Proton expect 7 percent increase in sales in 2010
Filed Under (Business News) by Webmaster on 21-04-2010
Tagged Under : Proton
NATIONAL carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd (5304) is optimistic of recording 6 to 7 per cent growth in sales this year on improved consumer sentiment and demand for its core models, launches of improved version of existing models as well as unveiling of all-new models.
“We are looking at 6 to 7 per cent growth in our own volume alone from the domestic market. We are quite happy based on the current customer demand, and are quite confident we can see another growth year for Proton in the domestic market.
“But, I think the focus will be more on the overseas market, which we are pushing very hard. And I believe this year, there will be another big growth for our export drive,” its managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told newsmen during his visit to The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd (NSTP) office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The company plans to introduce two facelift models, as well as one all-new model this year. The all-new model is likely to be a replacement model for the existing Proton Waja.
“We are planning to launch a new car towards the last quarter of the year. Along the way, there will be two new variants or facelifts to be introduced. The new model will be a replacement model, as you know, some of the cars are aging,” said Syed Zainal Abidin.
Bookings for its core models such as Saga, Persona and Exora have been encouraging with around 7,000 units, 4,000 units and 2,500 units respectively over the past few months.
Nevertheless, the company believes that there is still room for improvement for these numbers.
“I think there’s an ability to push a bit more. But to push, it’s not about marketing, it’s about the network. We have to work closely with the dealers, the financial institutions (for car loans), among others, to achieve that,” he said.
For the first nine months ended December 31 2009, Proton’s net profit jumped more than tenfold to RM216.3 million, while sales grew by 16 per cent to RM5.9 billion. Better domestic and Exora sales helped drive the growth.
