Although the disastrous floods that struck Selangor at the end of 2021 have been over for nearly two months, the full extent of their impact is only now becoming apparent — at least in terms of Proton sales. In January, the national automaker registered only 4,453 vehicles, down from 14,187 in December.
When compared to the same month last year, which was also affected by the reinstatement of the movement control order, sales fell by 25.3 percent — sales fell by a whopping 68.6 percent when compared to December's data. The company's market share is now projected to be 11.3 percent.
Vendors were impeded by flooding in the Shah Alam area, which delayed production and left dealers short on stock, according to Proton. As the corporation sought to close the gap between supply and demand, this was exacerbated by a shortage of carryover stock from December.
The Saga, Proton's annual bestseller, had a sales slump in January, with only 76 units sold, the Exora's 54 units. The SUVs were left to hold the fort, as production of the X50 and X70 was the first to resume, and while sales of 2,601 and 799 units, respectively, were well below December's statistics, they were still enough to keep the company in first place in the SUV standings. As usual, the Persona (694 units) and Iriz (229 units) trailed them.
Plus, Proton has received over 1,200 cars for flood-related repairs at its service centers, according to the company. "Proton would like to encourage any flood-damaged vehicle owners to take their vehicles to one of our network of approved repair centers to take advantage of perks such as free towing and car washes, as well as discounted parts and labor charges."