Malaysia’s first national car company, Proton Holdings, reported a 49% year-on-year rise in global sales to 22,632 units in August 2026, its best monthly sales performance since January 2010. The big jump reflected strong demand for both Proton and Geely-based models. Domestic sales rose by 38% to a monthly record of 20,155 units, while overseas sales surged five-fold to 2,477 vehicles, as the company continued to expand into new markets.
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Proton reported 141,421 global sales in the first eight months of the year, a 40% increase on the same period last year, while overseas shipments amounted to 6,059 units, surpassing the 6,000 units it exported in the whole of 2025. The company expects further strong overseas sales growth in the final months of the year.
The Saga compact sedan remains the automaker’s best-selling model, with global sales rising by 34% to just under 60,000 units, followed by the Geely-based X50 compact SUV with 19,910 units, up 12% year-on-year, the e.MAS 5 with 18,013 units, and the S70 with 17,953 units.
Proton sold a total of 6,047 electrified vehicles (xEVs) in August under its e.MAS brand, resulting in 27,860 sales year-to-date, including 18,013 e.MAS 5 sales, and 4,279 e.MAS 7 battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The company launched the e.MAS 7 plug-in hybrid model earlier this year, with sales reaching 5,560 units so far.
Proton’s deputy CEO, Dato’ Abdul Rashid Musa, said in a statement: “By achieving the highest monthly domestic sales volume in Proton history, we have reached an important milestone that reflects the confidence customers place in our products and services. Our range continues to offer technology, design, quality, safety and performance, supported by a strong value proposition.”
“At the same time, we are making strong gains in our export business, particularly in the area of assembling vehicles for our partner Geely, while ongoing efforts by the Proton e.MAS team have resulted in the brand taking a dominant market share in the EV market and another record-setting month. As a result, Proton is well-placed to reach its year-end volume and financial goals, benefiting the entire local automotive ecosystem as a whole.”
