Proton is facing some deep challenges for 2022, Malaysia’s second-biggest carmaker reported a reversal in sales volume due to global chip shortage and not being able to deliver as projected.
Sales for April ended at 8,839 units (domestic + export), a decrease of 32.2% compared to March and 41.1% less compared to the same month in 2021. Market share for the month is estimated at 15.6% while for the year, its sales account for a YTD market share of 17%. Overall, the impact has moved the company’s ranking to second place for cumulative sales and market share.
Nevertheless, despite an overall decrease in sales and market share, Proton X50, Proton X70, and Proton Exora continue to be at the top of the B-SUV, C-SUV and C-MPV segments with sales of 1,554 units, 1,530 units, and 301 units respectively.
The best-selling model in April however was the Proton Saga with 4,579 units sold leading to a YTD total of 14,028 units in its final full month of sales before the launch of the 2022 Proton Saga.
“After two years of pandemic affected sales, Malaysia’s automotive market continues to show strong growth potential in 2022, as evidenced by the long waiting list for new car deliveries. PROTON is also trying to catch up to market demand, but we also must acknowledge being the most affected by chip supply issues.
The situation is still uncertain for the rest of the year and the global car industry is under pressure from rising costs, but the company is working on countermeasures against these issues to ensure our customers get the best products and value in Malaysia and abroad,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.
Export sales for April meanwhile stood at 456 units, a figure that was also affected by parts supply issues. YTD export sales now stand at 1,573 units, an increase of 109.7% compared to the first four months of 2021. Pakistan is the biggest export market with 1,050 units followed by Egypt and Brunei with 172 and 138 units respectively.
