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As market goes into downturn, Proton’s sales also dip by 37%

2021 for the auto industry started low but as the first quarter progressed, sales volumes rose. However, with the second quarter, it appears that the market is going into a downturn. By Proton’s estimate, the May Total Industry Volume (TIV) of new vehicles registered fell by around 20%. While the Movement Control Order (MCO) may have had some effect, but shortages of chips – vital components for the many electronic systems in modern cars – have been slowing down output from the assembly plants.

For Proton, after seeing strengthening sales with each month, it reports that its May volume was down 37.1% from April. The Malaysian carmaker sold 9,440 units (some of which were exported) and with this volume, its estimated market share would be 20.3%.

Up to the end of May, the cumulative volume reached 57,283 units which translates to a market share estimated at 23.5% and an increase of 2.4% over the same period in the previous year.

As with the previous month, the X50 and X70 continued to lead their segments by a considerable margin. 1,899 units of the smaller SUV model were delivered in May while the X70 had 1,523 new owners. This brings the cumulative total of 3,422 units for the domestic as well as export markets.

Exports reach new 98-month high
Meanwhile, Proton’s overseas sales continue to gain momentum despite international markets going through varying degrees of lockdown. With 669 units comprising the Saga, X50 and X70 exported in May, the company’s international sales division recorded its best month since March 2013. As a result, total export sales for 2021 are now less than 100 units behind the total for the whole of last year.

“Car sales in Malaysia dipped in May due to factors such as chip shortages and the implementation of MCO in the middle of the month. Despite most industry players having healthy order books, most brands struggled to meet demand. For Proton, the numbers were high enough to retain second overall in the sales table and we also received a welcome boost from our export division who set a 98-month high despite restrictions on international shipping,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

Focusing on the future
With the full lockdown in effect (tentatively until June 14), all Proton sales outlets have to be closed. However, its authorised service centres are allowed to operate. Proton owners are requested to make a prior appointment before going to the service centre (which should be within 10 kms of their home address).

The company will also be considering utilising the enforced break to retool its sales plan for the remainder of 2021. It aims to future-proof its business against regulatory changes and external factors such as the coronavirus.

“2020 proved to the world that business as usual can be disrupted without warning. To remain competitive in an unpredictable environment, Proton, along with its vendors and dealers, need to have the flexibility to pivot quickly to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. As such, we will intensify our efforts to implement a framework to meet upcoming regulations locally and internationally which is vital for future growth,” Encik Roslan said.

“We are also finalising our model launch plans for the rest of this year. The current MCO will push some of these dates back, but Proton remains committed to meeting our launch targets and creating some excitement for our customers in 2021,” he added.

With greater attention to overseas business, Proton aims to double export volumes in 2021

Another month of sales increases for Proton

*Visit www.bhpetrol.com.my for more information.*

With continued high demand, Proton reports that its total sales volume increased again for the month of April, the third consecutive month of growth. 15,017 units (including exports) were delivered, and the company’s cumulative volume after the first 4 months of 2021 reached 47,843 units. This is more than double the number for the same period last year although it has to be remembered that the MCO (Movement Control Order) shut down business activities for the whole industry for a while.

By its own estimate, Proton’s latest figure means it has a market share of 26.7% for April, and it continues to strengthen its hold in second position in overall the sales rankings table with a market share to date estimated at 24.4%.

Proton Saga at the top
The company believes its Saga is at the top of the national sales chart with 5,472 units sold in April while its two SUV models continue to set strong sales numbers. The X50, which has a long waiting list, set yet another new high for deliveries with 3,583 customers receiving their vehicles in April. The X70 was dominant in the C-segment SUV category with 2,101 units delivered.

Proton’s other 3 models also performed well and had their best months of 2021. Despite strong competition in the B-segment sedan market, 2,266 units of the Persona were sold, while the Exora continued to rule the C-segment MPV class. Iriz sales received a boost from strong demand for the R3 Limited Edition model that allowed it to have its best sales month since 2019.

