Proton posts improved Q1 sales despite mid-March MCO
2020 is proving to be an extremely difficult year for most businesses, let alone carmakers, due to the coronavirus crisis that continues to plague the world. Despite the grim economic outlook, Proton managed to defy the odds, for the first quarter at least, by posting a 20.4 percent improvement in sales compared to 2019.
The national carmaker managed to sell 21,757 cars in the first three months of the year despite an abrupt halt to its operations in the middle of March when the movement control order (MCO) was first implemented. Of that figure, the Proton Saga was naturally the biggest contributor, accounting for 8,824 units, followed by the Persona (5,677 units), X70 (4,145), Iriz (2,009) and Exora (1,091).
Interestingly, the sales total of the locally-assembled Proton X70 is 48 percent lower than the figure achieved by the CBU model within the same three-month period last year, although it is still too early to tell if this is due to delivery issues or reduced buyer sentiment.
Despite the overall Q1 improvement, the MCO has definitely impacted Proton, with its March sales total of 3,277 units marking a 41 percent drop from 2019, and a 67 percent decline against February's figures. However, the company's CEO, Li Chunrong, agrees that " the safety of Malaysia and its people is far more important than any commercial considerations, so Proton stands by the government on the measures taken”.
“We are using this time to strategise and plan our next moves. Challenge is something that we embrace. In a sense, because Proton has fought to return to a much stronger position, my team and I are prepared to weather this storm. Considering our improvement over the last two years, I am quietly confident that Proton will be able to overcome this crisis as we stay focused on our long-term goals.”
