Malaysia auto sales 2023: 799,731 units sold; check complete breakdown here

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) has revealed the sales figures for 2023, showcasing an all-time high record. The sector recorded a total industry volume of 799,731 units, which shows an 11% increase over 721,177 units sold in 2022. 

This surge is propelled by the passenger cars sub-segment supported by a resilient domestic economy and a stable socio-political environment according to MAA President Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain. Other factors that contributed to the sales growth are tax-free incentives, new launches with competitive prices, and an improved industry supply chain environment.

A detailed breakdown of Malaysia's auto sales in 2023 is as follows - 

Category-wise breakdown 

The total units sold for the passenger vehicle category reached an impressive 719,160. Notably, 481,300 (Perodua and Proton) units belonged to national carmakers, while 224,112 units were attributed to non-national carmakers (Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and others). In the commercial vehicle segment, a total of 80,571 units were sold. 

Brand-wise breakdown

Brand	Total sales (in units)	Market share
Perodua	330,325	41.3%
Proton	150,975	18.9%
Toyota	106,206	13.9%
Honda	80,027	11.1%
Mitsubishi	21,719	3.3%
Others	110,479	13.7%
Total	799,731	100%

Vehicle-type-wise breakdown

Dissecting the passenger vehicle sales by type, 440,305 units were passenger cars, 790 units were window vans, 64,937 units were multi-purpose vehicles, and 194,291 units were four-wheel drive/SUVs. The commercial vehicle segment category encompassed 4,735 vans, 58,600 pickups, 15,294 trucks, 1,739 prime movers, and 203 buses.

Electrified and pure-electric vehicles

Turning to the realm of electrified vehicles, a total of 38,055 units were sold in Malaysia in 2023. This included 28,055 hybrid vehicles and 10,159 pure electric vehicles (EVs).

Month-wise breakdown

Month	Units
January	50,162
February	63,544
March	78,895
April	47,800
May	63,154
June	62,601
July	64,765
August	72,836
September	68,187
October	76,147
November	73,242
December	78,398

Throughout the year, total vehicle sales in Malaysia displayed monthly variations, with the highest sales recorded in December at 78,398 units and the lowest in April at 47,800 units.

Total Industry Volume forecast for 2024 

MAA's outlook for 2024 foresees a 7.5% dip in the sales of all vehicles. The downturn is expected due to consumer concerns regarding subsidy rationalisation, the high cost of living, and increased service tax rates for vehicle repair and maintenance.

Also read: 2023 Recap: Top 10 cars launched in Malaysia