Proton ended 2021 on a high note by selling 14,147 units in December, while total sales for the year closed at 114,708 units (domestic & export), the highest closing figure since 2014. This represents an increase of 4.5% over 2020 and is the third consecutive year of volume growth for the company.
Out of the lot, the Proton X50 ended the year with 28,774 units sold, making it the best-selling SUV overall. The model also 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 on the other hand garnered 16,375 units in 2021 with a final month figure of 1,616 units. This ensured it led the C-segment SUV class and placed it third in terms of overall SUV sales.
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.
Proton’s market share in December is estimated to be 20.6% but for the whole of 2021, market share is estimated to stand at 22.7%. This marks an increase of 2.0% 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.
Proton’s best-seller last year was the Proton Saga, which closed the gap to its main rival to jointly lead the A-segment sedan market. 42,627 units were sold including some that were shipped as CKD packs and assembled in other countries.
554 units of the Proton Exora were sold in December, bringing total volume for the class-leading C-segment MPV to 4,035 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 and 6,708 units, 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 number one automotive brand for exports last year.
With local assembly operations ramping up in overseas markets coupled to a hopeful loosening of trade restrictions, there is optimism the upward trend will continue in coming years.
Aside from sales, other areas that grew within Proton include financing and the number of outlets. For 2021 Proton Commerce ended the year with 14,550 disbursements, a new record that was punctuated with 2,132 disbursements in December, an all-time high.
Along the way, Proton’s in-house financing arm also became the leading OEM finance company and the most popular choice for Proton Saga customers.
With regards to the number of 3S/4S outlets, the company started 2021 with 140 outlets and despite the challenges faced in terms of financing and construction works, added to this total to end the year with 147 such outlets now in operation.
