![Proton sales drops for September 2023 but most models remain among segment leaders 01]()
Proton’s sales continues with its upwards trajectory for the year, boosted by export sales that saw September 2023 post a total of 12,230 units (domestic and export). Those numbers bring the marque’s total sales for the first three quarters of the year to 116,832 units, an increase of 14.1 per cent compared to 2022.
More importantly, it sets the pace for a final Q4 push to attempt and surpass 2022’s total of 141,432 units.
While the overall figures appear promising, September 2023 sales actually dropped by 1,725 units compared to August 2023. Nonetheless, the sales growth still remains ahead of the total industry volume (TIV) by over 3.7 per cent. Concurrently, the market share also is higher than 2022 at 20.5 percent, or 0.7 percent over last year
Heading into Q4 2023, Proton’s sales continue to be powered by the PIES (Persona, Iriz, Exora, Saga) models.
Also Read: Getting stronger with age - Did you know that sales of the Proton Saga have risen 2x in 5 years?
![Proton sales drops for September 2023 but most models remain among segment leaders 01]()
While the Proton Persona ended September as the second most popular B-segment sedan with 2,053 units, it still remains the year-to-date cumulative (YTD) segment leader with 18,614 units, 72.6 per cent more than 2022.
Despite losing the month to the new Toyota Vios, the Persona still climbed a spot to outsell the third placed Honda City, which is a worthy achievement.
The Proton Iriz has seen an even bigger increase. With 682 units sold, its YTD total is now 6,044 units, which is an improvement of 44.8 percent. It remains in the third spot for the B-segment hatchback.
Also Read: Proton has sold more than 100k cars as of August 2023, a month earlier than in 2022
![Proton sales drops for September 2023 but most models remain among segment leaders 02]()
In the MPV segment, the Exora continues as the undisputed segment leader even as it approaches the end of its production run. Still, 367 units sold in September is nothing to scoff at and raises its total sales to 3,517 units this year.
The Proton Saga maintains its standing as the second best-selling A-segment sedan and the second most popular vehicle in Malaysia. With 5,648 units sold in September, its YTD figure now stands at a remarkable 51,484 units, equivalent to an increase of 26.8 per cent over the previous year.
As for its newest model and also flagship, a recent service update issued for the Proton X90 sees all units on the production line and in customer hands in the process of being updated. Of course, this means a delay in production and only 491 units were delivered in September. However, with 3,435 units sold thus far, the X90 still remains the D-segment SUV leader.
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Unfortunately, even by notching 2,210 sales in September, the Proton X50 lost its stranglehold on being the most popular SUV in the country to a cheaper rival, the Perodua Ativa. A silver lining remains though as it’s still the best-selling B-segment SUV in the country, cumulatively.
Finally, the Proton X70 returns to being second overall in the C-segment SUV class with sales of 779 units for the month, bring the total 2023 numbers to 8,778 units.
