Over 2k Proton X90 sold in 86 days as it rules Malaysia's D-segment SUV market

July 2023 is another good month for Proton as it saw 13,326 units sold domestically and internationally, a 16.1% improvement over the same month in 2022 (11,477 units). Cumulatively, Proton sold 90,647 units in 2023 so far which is also the earliest P1 has exceeded the 90k-unit barrier since 2012.

Even though the Proton X90 has only been on sale for less than 3 months, the third addition to Proton’s SUV range has taken the overall sales lead in the D-segment SUV market. With 886 units sold in July, that brings the cumulative total to 2,225 units, far ahead of its rivals.

Besides the X90, three other Proton models also took the lead for their respective segments. The Proton Persona is Malaysia’s best-selling B-segment sedan of 2023 so far with 14,533 units in total. It maintained its top spot in July with 1,953 units sold and is on track to exceed total sales from 2022 as early as the end of August.

Also read: Review: Proton Persona facelift – Is the jerky CVT finally fixed?

The next Proton to take the lead in its segment is the Proton X50 which added its July sales of 2,630 units to bring up the cumulative total to 20,192 units in the year so far. However, the X50 ceded its title as Malaysia’s best-selling SUV in July. Any guesses on which model crossed over took that title?

Also read: 2023 Proton X50 R3 Concept: Limited to 200 units only, special bodykit, new wheels

The fourth and final Proton model to lead its segment is the Proton Exora. With 374 units sold in July and bringing total sales up to 2,741 units, the MPV is still finding buyers despite its age and is reportedly looking to be discontinued by the end of 2023.

Also read: End of the road - Proton Exora likely discontinued after 2023

Remaining as the best-selling Proton model is the evergreen Proton Saga which celebrated its 38th anniversary in July. 5,926 units were sold that month which brings the cumulative sales total to 39,251 units. The Saga remains the second best-selling car overall for the second month in a row and is also the second best-selling entry-level sedan in Malaysia.

Also read: 2023 Proton Saga swaps Hyundai's 4AT for Toyota's Aisin unit

As for the remaining two Proton models, the Proton Iriz saw 676 units sold in July while 881 units of the Proton X70 were sold that month. The X70 slipped to 3rd place in terms of sales volume for the C-segment SUV market in July but is placed 2nd overall in the segment with 6,997 units sold so far in 2023.

Also read: Age is catching up - Proton X70 loses No.1 selling C-SUV crown to Toyota Corolla Cross

“With the Proton X90 already leading its class after just 3 months, new model launches on the horizon and the company’s impending entry into the EV market in 2023 via Smart Malaysia, we are confident of hitting our year-end targets,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar.

Also read: Ride, handling, comfort: The Proton X90 was benchmarked against the Mazda CX-8, Hyundai Santa Fe