KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd closes 2024 with a total of 152,352 units (domestic and export) sold to secure second in the sales rankings once again.
The carmaker said the year ended on a high note after 14,601 units were sold in December, a 19.7 per cent increase over the previous month and the second-highest sales figure of the year.
This followed a strong month for exports, with 1,131 units shipped to overseas markets.
According to Proton, the strong performance comes after 12 months of intense competition from new original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and models targeting the same customer pool, and during a year when the company transitioned into the EV space with the launch of its first model, the Proton e.MAS 7.
In addition to selling Proton vehicles, the company is also the importer and distributor for smart Automobile models through its subsidiary Pro-Net.
For 2024, 622 units of the smart #1 and #3 were sold, bringing the total number of vehicles sold to 152,974 units.
Proton also said the total industry volume (TIV) for 2024 is estimated to be 813,521 units, marking a second consecutive record-setting year of automotive sales in Malaysia.
The carmaker noted that its market share for the year is estimated to be 18.7 per cent.
This is the sixth consecutive year the company has achieved second position in the rankings, providing a solid foundation for the competition in 2025.
Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said 2024 was a remarkable year for Proton,
"With TIV having broken through the 800,000-units barrier for the first time, we are proud to have maintained our position as the second most popular automotive brand in Malaysia.
"Looking ahead to 2025, we will build on the continued popularity of the Proton Saga while the impressive sales of our SUV models like the Proton X50 and Proton X70 highlights their appeal to customers looking for intelligent premium models from a brand with proven long-term support for their customers.
"These are all positives to carry into the new year and we look forward to growing the company in line with our core brand values of innovation, reliability and international," he noted.
Although the iconic Proton Saga has been on sale for four decades, it ended the year as the best-selling Proton model in 2024 with an impressive 72,769 units sold – an increase of 3.7 per cent compared to 2023.
In 2024, Proton exported vehicles to 18 countries and grew export sales by 31 per cent compared to 2023.
A bump-up in orders from Egypt, boosted export volume in Dec to 1,113 units to bring the total export number for the year to 4,765 units.
Egypt also emerged as the top export destination with 1,748 units in 2024.
Roslan said Proton made significant headway into its export business in 2024 despite challenges faced in some markets.
"We remain the volume leader for automotive exports from Malaysia.
"With the commencement of complete knocked down operations in Egypt as well as exporting new models to other markets, we are confident of accelerating export sales growth in the coming years," he said.