Malaysia 1992: Proton Saga up to record 52.2% share in market down -19.5%

The new model lifts the Proton Saga Iswara to a stratospheric 52.2% share at home.

The Malaysian new car market hits the brakes in 1992 at -19.5% year-on-year to just 141.236 registrations. However local behemoth Proton and its sole nameplate the Saga, now called Saga Iswara, only drop -5.6% and as a result break the symbolic 50% market share milestone for the first time at 52.2%. That’s almost 6 times as many registrations as #2 Toyota (-31%). Nissan (-33.2%) and Honda (-26.3%) hold onto the #3 and #4 spot respectively, while Daihatsu (-25.2%) makes the Top Five 100% Asian by knocking Ford (-38.8%) down to #6. Mazda (-46.9%), Mitsubishi (-41.1%) and Isuzu (-34.2%) are hit particularly hard.

In the models ranking, the Toyota Corolla (+16.9%) ignores the surrounding gloom to leap up 5 spots to #2 overall, however only selling 12 times less than the Saga. The Nissan Sunny (+1.6%) and Honda Civic (-1.7%) make it 3 compact Japanese in the Top 4 with the Toyota Liteace (-29.7%) rounding up the Top 5 ahead of the Honda Accord (-45%). Note the arrival of the Citroen ZX at #36.

Previous year: Malaysia 1991: Proton Saga improves to 44.5% share

Full Year 1992 Top 20 All-brands and Top 83 All-models vs. Full Year 1991 figures below.