2021 Proton Iriz R3 Limited Edition — *Iriz R3 Limited Edition*

Good month for the industry
“April was a good month for the automotive industry and aside from Proton, several other brands also had their best month of the year so far. The Total Industry Volume is estimated to be over 56,000 units as all brands are trying to fulfil sales orders before the expiry of the PENJANA sales tax exemption at the end of June 2021,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar, the company’s sales arm.

“For Proton, we are continuing with efforts to meet the strong demand for our products while maintaining a high level of product quality. At the same time, we are focussing on improving customer service and addressing issues related to spare parts availability, which is vital as our sales volume increases. We expect the situation will see significant improvement as the year progresses but we are working hard to move up that timeline,” he said.

He added that Proton Edar is looking forward to increased production volumes with the new stamping plant, which is now under construction. “The benefits of improved production volumes, lower costs and increased quality will allow us to increase sales exponentially both domestically and abroad, which will drive the company towards achieving its stated long-term goals,” he said.

Following Proton’s increasing sales numbers, Proton Commerce business is also on the rise

Following Proton’s increasing sales numbers, Proton Commerce business is also on the rise

The momentum started in 2020, in spite of the pandemic situation, and put Proton in a strong position to accelerate into 2021. With an appealing range of offerings, cumulative sales in the first quarter of the year (Q1) were the highest since March 2012, with a large number of orders as well.

This has created a knock-on effect and for Proton Commerce, the carmaker’s finance arm, it could lead to a record number of loan disbursements. It has seen its loan volume grow in line with the increase in sales of Proton vehicles. For comparison, in 2018, it disbursed a total of 5,410 loans and this nearly doubled to 10,668 the following year. For 2020, despite disruptions caused by the coronavirus as well as loan moratoriums to ease the burden on distressed borrowers, Proton Commerce disbursed 14,189 loans.

*In spite of the pandemic conditions in 2020, Proton saw high sales volumes which led to more loan applications to Proton Commerce, its financial arm.*

All-time high for loan disbursements
This year, after just three months, the company is heading towards a record-breaking volume – an all-time high of 20,000 loans disbursed. “Although there was a downturn in many economic sectors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer sentiment for car purchases remains positive. Proton’s gains in product quality, its additions to the dealer network and the launch of new models have grown interest in its cars and we are seeing the results in the number of loan applications received,” said Mooi Fi Phang, CEO of Proton Commerce.

“Our loan disbursement volume for Q1 this year has increased by 42.3% and we are confident of our volume growing even more in Q2. However, the hire-purchase market could face a tough second half of the year as the PENJANA sales tax incentive is scheduled to expire at the end of June so the industry could see a period of correction as market demand finds its natural level,” he added.

*New models like the X50 are drawing younger buyers, which sees a change in customer demographics for the brand.*

Younger buyers drawn to Proton brand
Mr. Mooi revealed that Proton Commerce is also seeing a change in the demographics of its customers. “The age of Proton buyers is trending downwards, indicating the company’s revamped line-up has made it a more trendy choice with younger Malaysians. He also said 80% of Proton Commerce’s customers opt for 9-year hire-purchase financing plans, and that impaired loan rates up to three times lower than the industry average,” he said.

“2020 was a tough year for the industry as financial institutions had to make modification loss provisions for the 6-month moratorium programme announced by Bank Negara Malaysia. Thankfully for Proton Commerce, the financial stability of our customer base meant a very low number of our borrowers opted for the subsequent moratorium and with the removal of the provisions this year, we expect to contribute a healthy profit to our shareholders,” he added.

Strong start for Proton with Q1 market share highest since March 2012

Proton constructing additional stamping facility at Tanjung Malim factory

Proton today held a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of construction work on a new stamping facility at its Tanjung Malim factory. The factory, built in the late 1990s, already has stamping facilities and this new one will complement them. It is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2022.

The new facility will house a new Superlarge stamping machine which allows making larger metal panels for vehicles and other parts. The investment of RM200 million in the facility is part of Proton’s plan to increase levels of localisation, both for current and future models.

