Proton X70: 3 Things we like

There has and still is so much buzz around the Proton X70. The Proton X70 is a five-seater SUV and is the company’s first in this space. It is built in conjunction with Geely Auto from China. Geely now owns nearly half the stakes in Proton and has the rights to call the shots. It is likely that the Proton X70 will be just the tip of the iceberg.

There will be more Proton cars which will be based on shared platforms with Geely as well as other participating partners like Volvo. Bookings have already started at RM 1,000 and given that the Proton X70 specifications look very good, there already have been more than 5,000 reservations. Here are three things we like about the new Proton X70.

Plush interior and features

At the preview event held recently, the Nappa leather interior on the top-spec trim was shown. This is one of the plushest Proton interiors we’ve seen. The cabin is done up nicely and first impressions suggest that the vehicle has been built with precision. Long gone is the impression that Chinese vehicles are good at mimicking but lack the quality and finesse, Geely has been doing Volvo cars for quite some time now and there have been no complaints whatsoever from the targeted audience.

To keep the customers happy, Proton has added a lot of features. Dual zone climate control, rear AC vents, panoramic sunroof, LED projector lights, 18-inch alloy wheel, shark fin antenna, powered tailgate, 360-degree camera, remote control for smartphone, Air cleaner, tyre pressure monitoring system, smart air purifier, dashcam supporting rearview camera. As part of the safety tech, are present six airbag, autonomous emergency braking, Hill Hold Assist, ABS with EBD, blind spot monitor and adaptive cruise control are available.

Both the front seats are powered while the rear ones can be reclined as well. Luggage space while not specified should be adequate enough to take on the competition.

Powerful engine

The Proton X70 specs mention that the vehicle will run a 1.8-litre TGDi turbo petrol motor that produces a peak power of 181 PS. The torque rating stands at 285 Nm. This engine will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters being offered with the top variant. All-wheel drive is likely to be standard as well. While there are no 0-100 kmph numbers quoted, we expect it to be sub-10 seconds given that the engine runs a higher compression ratio. The Chinese fuel efficiency cycle rates the mileage of the Proton X70 at 12.8 kmpl. This number is pretty good considering that the top speed should be in excess of 200 kmph.

Reports suggest that the acceleration at lower speeds is pretty peppy and there isn’t much of the turbo lag experienced as well. The vehicle should also be an energy efficient vehicle according to Malaysian standards. Protons have known to be on the good side of EEV certification and there is no reason that their flagship shouldn’t meet this compliance.

Pricing

While the Proton X70 price isn’t out yet, we know that it will be very very competitive. It is likely to upset even some of those compact SUVs or even bigger sedans too. There will be four Proton X70 variants on offer - base Standard 2WD, Executive 2WD, Executive AWD and Premium 2WD. The color options are Jet Grey, Snow White, Flame Red, Armour Silver and Cinnamon Brown.

Given that the Proton X70 will be a locally assembled vehicle, the company can afford to undercut the prices. The prices are expected to start from RM 80,000 with the top model costing around RM 94,000. The basic service cost should be RM 4,500 per 15,000 km. Proton will give you a warranty of five years or one lakh kilometres on the X70. However, given that the competition is with the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson and the Honda CR-V, the Proton X70 will have its work cut out.