Proton sales drop 31% in Feb 2026 to 13,566 units due to festive season – Saga 6k units, S70 nearly 2k units

After a high of 19,833 vehicles sold in January – its best performance in 15 years – Proton’s sales took a sharp dip of 31% to 13,566 units as the many festive holidays, including Thaipusam and Chinese New Year, suppressed deliveries, the national carmaker said.

The decline actually outpaced the total industry volume, which is only expected to fall by 17.6% to 52,996 units. As a result, the company’s estimated market share slid from 30.6% to 25.6% last month, although the year-to-date figure held strong at 28.5%. Still, February’s sales were 20.8% up compared to the same period last year (11,232 units), so it’s not all doom and gloom.

A lot of this decrease can be attributed to the Saga. Having hit its best ever month of 10,285 units in January, its sales went back down to its usual level of 6,047 units. Total YTD sales are therefore at 16,332 units, which is still a 69.8% increase over last year – allowing Proton to continue claiming the car as Malaysia’s best-selling model.

Meanwhile, the company’s other sedan, the S70, has seen a welcome uptick in form. Sales hit 1,940 units last month (up from 1,604 units in January), making it the company’s second best-selling model. Year-to-date sales have therefore risen to 3,544 units, up 51.5% over 2025.

Its performance will no doubt be bolstered further – in more ways than one – by the new 2026 MC version, launched in the middle of February with a new 181 PS 1.5 litre i-GT turbo four-cylinder. In fact, bookings for the new car have already reached 5,000 units.

Hot on the S70’s heels was the X50 with 1,842 units sold, leading to YTD sales of 4,271 units, 31.1% ahead of the previous year. As we reported yesterday, sales of the eMas 5 EV have crossed the 5,000 mark, meaning that Proton’s overall second best-selling model of the year is still electric.

“[The year] has started brightly for Proton with strong customer interest for our new range of models that offer a compelling mix of design, the latest technologies, efficiency and value. At the same time, our efforts to improving the customer experience in the showroom and service centres is starting to pay dividends, further reinforcing our brand values.

“In the short-term, our most immediate challenge is to manage customer waiting times by increasing production and delivery numbers every month while maintaining product quality levels. With the investments made in our Tanjong Malim plant in recent years, we can meet the challenge, which should be proven by the sales numbers in the next few months,” said Proton Edar CEO Abdul Rashid Musa.

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