Proton was the first carmaker in Malaysia to have its own stamping facilities when its original factory was built. The picture above shows the stamping area under construction in 1984. Stamping its own body panels (below) increases the level of localisation in its models.

This is on top of the RM1.2 billion already spent on upgrading the factory with the aim of making it a world-class vehicle manufacturing plant that will be able to produce more model lines. It is also in line with Proton’s technology strategy as the new facility will have state-of-the-art tools as well as systems.

“While we are happy with our progress so far, Proton must continue to look to the future”, said Dr.Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton. “This new addition is part of our strategy to ensure that we can grow continuously as well as increase our model footprint when we have to. This means having the ability to build more variants but more importantly, to be able to build them to the highest standards as well as to incorporate new technology.”

Proton has seen a huge turnaround in fortunes over the last three years since Geely became DRB-HICOM’s partner in the company. Besides introducing brand new models, it has also had increased sales volumes and gained market share. At the same time, quality has been improved in products and services and the entire dealer network has been revamped with most outlets upgrading to 3S status.

“We are very clear about direction and growth for Proton. While Malaysia will always be our primary market, we must be able to compete beyond our shores. This facility is one small part of that journey. It is especially important for us because it means we can do far more localisation going forward. This will have a spill-over effect which will see us engaging with more vendors and further growing the local automotive ecosystem,” said Dr. Li.

*Proton factory in Tanjung Malim, Perak*

Strong start for Proton with Q1 market share highest since March 2012

Latest Proton Saga launched in Pakistan

Proton’s quest to become more export-oriented continues with the addition of another international market for the Proton Saga which is Pakistan. The latest model of the brand’s bestseller made its debut in Pakistan earlier this month, the eighth overseas market where it is offered besides Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius and Nepal.

The Proton Saga line-up for Pakistan consists of three versions -, the Saga with manual transmission, Saga with automatic transmission and a better equipped Saga Ace AT.

Additionally, 100 units of the Saga R3 Limited Edition will also be available, and customers can have it with a manual or automatic transmission.

As in Malaysia, the launch of the Saga in Pakistan was done online due to the present COVID-19 pandemic making large gatherings unsuitable.

Present at the launch was the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim. Encik Ikram said that he hoped Proton’s operations in the country will further strengthen economic ties with Malaysia.

Following the launch of the X70 in December last year, the Saga is the second model to be offered in Pakistan. Currently, all Proton models are imported from Malaysia in completely built-up (CBU) form but the company’s partner, Al-Haj Automotive, is preparing for local assembly operations at its new plant in Karachi by the third quarter of 2021.

With a planned capacity of 25,000 units per annum, the plant will enable sales of Proton cars to grow quickly in the market which Proton sees as having much growth potential. “I am thankful to our fellow Pakistanis for making the Proton Saga an instant success in Pakistan. This car will definitely stand out for its reliability, durability and value for money,” said Hilal Khan Afridi, CEO of Al-Haj Automotive, who is confident that Pakistani customers will be attracted to the Proton brand and its products.

*100 units of the Saga R3 Limited Edition will be sold in Pakistan.*

As the second quarter of 2021 starts off, Proton is looking to increase its international market presence to achieve its long-term goals. Besides the Saga – the volume seller in most markets – the X70 and X50 are also being exported.

“Exports are an important pillar for PROTON and will account for an increasing percentage of our sales volume in coming years. Aside from promoting the features of our products, we also leverage on the high quality reputation of Malaysia’s manufacturing sector, which lends credibility to our own product story. In 2021, aside from exploring new opportunities, we will also ramp-up efforts to re-enter major ASEAN markets such as Thailand and Indonesia,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

With greater attention to overseas business, Proton aims to double export volumes in 2021

Strong start for Proton with Q1 market share highest since March 2012

Proton’s resurgence continued into 2021 with strong monthly sales for the first three months, with March recording the highest volume of 14,989 units (including exports). It was 26.2% higher than the February numbers, which is estimated at 23.5% share of the market, and this volume was also the best sales month since September 2013.

