Proton hits 15-year high with 100,346 units sold in first half of 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Proton has recorded its strongest first-half sales performance in 15 years, delivering 100,346 units in the first six months of 2026.

This represents a 39.1 per cent increase over the same period in 2025 and places the national carmaker halfway toward its full-year target of 200,000 units.

In June alone, the company delivered 16,052 units, driven by steady demand for both internal combustion engine (ICE) and new energy vehicle (NEV) line-ups.

Despite the market shift toward electrification, Proton’s conventional models continue to lead their respective categories. The Saga remains the top-selling model with 44,375 units sold year-to-date, a 40 per cent increase from last year.

In the sedan and SUV segments, the S70 remains Malaysia’s best-selling C-segment sedan (12,832 units, up 37.3 per cent), while the X50 retains its position as the top-selling B-segment and overall SUV (15,345 units, up 35.1 per cent). The X90 also saw growth in the D-segment 7-seater category, performing 50 per cent better than the first half of 2025.

“Surpassing 100,000 sales before the halfway point of the year is an important milestone for Proton and reflects the confidence Malaysians continue to place in our products and brand,” said Datuk Abdul Rashid Musa, deputy chief executive officer of Proton.

Growth in new energy vehicles

The Proton e.MAS arm reported significant growth, with 17,920 vehicles delivered in the first half of 2026 — a 321 per cent increase year-on-year.

The locally assembled e.MAS 5 is currently the country’s top-selling EV with 10,793 units sold year-to-date, followed by the e.MAS 7 with 3,053 units. Additionally, the e.MAS 7 PHEV has become Malaysia’s top-selling plug-in hybrid, recording 4,074 units year-to-date and maintaining over 1,000 deliveries per month since its February launch.

Zhang Qiang, chief executive officer of PRO-NET, attributed this acceptance to lower ownership costs, an expanding charging infrastructure, and a growing dealer network.

Proton heads into the second half of the year focusing on expanding production capacity to reduce delivery lead times. The company also plans to upgrade its retail experience and participate in national vehicle-replacement initiatives.

Following previews at KLIMS 26, further product launches are expected as Proton works toward its 200,000-unit annual goal.