4 years since joining forces with Geely, Proton is experiencing its best years yet
Jerrica · Aug 8, 2021 11:00 AM
To many of us, 2020 feels like it did not happen and since 2021 is shaping up to be much the same, we understand if you’ve totally missed Proton’s fourth anniversary under Geely’s stewardship. Believe it or not, it has been 4 years since Proton joined forces with Geely. In this period, it has been more or less smooth sailing for the national brand.
We say more and less given that Proton did had to endure quite a bit of uncertainty during the Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented by the government back in 2020. And even after the MCO was partially lifted, the company was faced with manufacturing hiccups like shortages in parts due to the economic shutdown in China.
But despite having to close down for a good few months, Proton still managed to record 8.8 percent growth in 2020 and captured 4.4 percent more market share compared to 2019.
The success is mainly contributed by the company’s new B-segment SUV, the Proton X50. The SUV made its highly anticipated debut back in October 2020 and even before the launch Proton received over 20,000 bookings.
Needless to say, the X50 became the country’s best-selling SUV the moment it was launched. Meanwhile, the larger Proton X70 continued its reign in the C-segment SUV market.
But the SUVs are not the only reasons why Proton recorded good results. Earlier this year, Proton also launched 4 special edition models for the Proton Persona, Proton Iriz, Proton Exora, and Proton Saga.
The company recorded its highest monthly sales figure in March, following the launch of these 4 special edition models. The new record broke the company’s highest sales record previously set in September 2013!
Other than that, Proton has also been very focused on establishing the brand in foreign markets. The brand launched models like the Proton Saga and Proton X70 in both Pakistan and Kenya, and even established local assembly of Proton cars in both countries.
In 2020, Proton recorded a 50 percent increase in export sales compared to the previous year. With that record, they have already exceeded yearly export numbers by 174 percent.
Proton kicks off production of Proton Saga in Kenya Plant
As the country battled to stop the spread of the disease, Proton did its part by donating various medical equipment to the Ministry of Health. The company’s staff also redirected their efforts to producing 130,000 face shields.
Despite the challenges, Proton is experiencing its most successful years yet. We’re sure that the upcoming launch of the Proton Iriz Active and the facelifted Persona will only help the brand continue their path to more success.
There isn’t a time in memory that doesn’t involve staring at cars. After discovering the excitement of watching Schumacher vs Hakkinen, Formula 1 became a major part of life. The love for cars and F1 ultimately led to a job with CAR Magazine. The untimely death of the magazine meant a hiatus from cars at lifestyle women’s magazine Marie Claire before another opportunity came knocking again.
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