Proton X70 has experienced very low sales since December 2020 and in the month of March this year the model has recorded zero sales. The bookings have been canceled by the people and are yet to receive the refund amount from the company.
Almost immediately after the Malaysian crossover came to Pakistan in December 2020, COVID-19 hit Malaysia with a heavy blow. There were a series of lockdowns in the country, leading to import restrictions and late deliveries of Proton X70.
The company would take time to clear out the backlog once the deliveries of locally assembled X70 units begin. The other model, Proton 1.3L Saga also faced a huge delay in distribution and the units are only delivered to the awaiting customers. Therefore, for the model X70, the customers still have to wait long for the company to update with its efficiency. Furthermore, only a limited number of CBU units of X70 have been sold and the unavailability of spare parts has also been reported. Additionally, no locally assembled version of CKD is available in the market.
https://twitter.com/pakwheels/status/1518872516873367553
In addition to long delivery times, a massive price increase in the car has also affected the market. The enormous increase of Rs 860,000 on X70 was made on all the awaited deliveries for over a year. The new price of the Proton X70 Executive AWD is PKR 54.0 lac whereas the flagship Premium 2WD variant is now available for PKR 57.5 lac.
Number of cars sold in previous months
The company has only sold 1233 Proton units in 2021, due to the lockdown in Malaysia that lead to the shortage of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts. As a result, the company was unable to produce enough units to meet the demands of the customers in Pakistan. Similarly, the company sold only 86 units in February 2022 and zero units in March this year.
Zero Sales of Proton X70 Reported in March 2022 https://t.co/dNAp5SEC3R
— CarSpiritPK (@CarSpiritPK) April 25, 2022
Features of Proton X70
Proton X70 is a crossover SUV of the C-segment manufactured by the Malaysian automobile company. The vehicle is available in two variants in Pakistan; Proton X70 AWD Executive and Proton X70 FWD Premium. The model exhibits a unique exterior featuring a tiger-themed design. The LED projector headlamps and daytime running lamps (DRLs) are the key features of the car.
Read more: Malaysian SUV Proton X70 launched in Pakistan
Moreover, the interior of the ProtonX70 is large and comfortable with the leather-wrapped steering wheel, switches for audio control, hands-free telephone, and cruise control. One of the modern features of the car includes the auto-dimming rearview mirror, power windows with anti-trap technology, auto dual-zone air conditioning, rear air vents, and an air purifier system.
Additionally, the model incorporates safety features such as 6 SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), automatic brake hold, electronic stability control, traction control, hill hold assist, hill descent control, tire pressure monitoring system, immobilizer, and anti-theft alarm.
The Proton X70 has an efficient engine system as both the variants have a 1.5 TGDI 1477cc engine which generates a maximum output of 177hp at a maximum torque of 255/1500-4000 Nm/rpm.
Read more: Proton reveals facelift for its Iriz and Persona models
Conclusively, the model has experienced a drastic decline in sales despite having unique and modern features and technology. The sales of the Proton X70 can be increased by reducing delivery times and prices, and by focusing more on locally assembled units.