Maintaining its second position on the sales chart, Proton’s cumulative sales for the first quarter (Q1) of the year totalled 32,826 units, giving the brand its highest quarterly market share figure since March 2012.

The top-selling model in March was the Saga with 5,589 units delivered, an increase of 32.5% compared to February. The Persona, Iriz and Exora also posted their best figures for the year with the MPV being the leader in C-segment MPV sales.

SUV sales keep growing
SUV sales continued to grow and more vehicles could be delivered as the new production line at the Tanjung Malim factory enabled higher output. In total, 3,513 units of the X50 were delivered to customers while the X70 saw a month-on-month increase of 58.4% to 2,337 units. When combined, Proton set another internal record with 5,850 SUVs delivered, beating the previous record of 4,820 units that was set in February.

“After a soft start to the year, Malaysia’s automotive industry has finally hit its stride for 2021. We estimate Total Industry Volume to be over 63,000 units, suggesting all brands will post their best numbers for the year to date. For Proton, March was a very good sales month as we achieved our highest figure in 90 months but our sense of achievement is tempered by the fact that it could have been even better if we were able to produce more units,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

“As things stand, we still have a large order bank to fulfil so over the next few months, Proton will strive to increase production while maintaining our focus on delivering high quality products. We are also mindful that the PENJANA incentives are currently due to expire by the end June, so we aim to ensure as many customers as possible are able to enjoy the tax holiday given by the government,” he added.

*New production line at the Tanjung Malim factory has increased output of vehicles.*

More loan disbursements
“While the increase in unit sales of Proton vehicles has been our main focus, it is important to acknowledge the growth in loan disbursements by Proton Commerce Sdn Bhd, our in-house auto financing subsidiary. This proves we are offering attractive financing packages to our customers and can compete against other players in the automotive finance market,” Encik Roslan said.

Nearly 4,000 loans were disbursed in Q1 2021 with an estimated 1,700 contracted in March alone. The latter figure is equivalent to a 122% growth over February and overall, disbursements for the first quarter of the year are up by 141% over 2020.

“More importantly, customers can enjoy the convenience of purchasing and financing their new Proton from our authorized dealers, making our outlets a one-stop centre for all their Proton needs,” added Encik Roslan.

With greater attention to overseas business, Proton aims to double export volumes in 2021

Payments by e-wallets accepted at all Proton 3S/4S outlets nationwide

*Visit www.bhpetrol.com.my for more information on this promotion.*

‘Contactless’, though not a new word, has been much-used during the past year with the onset of COVID-19 and the need for distancing to prevent transmission of the coronavirus. As far as possible, people have been encouraged not to be in direct contact with each other and even when conducting transactions, it is advisable to minimize contact through devices or other things.

Increased usage of e-wallets
For payments, electronic payments have been encouraged and this has led to increased usage of the e-wallet. A smartphone can be used for this transaction which reduces physical touch, with no need to exchange currency notes or coins.

The growing popularity of e-wallets, which are available from a number of providers, has led many businesses to accept them for payments. This includes Proton, which started to accept payment from e-wallets in June 2020 with 15 pilot outlets. The successful pilot program saw all 3S/4S outlets accepting e-wallet payments by the end of the year.

Payments for various transactions
Proton says that the payments can be for many different purposes. The e-wallet can even be used to book for a new vehicle and make the downpayment. The company also encourage its 1S and 2S outlets to opt for e-wallet transactions as this is a reliable, safe and convenient payment method.

*Customers can use their e-wallets for transactions related to downpayments for new vehicles or for charges and purchases at service centres.*

Additionally, e-wallet payments can also be used at service centres to pay for maintenance services, vehicle insurance renewal spare parts, accessories and even Proton merchandise.

Moving forward, Proton is also looking at strategizing the collaboration plan and system integration with e-wallet providers to deliver offerings that are beneficial to its customers.

Proton continues to provide help in fight against COVID-19

Proton’s market share reached 27.1%, highest in 7 years

For most car companies, February tends to see low numbers; for one thing, it is the shortest month in the year and some years, the Chinese New Year festive period also occurs during the month, reducing the number of working days further. However, for Proton, February 2021 was a productive month as the Malaysian carmaker reached market highs that it had not achieved for several years. With a total volume (including exports) of 11,873 units, the company had its best February in over a decade.

