70,000 units in May. Year-to-date, TIV has increased by 8.8% over 2023, reaching approximately 330,236 units.

May marked a record for Proton's export volumes, with 509 units shipped, the highest for 2024 so far. This success is part of Proton's strategy to expand its presence in international markets, including Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, and Iraq. The Proton Saga continued to lead export sales with 360 units in May, contributing to a cumulative export total of 1,344 units since January.

Proton’s Vision for the Future

Reflecting on the sales performance, Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Edar, said, “ Following a quiet month in April where sales were affected by festive holidays, May has seen a return to positive growth as TIV has increased both year-on-year and month-on-month, reflecting the resilience of the local automotive industry."

"With the cumulative TIV until May already making up 44.6% of Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA)’s full year projection of 740,000 units, we believe there is still room for growth in the local automotive industry."

“Entering the second half of 2024, Proton will be focusing on growing sales via updates to our existing models while also concurrently taking our first steps towards entering the EV market. By leveraging on the strength of our partner, Geely, it is not a question of if but when Proton will be revealing our own electric vehicles so do pay close attention as there are many exciting announcements on the horizon,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.

As Proton looks towards the second half of 2024, the focus will be on enhancing sales through updates to existing models and preparing for entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market. Leveraging the partnership with Geely, Proton is poised to introduce its own EVs soon, with many exciting announcements anticipated in the near future.

While Proton is doing its best to keep their EV plans under wraps, it's now widely speculated that Proton's upcoming electric vehicle will be a version of the Geely Galaxy E5. This speculation is supported by reports suggesting that the E5 is designed as the first global model in the Galaxy lineup and has been developed with right-hand-drive markets in mind.

The Galaxy E5 is expected to feature a single 218 PS motor and a 62 kWh battery, offering a range of 550 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle. In China, the E5 is projected to be priced between RM99,300 and RM132,500. This pricing range makes it unlikely that Proton’s version will fall under the RM100,000 threshold promised by the government, but anything is possible!

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