First Impressions: Proton eMAS 5 - Real world usage, Genting run and 13 durians in the frunk

KUALA LUMPUR:If you really want to know what the Proton eMAS 5 is like, forget the spec sheet for a moment. Imagine this instead, a full charge at Proton’s Shah Alam HQ, a whole day of Klang Valley errands, a durian stop where we see how many buah we can stuff into the frunk, then a late run up to Genting just to find out if this cute little EV can actually make you grin.

All of that happened in one go on an organised media drive by PRO-NET, the PROTON subsidiary in charge of its electric models, which gave us a proper real-world taste of what the e.MAS 5 is like to live with.

Short answer: yes. Longer answer: read on.

Also Read: The wait is over: Proton e.MAS 5 launched - starts from RM 56,800

So, what are we driving here?

The eMAS 5 is Proton’s first proper mass market EV for the rakyat, a B-segment hatchback based on the Geely Xingyuan, with the motor at the back and drive sent to the rear wheels. 

In Malaysia it comes in two variants, Prime and Premium, both using CATL LFP batteries. The Prime gets a 30.12 kWh pack and a modest 79 PS motor with a claimed 225 km WLTP range, while the Premium steps up to a 40.16 kWh battery, a 116 PS motor with 150 Nm of torque, and a claimed 325 km WLTP range.

Prices are what really make people sit up. At the time of writing Proton is asking around RM57k for the Prime and RM70k for the Premium, on the road without insurance.

That drops the eMAS 5 straight into “Myvi money” territory, only this one drinks electrons. The car we drove for this first impression is the Premium, the one most people will be eyeing anyway due to its upgrade in range and power. 

Inside, you get a very modern layout with a large 14.6 inch central touchscreen, running a version of Geely’s Flyme Auto operating system, plus a digital instrument display and the usual suite of connectivity and safety toys, including six airbags and L2 driver assistance. It feels closer to a mini tech lounge than a budget city hatchback.

Morning in Shah Alam: quiet start, busy day

We started the day at Proton HQ in Shah Alam with the car fully charged, showing around 320 km of range on the display. That alone already puts it in a comfortable zone for most Klang Valley users, especially those doing the usual home to office to school run shuffle.

The first part of the route was very normal Malaysian car life. Shah Alam to Old Town for some errands, or in our case some photos, then to a café near Digital Mall in Petaling jaya for some lunch, then later into town for a pit stop and finally up to Bamboo Hills. Lots of traffic lights, plenty of slow traffic, and the odd short blast to keep up with the flow.

In that environment the eMAS 5 does what good EVs do best. You glide away from a stop with no drama, no gearshifts, no engine noise, just a soft whirr and tyre noise. The steering is light at low speed, visibility is decent, and the compact footprint makes it less stressful to thread through tight old shoplots and randomly double parked cars.

Ride comfort feels tuned more for city life than high speed blasting, which is what you want in something like this. It soaks up the usual patched tarmac and expansion joints well enough, and the rear motor layout means there is no vibration from anything spinning in front of you. Just point, prod the pedal, and it goes.

One thing worth pointing out is the steering. It is light. I had no complaints, in my opinion, it makes the car easy to place in traffic and around tight spots, but my media colleague in the passenger seat wasn’t a fan at all.

If you prefer a heavier, more “old school” feel, this might bug you the way it did him. There’s no way to tweak it either, since there are no settings for variable steering weight, so you pretty much have to take it as it comes.

13 durians in the frunk: practicality, Malaysian edition

A practicality test came when we stopped for durian. Instead of the usual “can the boot fit a stroller” test, we went full Malaysia and decided to see how many durians we could throw into the frunk.

Final score: thirteen.

Thirteen durians, neatly tucked into the front compartment, with the cabin still usable and the rear seats untouched. That is the sort of weird but very real life scenario that shows how useful a front trunk can be in a compact EV. You get to keep the smelly stuff away from your cabin and still have the main boot free for luggage, kids’ bags, or camera gear.

It also says a lot about how Proton and Geely have packaged the eMas 5. Because the motor sits at the rear, the space under the front bonnet can be turned into proper storage instead of wasted plastic covers. For owners, that is free extra space. For us, it was free extra durian.

Real world efficiency: range anxiety, who? (if you use it mainly in town)

By the time we reached Bamboo Hills, after doing the whole Shah Alam – PJ – Jalan Alor – Bamboo circuit, the range meter still showed around 286 km left. We started at around 320 km, which means we used only about 34 km of indicated range for a full morning and afternoon of running around.