By its estimation, the brand will have a market share of 27.1%, which will be the highest for the company since September 2013. Overall, Proton also believes it finished the month ranked second with sales nearly doubling that of the month before. Compared to the same month in 2020, the volume was 19.9% greater. However, the total volume for the first two months of the year is 3.5% (643 units) less than last year’s cumulative total for the same period.

X50 deliveries accelerate
Proton’s second SUV, the X50, was in showrooms from October 27, 2020 and the response was exceptional strong. By year’s end, over 30,000 bookings were collected. Unfortunately, deliveries were hampered by delays to the production schedule as well as focusing on build quality. In February, Proton delivered 3,345 units bringing the total number of X50s on the road to 8,141 units.

This monthly volume was also the highest ever achieved by an SUV in Malaysia, and Proton therefore lays claim to the X50 being the best-selling SUV in its segment and also overall leadership.

Add the 1,475 units of the X70 delivered in February (claimed to be the highest for a C-segment SUV), and the company sold a combined total of 4,820 SUVs. This is its best ever performance and said to be the highest volume for any brand in the country.

Strong sales for other models
While the X50 had strong sales, the evergreen Saga continued as the company top-seller with 4,217 units delivered. The sedan has also started sales in Kenya as a locally-assembled model, the first time Proton has entered the market of that African country.

Other Proton models that performed included the Persona (1,818 units) and Exora (361 units), with the latter model maintaining its leadership in the C-segment MPV market.

“February continued to be a difficult month for Malaysia’s automotive industry but it turned out very well for Proton,” said Roslan Abdullah, Proton Edar’s CEO. “thanks to the efforts of the government to ensure a continuation of economic activity during the MCO, we were able to produce more cars and, in so doing, started to clear our backlog of orders. This is important as we need to consistently deliver on the bookings made to avoid a rush before the PENJANA incentives expire at the end of June this year.”

“The automotive sector continues to be vibrant with exciting new model launches which are sure to spark consumer interest and create healthy competition. But we will continue to be cautious even as we push forward to avoid infection rates flaring up again and disrupting operations,” he added.

*One of the four Special Edition models launched in February*

February also saw Proton launch four Special Edition models, all with a bold black theme. The Persona and Exora Black Edition as well as the Saga and Iriz R3 Limited Edition were unveiled online and will be available in limited numbers. Encik Roslan revealed that, as of February 26, 1,169 bookings have been received, about a third of the total production run that will be just 3,500 units.

Aftersales revamp
Proton has a 10-year strategy and during this period, the company is to completely overhaul several operational areas in order to succeed. An area of immediate importance is product quality which has to be improved and today, the brand’s quality scores have improved to the point of almost matching those of its partner, Geely.

The distribution network has also drastically changed, with the company having the most 3S/4S outlets in the industry. Its focus is now on wholesale activities rather than consumer-driven business. These measures have been effective with Proton posting some of the highest sales growth numbers for the local industry over the last 2 years.

This year, the focus is on the improvement of the entire aftersales value chain so that customers can enjoy a premium brand experience after buying their cars. “Proton admits that some aspects of our business have not been able to keep up with our recent successes. While we have dramatically moved forwards in product quality, brand image and the technology offered in our cars, our aftersales service has not made the same leap. This situation was exacerbated in 2020 by firstly COVID-19 and then our decision to invest in a completely new back-end ordering and delivery system,” explained Encik Roslan.

“As a result, we have experienced integration issues and customers requiring accident repairs as well as regular servicing have faced delays. We are working on these issues around the clock to overcome them in the shortest time possible but for now, I urge all Proton owners facing delays to please contact our customercare hotline at 1-800-88-8398,” he advised.

With greater attention to overseas business, Proton aims to double export volumes in 2021

Proton launches Four Special Edition models

Last year, Proton created a special edition of the Saga to commemorate the 35th anniversary Malaysia’s first national car. Only 1,100 units of the Saga Anniversary Edition were available – and every single one was taken up within just 5 days.

