Proton appears to be beginning its recovery from the sales dip sustained last month, as the national carmaker rebounds from a January volume of 4,453 units, gaining 107% to a February tally of 9,225 units, including exports.
There is still some way to go in its recovery. Last month’s sales volume managed by Proton still falls short of the figure achieved in February 2021, when it sold 11,873 cars this time last year.
That said, Proton has fully resumed production at both Shah Alam and Tanjung Malim facilities; the Saga saw a volume of 2,951 units for the month of February, which Proton says is still below its regular monthly average, though the carmaker expects this model’s sales to return to earlier levels in the coming months.
Of the SUVs, the X50 and X70 recorded sales of 3,002 units and 1,119 units last month, respectively, which means that both models retain the top spot for sales performance in their respective segments, according to Proton. In addition to claiming the B-segment crown, the X50 is also the best-selling SUV in Malaysia so far, with 100,000 bookings received over the past 16 months, the carmaker said.
Among the sedans, after the Saga, the Persona is the next-best performer with 1,675 units sold in February and totalling 2,369 units in 2022 so far, making it the second-best selling B-segment sedan in the country at this point. Its hatchback equivalent, the Iriz sold 321 units last month, bringing its tally this year to 550 units.
For the Persona, this represents a significant gain over the 694 units sold in January, while the Iriz saw a more marginal gain from the 229 units it sold in the first month of the year. Rounding up the group is the Exora MPV, which sold 157 units last month, bringing its 2022 tally to 211 units.
Proton also stated that it is addressing its aftersales and parts availability issues, having implemented a mandatory requirement for all dealers to have three months’ holding stock for 22 fast-moving parts. In terms of dealer network growth, the opening of Proton EON 3S-Platinum outlet in Alor Setar, Kedah marks the 147th 3S/4S centre for the brand, and the 10th for distributor EON.
“For the Malaysian automotive industry, the first two months of the year has seen strong demand as evidenced by the growth in total industry volume compared to 2021. This is good news for both car companies and the vendor community and is also testament to the effectiveness of policies set by the government,” said Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.
The post Proton February 2022 sales up 107% over January to 9,225 units; 3,002 units of X50 sold last month appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
0 Comments