Proton outperforms wider market decline with 16,995 May sales, Saga and e.MAS lead

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Proton recorded sales of 16,995 units in May, outperforming the wider automotive market despite an estimated 15.4 per cent month-on-month decline in total industry volume.

In a statement today, the national carmaker said its year-to-date sales for the first five months of 2026 stood at 84,294 units, up 38 per cent from the same period last year, with an estimated market share of 26.7 per cent.

It said the Saga returned as Malaysia’s best-selling vehicle in May, with 7,398 units delivered during the month and 37,375 units sold year-to-date.

The company said its e.MAS range also topped electrified vehicle charts, with the e.MAS 7 PHEV becoming Malaysia’s best-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle after 1,181 units were delivered in May and 2,936 units sold cumulatively since its February 4 launch.

It added that the e.MAS 7 EV reclaimed the top spot among electric vehicles in Malaysia in May with 958 units delivered, while the e.MAS 5 remained Malaysia’s best-selling EV year-to-date with 9,357 units sold.

Proton also said the S70 recorded 2,350 units in May, while the X50 remained the best-selling model in its SUV class and segment with 2,793 units delivered.

Deputy chief executive officer Dato. Ir. Abdul Rashid Musa said Proton’s 2026 performance showed Malaysians continued to respond to products offering “strong value, advanced technology, and a rewarding ownership experience”.

The company said its e.MAS models delivered 3,022 units in May across domestic and export markets, bringing year-to-date sales to 14,687 units, led by the e.MAS 7 PHEV with 1,181 units and the e.MAS 7 EV with 958 units.

PRO-NET chief executive officer Zhang Qiang said the response to the e.MAS range reflected growing consumer confidence in electrified vehicles, adding that Proton was strengthening supply as local assembly ramps up for the e.MAS 7 and begins for the e.MAS 5.