by TMR / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
NATIONAL carmaker, Proton Holdings Bhd, marks another successful year by selling 114,708 units in 2021, the highest closing figure since 2014.
Proton’s total sales rose by 4.5% against the estimated overall total industry volume of 4.6% or over 505,000 units in Malaysia.
The company also recorded 14,147 units in December while its market share in the same month is estimated to be 20.6%.
For the whole of 2021, Proton’s market share is estimated to stand at 22.7%.
“This marks an increase of 2% over 2020 as the company continues to strengthen its hold on second place while further closing the gap to the top of the sales rankings,” added Proton in the same statement.
By selling 45,149 SUVs in 2021, Proton was crowned as the best-selling SUV brand in Malaysia, with the number accounting for nearly 40% of total sales volume.
Individually, the Proton X50 ended the year with 28,774 units, making it the best-selling SUV overall, and posted its best-ever month in December with 4,310 units.
This is the second consecutive month the model has achieved more than 4,000 units, pointing towards an uptick in production volume and units being delivered to customers.
The Proton X70 garnered 16,375 units in 2021 with a final month figure of 1,616 units.
The Proton Persona and Iriz also performed well in December with 2,187 and 884 units, respectively, as the chip supply issue improved slightly.
This brought their total sales for the year to 16,153 units and 6,708 units, respectively, ensuring they finished third in their segments.
“International sales were also a major highlight for the company. With 3,018 units exported in 2021, total volume grew by over 100% leading to Proton being the No 1 automotive brand for exports last year,” it said.
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said Proton’s sales growth in a year where the market contracted is significant as it is the result of careful planning and juggling of available resources.
“Regarding export sales, we are equally proud about being the brand with the highest export volume in 2021 as it proves we are gaining traction overseas thanks to the joint efforts of our international sales division and our foreign partners,” he said.
“While increasing shipping costs are a growing concern, our planned activities in 2022 means we expect export sales growth to accelerate in the coming years,” he added.
On the number of 3S/4S outlets, the company started 2021 with 140 outlets and managed to grow to 147 at the year-end, despite the challenges in 2021.
“The growth of Proton’s ancillary businesses such as Proton Commerce and the increase in the number of outlets is directly linked to the number of vehicles we sell.
“As sales have grown so have our facilities to cater to an increased number of customers. I would also like to announce we have extended the warranty for the six-speed automatic gearbox used by the complete build-up Proton X70 to five years with unlimited mileage. This is to further benefit our customers and give them added peace of mind,” added Roslan.
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