Proton announced that it sold 14,750 units (domestic and export) in December 2022, an increase of 30.3% (or 3,434 units) from the 11,316 delivered in November. The month’s results meant the national automaker’s final full-year sales of 141,432 vehicles (domestic and exported), the highest level since 2013.
Compared to 2021, sales rose by 26,724 units (or 23.3%), of which it managed to shift 114,708 units. The company posted growth for the fourth year in a row, with exports rising to 5,406 vehicles, up 74% (or 2,298 vehicles) from 3,108 in 2021. This performance means that the company continues to maintain its second position in terms of sales volume, with an estimated market share of 19.6%.
In terms of numbers, the Saga continues to be the company’s best-selling model. Sedan sales were 5,913 last month, for a total of 55,878 for the year, up 31.1% from 2021 sales.
The X50 is the second largest contributor, with 40,681 units sold in 2022, up 41.4% from 2021. In December, the company delivered 3,764 SUVs to buyers. Elsewhere, the X70 sold 18,533 units for the full year (up 13.1% over 2021), while Exora contributed 4,275 units in 2022 (up 5.9% over 2021).
As for Persona, sales rose slightly despite production issues caused by chip supply shortages. Full-year sales totaled 16,357 units, up 1.3 percent from 2021. The only model whose sales will decline is the Iriz, whose total sales will drop by 14.9% in 2022.
Proton deputy chief executive Roslan Abdullah said the company was proud of what it had achieved in 2022, despite a difficult start to the year, with flood-affected parts suppliers and severe shortages in the global chip industry leading to lower sales in the first four months.
“2022 has been a year of achievements and missed opportunities for Proton. The impact of flooding at the end of 2021 spilled over into the first quarter of this year and ensures we start 2022 disadvantaged as we work with suppliers to restore parts availability,” he said. Say.
“Thankfully, volumes were made up over the next three quarters, but we believe we could have achieved more and posted better numbers had it not been for the disruption at the beginning of the year. Despite this, Proton Now in its fourth consecutive year of sales growth, we are proud to be the only automotive company in Malaysia to achieve this target from 2019 to 2022,” he added.
Roslan said the company is confident of further growth in 2023 by adding new models to its product range, but is more cautious about total industry volume (TIV) growth. “We expect TIVs to fall back from record numbers in 2022 as orders placed during the sales tax holiday will be delivered by the end of March. Rates are also expected to rise again this year, so it will be difficult for the auto sector to continue its upward trend, “He said.