By SHAZNI ONG / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

January proved to be a good start for the automotive industry as car sales volume rose 9% to 48,450 units compared to 44,560 units that were sold in the previous year’s corresponding period.

The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) noted in a statement yesterday that the good performance was a result of the clearance of the 2018 stocks, as well as the ongoing promotions that were tailored for the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration.

On the other hand, MAA reported that automotive production for the same month was lower at 54,818 units, comprising 51,137 passenger vehicles and 3,681 commercial vehicles, compared to the 68,002 units that were produced in the previous year.

MAA also projected a lower sales volume for the following month, as a result of the shorter working month due to the CNY festive holidays.