X70 and Persona dominates in Proton's return to fame

Proton, sold to a Chinese company, is making a comeback, rising to the second spot in total sales in Malaysia.

The national car —or not so national car nowadays— sold 8,590 units in July gives it a market share of 16.5% against a total industry volume estimate of 51,960 units.

Estimates for Proton’s overall market share for the year is 15% and year-on-year sales continue its upward trend.

The Proton X70 Premium and Executive variants continue to lead in their SUV segments with 1,932 units delivered in July.  Total deliveries for 2019 stood at 17,023 units.

Another best performer is the updated Proton Persona. Launched in April this year its sales almost doubled over the same period in 2018.

The delivery of 2,720 units in July makes it the best-selling vehicle in the B-segment sedan market. It overtakes Japanese rivals that traditionally dominate the segment.

With 10,034 units delivered so far, sales are up by 3% year-on-year. This figure that will grow in the last 5 months of 2019.

Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton says the X70 continues its trajectory but other models are also star performers.

<<The Persona is still a popular choice among first-time car buyers looking for a safe, reliable and economical vehicle.>>

He says even the Iriz has seen a surge in demand, with sales growing by over 50%.

“The Company is humbled by the trust Malaysian car buyers are putting in our brand,” says Dr Li Chunrong.

He says Proton’s return to second place overall in Malaysia is early, putting the company on track to meet long-term targets.

For the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate to finish the year in the second rank, the first time in four years.

The company says it is confident with the launch of the updated Proton Saga soon and new products introduction, it will deliver better results.