PETALING JAYA: National brands captured 67% of Malaysia’s automotive market in the first half of 2026, up from 63% a year earlier, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).
National marques sold a combined 256,304 vehicles between January and June, up 9% or 20,343 units from 235,961 units in the corresponding period last year. In contrast, non-national brands sold 129,049 vehicles, reducing their market share to 33% from 37% a year earlier.
MAA president Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain said the sustained momentum of national marques also underpinned the association’s decision to raise its 2026 total industry volume (TIV) forecast to 800,000 units from 790,000 units.
“As far as our 800,000 forecast is concerned, it’s actually building into the first-half momentum that we have. The strong momentum from the national brands, and they have already now 67% of the market share. So with that continuous momentum, we feel that 800,000 is a safe number to forecast for 2026,” he told reporters at MAA’s mid-year industry review today.
He said market leader Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) accounted for about 41% of total vehicle sales in the first half, while Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton) captured approximately 26%, lifting the combined market share of the two national carmakers to 67%.
He attributed the stronger first-half performance to robust demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs), accelerating adoption of electrified vehicles (xEVs), supportive government policies and resilient consumer spending.
“Higher demand for SUVs increased by 19%, mainly driven by Proton EVs and new model introductions.”
Sales of electrified vehicles (xEVs), comprising battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), surged 69% year-on-year in the first half, driven by successful new model launches, particularly locally produced EVs, and stronger demand for electrified SUVs.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales more than doubled, rising 106%, while hybrid sales grew 43%, narrowing the gap between the two powertrains. Consequently, xEVs accounted for 13.4% of TIV, up from 8.2% a year earlier. MAA also noted that the sales mix between BEVs and hybrids has shifted from 42:58 previously to almost 50:50, reflecting the rapid acceleration in BEV adoption.
Overall, Malaysia’s automotive industry recorded a 3% increase in TIV to 385,353 units in the first six months of 2026, compared with 373,636 units in the corresponding period last year.
