Proton to expand used car management network

Proton Holdings Bhd is targeting to establish its used car management (UCM) operations at 36 3S/4S outlets nationwide this year, riding on the increasing demand for used cars.

In a statement today, the car manufacturer said new buying patterns are emerging since the COVID-19 outbreak, one being the growth in used car sales, which according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) grew by 100 per cent in the first six months of 2020.

"Proton saw this as a crucial piece of overall strategy and started to develop a UCM department so as to streamline the sales and distribution of used cars in support of new car sales," it said.

Head of used car management Brian Cheah said with Proton's sales growing quickly and expected to increase over the coming years, the role of used car management has become more important as the company assists customers who need to dispose of their used vehicles.

He said the target set for UCM is for replacement sales, where a current owner trades in a Proton model for a new one, to account for a minimum of 10 per cent of the volume for outlets with UCM operations.

The company has also established programmes to help achieve the target such as Proton Xchange, designed to encourage current owners to replace their current cars with the newest Proton model.

-- BERNAMA