The car’s trip computer showed an efficiency figure of 10 kWh per 100 km under our driving. That means for every 100 km, the eMas 5 was only sipping 10 kWh out of the battery. Put that against the Premium’s 40.16 kWh pack and on paper you are looking at the potential for over 400 km if you keep driving like this, even though Proton only quotes 325 km.

Of course, there is a catch. EV torque is addictive. The more you enjoy that instant shove at the lights and the more you hustle it along, the more that neat little 10 kWh per 100 km figure starts creeping up.

Still, the important bit is this. Driven in a fairly normal way, with photoshoots, food stops, and KL traffic, the eMas 5 felt like it had more range in hand than the brochure number suggests.

In other words, if you're just trodding around town, range anxiety does not even get a chance to show up.

The Genting question: can it actually be fun?

A lot of people will accept that EVs are smooth and efficient in the city. The real question is whether something like the eMas 5 can be enjoyable on a proper driving road. Which is why the next part of our test was a blast up to Genting Highlands.

On paper the numbers are nothing crazy. Around 116 PS and 150 Nm for the Premium, going to the rear wheels through a single speed gearbox.In reality, on that climb, it turned out to be much more entertaining than expected.

The first surprise was how eager it feels out of tight corners. The motor’s torque arrives instantly, so you get that little giggle moment each time you squeeze the throttle on the exit. You do not have to rev or drop gears. You just lean in and the car surges forward with a kind of clean, continuous shove that suits Genting’s gradient very well.

Handling is where the eMAS 5 really starts to show its character. The rear drive layout gives it a slightly more playful balance than your typical front wheel drive hatchback. You feel the rear pushing, not just the front pulling, and that makes the car feel more alive when you turn in.

At the same time, the chassis tuning keeps it friendly and predictable. Grip levels are sensible rather than silly, and when you start to approach the limit the traction control is very quick to catch any nonsense and tuck the car back into line.

The turning radius deserves a mention too. Some of the sharper, switchback style corners on the Genting route can make larger cars feel clumsy. In the eMas 5, those same bends suddenly feel like a playground. You can tuck the nose into the apex, rotate neatly, and be back on the power almost immediately without wrestling the steering.

Is it a baby hot hatch? that would be overselling it. But did it make us laugh out loud a few times on the way up Absolutely. For a compact EV at this price point, that is a big compliment. And imagine, this, if you has some proper performance oriented tyres, the fun could be even more up those infamous rock and roll hills.  

Coming back down to earth

On the way back down the next day, the eMAS 5 settled back into its other job, which is to be a calm little runabout. Regenerative braking helps take some load off the physical brakes, and the pedal feel remains consistent even after a good workout. As with most EVs, you quickly learn to lean on regen to manage speed and keep things smooth.

Another thing to point out, even in the strongest regen setting, the car still feels quite mild on regeneration. That’s good if you like a more traditional coasting and engine-braking style feel, but not so great if you’re hoping to use regen to really slow the car before turning in. I get the sense most people will actually prefer that more natural, ICE-like behaviour.

Back on flatter ground, the car slips right back into city mode. Light steering at low speed, easy parking, and that reassuring feeling that you still have plenty of range left even after doing something a bit silly like a run up to Genting and then heading back to Shah Alam.

By the end of the day, the efficiency number stayed respectable, and the range meter still looked healthy. The bigger takeaway is that we never once stared at the display worrying whether we would make it home. The car earned trust in a couple of days, which is important for anyone moving from a petrol car to their first EV.

Early verdict: does the eMAS 5 feel ready for real Malaysian life?

As a first impression, the Proton eMAS 5 Premium feels like a very complete answer to a very Malaysian question.

Can an affordable EV handle everyday Klang Valley life, spontaneous food runs, and the odd Genting blast without turning into a stressful science experiment The eMAS 5’s performance so far says yes.

It is compact enough for narrow streets and condo car parks, quiet enough to make your daily grind a bit calmer, and efficient enough that you start thinking about charging like you think about topping up your phone, not like planning a military operation.

The fact that it can also swallow thirteen durians in the frunk and still have a usable cabin is the sort of bonus that only really matters here, but it matters a lot.

No car is perfect. Some will want even more range. Some will still be nervous about charging infrastructure. Some may prefer a larger body style for full family duty. But as a first proper taste of Proton’s mass market EV future, the eMAS 5 already feels like it understands how Malaysians actually drive and live.

It did the school run style city grind. It did the durian test. It did Genting, and made us giggle on the way up. For a first date, that is a very strong start.

Also Read: Proton e.MAS 7 hits 7,413 units sold, e.MAS 5 bookings surpass 10,000 nationwide