KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 2): Proton Holdings Bhd said its September sales totalled 11,935 units, up 4.9% from August and higher by 12.5% compared with the same month last year.  

This is the second highest monthly sales for the marque this year (after July’s 13,216 units) and the fourth consecutive month of positive year-on-year growth, Proton said in a statement.  

“Total sales for the year now stands at 73,607 units, 4.3% ahead of last year and equivalent to an estimated 21.6% market share, placing the company second in Malaysia’s automotive sales table,” the group said. 

In terms of models, Proton said the X70 posted its second best sales month in 2020 with 2,849 units sold, while the Persona and Exora models are expected to be cumulative sales leaders for the year. 
 
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said with total-industry-volume (TIV) now exceeding 50,000 units for the third month in a row, the country’s automotive market has achieved a measure of stability after the movement control order. 

“At Proton, we are relieved and confident as our results are showing consistency, as we have beat our monthly sales numbers from the previous year. This is a clear indicator of a return to a sustainable sales volume,” he said. 
 
Proton said that in the two weeks since its new X50 model rolled off the factory floor at its Tanjung Malim plant, bookings for the crossover SUV now stand at 20,000. 
 
“Proton would like to thank all its customers for the tremendous interest shown in the Proton X50. We are pushing to ensure fulfilment over the last three months of 2020, while continuing to emphasise product quality,” Roslan added. 
 
Shares in Proton’s parent company DRB-Hicom Bhd closed one sen or 0.49% lower at RM2.05 today, valuing the company at RM3.96 billion. The counter saw 2.75 million shares traded.