Malaysia’s national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd reported on Tuesday that its vehicle sales nearly doubled year-on-year (y-o-y) in January, driven by strong demand for the Proton Saga, which recorded its highest-ever monthly sales volume.
Proton sold 19,833 units in January, a 15-year high, compared with 9,918 units in the same month last year.
Following this strong start, the carmaker is now targeting total sales of 200,000 units for 2026 and expects its market share to rise to an estimated 30.6% — its highest level since January 2012.
“Proton has had an excellent start to 2026. Our efforts to refresh the line-up with new ICE (internal combustion engine) and EV (electric vehicle) offerings, while communicating about the technologies in every model, are starting to pay dividends,” deputy chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Rashid Musa said in a statement.
The group plans to further expand local production activities to ensure customers “get the best possible vehicles at an attractive price”, he said.
Proton estimated that total industry volume for January rose 28.3% y-o-y in January. However, on a month-on-month basis, the figure would be down 28.6% from the record-breaking levels seen in December 2025.
Its standout performer in January, the Saga, sold 10,285 units during the month. Since its official launch on Nov 27, 2025, more than 19,000 units of the model have been delivered — equivalent to one unit every five minutes, the company noted.
“With booking momentum remaining strong and nearly 100,000 orders placed thus far, the model is projected to be the company's star performer for the foreseeable future,” Proton said.
The model’s upcoming launch in Brunei in February, alongside a gradual roll-out to other international markets, is expected to further support sales, it added.
Sales of other Proton models also showed strong growth in January, with the Proton X50 recording 2,429 units sold, up 69.3% y-o-y, while the newest Proton X70 achieved 672 units, an increase of 16.5% y-o-y.
The Proton S70, which posted its best monthly performance since May 2025, saw 1,604 units sold, representing a 40.3% y-o-y improvement, while the flagship Proton X90 saw sales rise 24.1% y-o-y to 252 units.
Source: theedgemalaysia