2019 Proton X70: Buy or skip

The Proton X70 is one of the latest models in the Malaysian marque’s line-up and as fate would have it, it’s a crossover SUV. Basically, if you were to scratch away all the Proton badges, you’d eventually end up with an Emgrand X7 Sport, which is a Geely. However, in the Malaysian context, the Proton X70 is nothing short of a success story, so far at least. The X70’s expressive exterior design, smart-looking, and feature-packed interior, competitive pricing all work well in its favour.

In Malaysia, the X70’s strong sales have helped Proton propel itself to the number two spot in terms of overall market share. Meanwhile, the carmaker successfully managed to move over 11,100 units of the crossover, this year alone! But, all said and done, should you sign on the dotted line and get yourself a brand-new Proton X70? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out.

Does it look alright?

In a word, yes. It does. The Proton X70 (like its Chinese alter ego) sports a thoroughly modern and urbane design. One thing’s for certain, at no point would you actually yawn whilst looking at an X70. The sharp yet pleasing face of the X70 wears a chrome surround for its triple-slatted grille, while the sleek headlamps feature a bright and crisp LED DRL strip. Meanwhile, the taut bonnet and chiselled bumper add an air of elegance and moderate aggression - the latter also incorporates LED fog lights and a skid plate.

The bold side profile of the X70 stands out mainly because of its ‘floating roof’ effect and the kick-up shoulder line. Other noticeable design elements include the five-spoke alloy rims, protruding wheel arches and of course, the obligatory plastic protective/designer trim pieces along the lower section of the body. The rear looks quite fancy with its stylish back window, svelte wrap-around tail lights, well-contoured tailgate, and a beefed up bumper with integrated dual exhausts and an air diffuser/skid plate. In terms of its size, the Proton X70 is a tad smaller than the Honda CR-V, though it’s positively a size bigger than either the Hyundai Tucson or the Kia Sportage.

Bring out a measuring tape and the five-seat X70 would score 4,519 mm X 1,831 mm X 1,694 mm, thus uncovering its length, width, and height, respectively. Meanwhile, its wheelbase stretches to 2,670 mm and once weighed in, the X70 tips the scales at 1.7 tonnes.

How does the interior fare?

The chain of pleasantness permeates the interior of the Proton X70 as well. The whole design and layout hold enough visual appeal to appease a lot of buyers. There’s a good variety of different textures and colors in here, while many touch-points look (and some even feel) premium. The flat-bottom steering wheel, digital instrument console, faux metal inlays, metallic grab handles, leatherette door trim, and the piano black surrounds of the head unit all amalgamate surprisingly well.

The Nappa leather seats, too, feel soft and cushy, while also offering decent support. In terms of overall cabin space, the front row scores well, though the rear can feel a touch tight for taller passengers. Thankfully, the large split sunroof lets enough light and thus opens up some amount of space, in a manner of speaking. Of course, cost-cutting is evident but only if you go about touching and feeling all the cabin bits like a motoring journo. However, given the aggressive price and seeing the upward trend on the quality front (given its Chinese roots), the X70’s share of low-rent plastic is something I think one should be able to live with. Oh, and did I mention its toys and gadgets?

The Proton X70 specs shet shows it to be equipped with adaptive cruise control, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry & go, power-adjustable front seats with 2-way driver’s lumbar support, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, drive mode and steering mode selection, an 8-inch touch-infotainment system with smartphone connectivity and navigation, and a 9-speaker sound system. Furthermore, the X70’s 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating means it also benefits from having six airbags, all-around parking sensors with surround cameras, hill-descent control, electronic stability control, traction control system, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, etc. etc.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Proton X70 comes with a 1.8-litre turbocharged four-banger that generates 181 hp and 285 Nm of torque. All X70’s use a 6-speed automatic gearbox, but can be had with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Top speed is north of 180 kmph, with 0-100 kmph taking 10.5 seconds, while fuel consumption (for the AWD variant) stands at 12 kmpl.

Costing from just RM 99,800, the Proton X70 offers one of the best packages in its segment, and for that, it gets a thumbs-up.