Proton has quietly started reporting model sales to Naamsa. Here’s how many vehicles the Malaysian automaker sold in South Africa in July 2023…

The Proton brand returned to the South African market in September 2022 after a decade-long hiatus. Now, the Malaysian automaker has quietly started reporting individual model sales figures to Naamsa, starting with July 2023.

So, just how well is this 40-year-old brand – which is distributed locally by the Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) Group – selling in South Africa right now?

The X70 is the largest vehicle in Proton’s local line-up.

Well, Proton didn’t quite manage to crack 3 figures, having registered 99 units locally in July 2023. That performance saw it place 29th, some way behind the likes of Volvo, Mitsubishi and even a raft of truck makers (such as Iveco, UD Trucks, Scania, MAN and FAW). When considering only the passenger-vehicle segment (and thus excluding light-commercial vehicles and larger trucks), Proton ranked 21st.

Interestingly, 83 of those registrations came via the dealer channel, while 16 represented sales to the rental industry. The Proton X50 was the brand’s top seller in July 2023, with 43 units registered. Next came the X70 (32 units), followed by the Saga sedan (24 units).

The Proton Saga is one of SA’s most affordable sedans.

As a reminder, the 3-strong Saga line-up is priced from R209900 (making it SA’s 2nd-cheapest saloon behind the Suzuki DZire 1.2 GA), while the X50 range includes 4 derivatives and starts at R449900. Finally, the X70 kicks off at R529900, with 4 variants on offer.

The budget sedan draws its urge from a naturally aspirated 1.3-litre motor, while the crossovers – interestingly each built on a Geely platform (the Chinese giant holds a 49.9% stake in Proton) – both use a turbocharged 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol mill, offered in a couple of states of tune.

According to Proton Car South Africa’s website, the brand currently has 26 dealerships dotted around the country.

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