KUALA LUMPUR, 4 January 2023 – Proton Holdings Bhd ended 2022 with a fourth consecutive year of sales growth to push overall sales to its highest total since 2013.
The company closed its books with 141,432 units sold after recording 14,750 units in December, its fourth best monthly performance for the year.
Proton said that compared to results posted in 2021, total sales have grown by 23.3 per cent despite a tough start to the year when a combination of flood affected parts vendors and an acute shortage in the global chip industry depressed volumes for the first four months.
“Sales volume for international markets meanwhile increased to 5,406 units, growing by 79.1 per cent and allowing Proton to comfortably end the year as the industry’s leading exporter,” the company said in a statement today.
Deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said 2022 was a year of achievements and missed opportunities for Proton.
“The effect of the floods at the end of 2021 spilled over in to the first quarter of the year and ensured we began 2022 on the back foot as we collaborated with our vendors to restore parts supply.
Thankfully, the volume was made up over the next three quarters, but we are confident we could have achieved more and posted even better numbers if not for the disrupted start to the year. Still, Proton now has sales growth for a fourth consecutive year, and we are proud of being the only automotive company in Malaysia to achieve that from 2019 to 2022,” he said.
Overall, Proton said that the company has retained its ranking of second in the automotive sales table with an estimated market share of 19.6 per cent. Total-Industry-Volume (TIV) for 2022 is estimated to have closed at over 720,000 units, a new industry high, on the back of a record setting December, he said.
Sales for five out of six Proton models had grown in 2022 with three models ending the year as segment leaders.
Proton X50 continues to be the best-selling SUV in Malaysia and with 3,764 units sold in December, it ended the year with a new SUV annual sales record of 40,681 units. “This is an increase of 41.4 per cent over 2021 and makes the B-segment SUV the second most voluminous model in the company’s line-up,” it said.
The company said Proton Saga continued to hold on to its position as the best seller in the range. 5,913 units were sold in December to push total volume for 2022 up to 55,878 units, an increase of 31.1 per cent over the previous year and garnering it second position in the A-segment sedan sales rankings.
“This is despite the Saga being the model most acutely affected by the floods of 2021 that saw sales dwindle to only 76 units in January,” it said.
Proton’s export sales continued to grow last year by 79.1 per cent with a closing figure of 5,406 units.
The growth was powered by increasing consistency in the shipping industry, growth in key markets such as Pakistan and the addition of South Africa to the list of export markets, Proton said.
Proton Saga continued to be the most popular export model with 2,408 units sold last year, an increase of 31 per cent over the previous year which proves there is still a lot of sales potential for the model in export markets, the company said.
“Looking ahead towards 2023, Proton is confident of achieving more growth as we add to our range of offerings with our new model launches this year. However, we expect TIV to recede from the record volume in 2022 as deliveries for orders placed during the sales tax exemption period will be fulfilled by the end of March.
Interest rates are also expected to increase again this year so it will be tough for the automotive industry to continue an upwards trajectory,” he added.
— Akses Malaysia
