KUALA LUMPUR (March 3): Proton Holdings Bhd’s vehicle sales rose 52% year-on-year to 14,033 units delivered in February.

In a statement on Friday (March 3), the national carmaker said the sales volume was 20.1% higher than in January, while for the first two months of the year, the year-to-date volume swelled by 88% to 25,714 units.

The company said its market share for the month is estimated to be 22.7%, placing it second in the rankings, and representing a 7.3% increase over February 2022.

It said that overall, Malaysian car sales continued to surge for a second month in a row, with an estimated total industry volume of 62,300 units, as industry players rushed to fulfil sales tax-exempt bookings before the March 31 deadline.

Proton said Persona continued to lead B-segment sedan sales, as three Proton models achieved segment sales leadership.

With a second consecutive month of sales leadership for B-segment sedans, the Proton Persona is proving its appeal against newer rivals when supply is unaffected by component shortages.

The carmaker said with 2,313 units sold in February, the model broke through the 2,000-unit barrier for a third consecutive month, the first time it achieved the feat since doing it for five months in a row from June to October 2020.

Another segment-leading Proton model was the X50, which retained leadership in the B-segment sport utility vehicle (SUV) market, and remained as the most popular SUV overall. Up to 3,247 units were sold in February, and sales were up by 11% over the first two months of the year.

The third segment leader was the Proton Exora, which was enjoying a resurgence, as sales of the C-segment multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) leader grew by 216% over the same period in 2022.

Two other Proton models finished second last month in their respective segments. The Proton Saga ended the month with 6,345 units sold, retaining its position as the bestselling Proton model and posting an impressive 11,133 units sold so far this year.

The Proton X70, meanwhile, was matching its performance in the first two months of 2022, with 981 units delivered in February and 1,914 units overall for the year so far.

Finally, the Proton Iriz had its best performance since August 2022, with 811 units sold, leading to an improvement of 156% for the first two months of the year.

Proton deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said the strong start to the year reflects the popularity of the current model offerings.

“Just like our competitors, a lot of volume is being driven by fulfilment of tax-exempt bookings, but our new booking numbers remain healthy, so we are hopeful of continuing our sales growth trajectory for the rest of the year.

“Over the next few months, Proton will also be making several announcements to shape the company’s direction for 2023 and beyond.

“This will be a busy year, as we establish our presence in new segments, enter the new energy vehicle (NEV) market, and build our electric vehicle credentials when sales of the smart #1 begin,” he said.