KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 ― Local carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd has become the country’s second best-selling marque last month after a 37-month hiatus from the spot, among others due to its X70 sports utility vehicle (SUV) launched in December last year.

Sales for the national automotive company reached 7,011 units in April 2019, an increase of 14.1 per cent from the month before, and a whopping 75 per cent improvement over the same period last year.

The strong sales figures also saw Proton now having a 13.6 per cent share of the overall car market.

"Proton is proud to finish second in overall sales in April 2019, returning to the position for the first time in over three years. Our aim is to try and end the year in second place to create a solid base for our long-term goal of leading the Malaysian car market again.

"With the launch of the Iriz and Persona and improved versions of the Proton Exora and Saga set to be introduced later this year, the company is quietly confident it can achieve its goal,” said Proton Chief Executive Officer Li Chunrong in a statement.

Li also said that strong sales is a testament to how the company is moving in the right direction.

In a statement, Proton attributes the positive growth thanks to the strong sales performance of the X70 SUV and the entry-level Proton Saga, while a boost in sales was seen with the launch of the 2019 facelift of its Proton Iriz compact car and Person sedana on April 23.

Proton Saga remains the brand’s best-selling model as it sold 3,047 units last month, even beating the sales the X70, a rebadged version of the Boyue model from Proton’s China-based owner Geely.

However, the X70 remains the top SUV choice for Malaysians, with 11,133 units delivered this year alone, and grabbing almost a quarter of the market share for the SUV segment.

Rival local carmaker Perodua remains the country’s market leader.