Malaysia's new vehicle market continued to expand in April 2019, by 6.2% to 49,964 units from 47,047 units in the same month of last year, according to registration data released by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).
This followed an overall positive performance in the first quarter, resulting in a 6% rise in the first four months of the year to 193,028 units from 182,157 units in the same period of last year.
Sales of passenger vehicles were up by 8.3% to 176,448 units in this period from 162,999 units a year earlier, driven mainly by the recent launch of new Proton and Perodua SUVs.
Commercial vehicle sales declined by 13.5% to 16,580 units from 19,158 units a year earlier, reflecting a further slowdown in economic growth in the first quarter of the year to 4.3% from 4.7% last year.
Vehicle production jumped by over 24% to 52,086 units in April from 41,839 units a year earlier, partly in anticipation of an increase in demand ahead of the Hari Raya annual holidays but mostly due to weak output in the first quarter. Over the four month period, output was still 0.8% lower at 196,469 units from 198,053 units previously.

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