Now, the Malaysian carmaker is offering more choices with its latest Special Editions, all of which follow the black theme of the Saga Anniversary Edition. The models are the Persona and Exora as well as the Iriz and Saga. The Persona and Exora are Black Editions while the Iriz and Saga are R3 Limited Editions. R3 (Race, Rally & Research) is the performance arm of Proton which has been developing competition models and participated in international rallies as well as circuit events with many successes.

The prices of the Special Editions and units available are as follow:
Proton Saga R3 Limited Edition (2,000 units): RM42,300
Proton Iriz R3 Limited Edition (500 units): RM52,900
Proton Persona Black Edition (500 units): RM54,700
Proton Exora Black Edition (500 units): RM67,800

These prices are for private registration in Peninsular Malaysia and do not include insurance. Sales tax is also not included but will be added if the purchase is made after June 30, 2021 when the exemption is set to expire. However, it is likely that all units will be sold out by then as there will be many who will certainly want to own one of these limited production editions that can be collectors’ items in future.

“By launching four Special Edition models today, Proton is giving its customers more choices. These are products manufactured in Malaysia targeted to Malaysian car buyers and are reminders that Proton is and always will be a ‘full-service’ car manufacturer with the ability to design, develop and build our own cars from a clean sheet of paper,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

*Visit www.bhpetrol.com.my to find out more about other promotions at BHPetromart.*

PROTON SAGA R3 LIMITED EDITION
The Saga R3 Limited Edition has similarities to the earlier Anniversary Edition with its overall black finish and black elements with yellow striping for highlights. The door mirror covers are in yellow, which seems rather jarring and some might prefer if they were also black.

Unlike the Anniversary edition, this R3 Limited Edition has a strong association with R3 through the decals around the bodywork. The alloy wheels have an ‘open’ design and are 15 inches in diameter, wrapped with tyres of 185/55 size.

In the cabin, the black theme is to be expected as well with seat upholstery in leatherette that has ‘R3 Limited Edition’ stitched on the upper section of the front seat backrests. Like the exterior, yellow striping is used on various styling elements on the dashboard and other trim panels, as well as the carpets.

This being a Special Edition, Proton has made sure it is also equipped to the highest level and owners get items like switches on the steering wheel, a touchscreen display for the infotainment system which also shows the imagery from the reverse camera.

Though it has R3 in its name, the car does not have any special performance enhancements to add speed or give stronger acceleration. The engine is the same 1.3-litre unit as other Sagas and the good thing is that it uses a 4-speed torque converter unit that gives more pleasurable motoring than the CVT used before.

PROTON IRIZ R3 LIMITED EDITION
The Iriz R3 Limited Edition takes the same approach as the Saga R3 Limited Edition with the dominant black bodywork and certain elements highlighted in yellow. It does get an injection of sportiness – visually – with the R3 bodykit as standard, 16-inch wheels and of course, the requisite R3 decals.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre engine while inside, the cabin too has the same black and yellow theme. It’s what you would expect of a Special Edition where the manufacturer gives cosmetic enhancements but skirts anything which would require engineering time and money. That would be necessary to raise the performance levels but given the volume, it won’t be justified. Better to just let R3 do some business selling performance parts and providing their tuning expertise to owners.

PROTON PERSONA BLACK EDITION
The Persona is a pretty popular sedan in the B-segment so there are many on the road. For those who want their Persona to stand out, Proton offers the Black Edition to just 500 people. The bold black appearance will already draw attention and to highlight styling elements, gold striping is applied. It’s an approach that strengthens the car’s presence in a subtle way.

Inside too, areas like the centre console between the seats, trim panels, vents and certain knobs gets the gold treatment. The front seats have leather-like upholstery but do not have any special stitching. Still, the all-black ambience is something which has its own appeal.

The Persona infotainment system has ‘intelligence’ and responds to the ‘Hi Proton’ command. It’s not as sophisticated as what you get in the X70 (where you can have the windows opened just by asking) and is limited to managing music and navigation, and getting weather forecasts.

