Proton X90 debuts in three overseas markets

In the late 1980s, Proton was the first company to export Malaysian-made cars overseas. It made the world aware that Malaysia was also a car-producing nation and its name was known even as far as South America.

While strong domestic demand restrained its export activities, it nevertheless realised that overseas sales would become an important part of its business in future. With Geely having become a partner in Proton, the push for exports is stronger than ever and there’s also a new range of products to offer other markets.

Overseas sales have grown rapidly since 2022 although there are challenges from external factors affecting global economies which have dampened the company’s sales potential in several major export markets.

Despite the challenges, Proton has remained steadfast in its determination to expand its reach beyond Malaysia’s borders.

Different countries are constantly being evaluated and explored for their potential while the roll-out of products to existing markets gathers pace.

Since the middle of this year, Proton has been shipping its flagship, the X90, to three markets where they have now been launched. The markets are Mauritius, South Africa and Brunei.

The model was launched in Mauritius in early August, and then it made its debut in South Africa towards the end of the same month. The venue for the South African launch was the Festival of Motoring at the historically significant Kyalami Racing Circuit which has hosted Formula 1 races.

Simultaneously with the launch in South Africa, the X90 was also introduced to the Brunei market at an event attended by the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam, Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah.

“2023 has been challenging for Proton’s export business as many of our export markets are experiencing economic challenges resulting in capital market controls. However, our efforts to explore opportunities in other markets are continuing with groundwork underway in Fiji, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Iraq, among others,” said Steven Xu, Proton’s Director of International Sales.

“Simultaneously, we remain focused in growing our presence in our current export markets. The debut of the Proton X90, the company’s first New Energy Vehicle (NEV), in three export markets took place just 3 months after its Malaysian launch on May7. It has helped to uplift Proton’s brand image in those markets. We view this as an investment in our future as we position ourselves to take advantage of improved market conditions in the future,” added Mr. Xu.

Brunei market growing
The popularity of Proton models has been surging in Brunei in recent months with the market achieving historical highs. During August, Proton vehicle sales hit the three-figure mark for the first time as 100 units were registered.

The moment the X90 became available, the first batch of X90s met with strong positive response and has been selling rapidly. Other models are also finding favour with buyers in the market which has annual sales of around 13,000 units.

“The strong sales performance of Proton vehicles in Brunei this year is a result of the strength of our model line-up as well as the efforts of our importers. Culturally, there are many similarities between car buyers in Brunei and Malaysia, and the brand has a long history in the country, so we are very pleased to see we can still experience sales growth in a matured market,” said Mr. Xu.