Malaysian Auto Market March 2026: Honda Sales Double, Jetour Breaks into Top 10!

The JPJ vehicle registration data for March 2026 has been released earlier than usual, revealing a robust performance by the Malaysian automotive market at the end of the first quarter. While the traditional "National Duo" (Proton and Perodua) continued to lead the pack, the recovery of Japanese brands and the intense ranking battle among Chinese newcomers have become the standout highlights of the month.

Top 20 Best-selling Car Brands in Malaysia – March 2026

Key Data Insights:

The National Duo: Perodua remains "Big Brother", Proton under pressure

Perodua continued its dominance in March, registering 24,530 units. Proton recorded 15,243 units, representing 62% of Perodua's volume. However, Proton's momentum has clearly slowed compared to January, when it achieved 19,750 units (76% of Perodua's sales) driven by its blockbuster model.

Annual Observation: As of the end of March, Proton has achieved 24% of its 200,000-unit annual sales target.

Japanese Counterattack: Honda delivers the wildest performance

Honda was undoubtedly the most eye-catching brand in March. After a relatively slow start to the year, its sales nearly doubled to 7,062 units, a strong rebound that brings its year-to-date progress to 23% of its 60,000-unit annual target. Mazda also staged an impressive comeback, surging 137% month-on-month and returning to the 1,000-unit mark.

Chinese Brands Reshuffle: Omoda | Jaecoo rises, Jetour becomes the dark horse

The brands under the Chery Group displayed varied trends in March:

Omoda | Jaecoo: Omoda and Jaecoo delivered an extremely stable performance, achieving a new single-month record of 1,494 units. Their cumulative sales have now surpassed the main Chery brand.

Chery: Chery's sales continued to decline, falling from 1,287 units in January to 892 units in March.

Jetour: Jetour was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the month. With its travel and off-road positioning, Jetour surged 165% month-on-month and broke into the Top 10 best-selling brands for the first time.

Luxury Brands & EV Trends

German Rivalry: Mercedes-Benz (727 units) holds a slight lead over BMW (672 units).

Tesla: Tesla made a notable comeback, re-entering the monthly Top 20 for the first time in 2026 with 338 registrations in March.

New Energy Volatility: Zeekr's performance remained weak, with sales declining further to 177 units in March.

From the registration data, Honda's "full-blooded revival" and Jetour's explosive rise stand out as the biggest highlights of the month. With a wave of new models scheduled to launch in the second quarter, the competition in the Malaysian automotive market is set to intensify even further.

If you were in the market for a new car, would you stick with the rock-solid national brands or opt for the currently popular Chinese newcomers? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!