The powertrain is the proven 1.6 litre unit with VVT and a CVT to get the 107 ps/150 Nm to the front wheels.

PROTON EXORA BLACK EDITION
The Exora MPV is now 11 years old and is still popular among those who need a people-mover. While it is somewhat old, it is also a proven MPV and whatever bugs there were would have been ironed out already.

The Black Edition gets the same sort of treatment as the other models with the Quartz Black finish being the body colour, and gold accent lines flowing around. Already big, the black effect gives the MPV a stronger image like a SWAT vehicle. The black treatment is also used throughout the cabin and gold striping added in certain areas. Incidentally, Proton did offer black as a colour choice in the years prior to 2017.

The Exora is powered by a 1.6-litre CAMPRO CFE engine with turbocharging which boosts output to 140 ps/205 Nm. Power goes to the front wheels through a CVT.

Like the Persona, the Exora was also upgraded with the GKUI developed by Geely when the Chinese carmaker came into the picture. This is an intelligent interface which is activated by the words ‘Hi Proton’, allowing the driver to manage certain functions without having to reach for knobs or switches or touch the screen (though there is also a touchscreen).

As with all new Protons sold today, the Special Editions come with a Basic Warranty of 5 years or the first 150,000 kms. Bookings are accepted at all authorised Proton outlets from today and to locate one, visit www.proton.com.

Proton sees second MCO affecting new vehicle sales

*To know more about promotions at BHPetromart, visit www.bhpetrol.com.my.*

Proton is usually the first to provide an overview of their sales for the previous month, and for the first month of the new year, they have reported a drop of 29.9% in sales compared to January 2020. During the month, the carmaker delivered 5,964 units and with its estimate that the Total Industry Volume for the month will be slightly above 32,000 units, that means a market share of 18.5%, about 1% less compared to the same month last year.

Proton points out that the overall figures are a reflection of supply not being able to meet demand rather than a reduction in bookings. Nevertheless, it is clear that there are economic effects on various industries and consumer confidence.

*The New Normal at Proton outlets where Standard Operating Procedures are observed by the public and staff.*

Second MCO slows down sales
“January was a difficult month for Malaysia’s automotive industry. Hopes were high that the momentum built at the end of 2020 would be carried forward, especially after the announcement of PENJANA incentives remaining available until the end of June this year. Unfortunately, the second MCO (Movement Control Order) announcement put a damper on those hopes,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.

“Still, Proton, as well as the rest of the industry, is in full support of all measures the government has in place to control the rate of infection. The safety of all Malaysians needs to remain as the main priority and companies need to pivot in order to achieve their goals in a changed market environment,” he said.

“Measures like the MCO have naturally affected the number of customers coming to showrooms, but we can receive bookings online helping to boost our sales,” he added.

*Bestselling Proton model in the first month of 2021.*

The Saga started the year as the bestselling model with 2,583 units delivered. The two SUV models – the X70 and X50 SUV twins saw lower volumes of 892 units and 1,082 units, respectively. To date, 4,809 units of the X50 have been delivered since its launch at the end of October last year.

Effect on production volume
While Proton’s order bank remains healthy with orders carried over from the end of last year, the company is still working hard for supply to catch up to demand. As an industry that depends on a global supply chain, automotive companies are acutely affected by delays to vendors that have a knock-on effect to their production lines.

“However, our supply lines have been disrupted over the last few months by the coronavirus making it difficult to ensure a steady flow of parts needed to build our cars. It’s something all car manufacturers have been facing for the past year but we are hopeful that with the arrival of a vaccine things will stabilise by the middle of the year,” Encik Roslan said.

Product launch plans remain
Despite the delays, Proton intends to pursue its product launch plans for 2021 as the company strives for more sales growth both domestically and abroad. “For now, Proton will stick to its 2021 product launch schedule. We have an exciting series of improved products in the pipeline while the Proton X50 will now be able to establish its standing in the market by benefitting from a full year of sales,” he said.