Proton X50

Overview

We might see a new compact SUV from Proton and rumors suggest, it will be called X50. Well, we are not sure about the actual name of the car, as the company has not made anything official yet. A number of names were trademarked by the company recently, and the X50 looks most promising, especially after the introduction of the X70. This new car is said to be based on Geely  Binyue, a sub-compact SUV that was recently introduced in the Chinese market. Only recently, the automaker was seen testing the Binyue in the country, thus making sure it suits the local market requirements. Once launched, this new car will be slotted below the X70 SUV and will most probably compete with the likes of the Perodua Aruz and Toyota Rush. Also, the Geely Binyue is expected to see its fair share of personalised changes both in terms of design language and onboard features, all suiting the local market needs before going for sale.

The Binyue underpins Geely’s B-segment Modular Architecture and with Proton’s RM 1.2 billion investment in the Tanjung Malim facility, it sure will support the building of the platform. On the engine front, the Binyue is offered in two turbocharged petrol engines. One is a 1.0-litre mill that churns out 134 hp of power and 205 Nm of torque. Also, there is a bigger option that is co-developed by Volvo, it is the 1.5-litre unit generating 174 hp of maximum power along with a peak torque of 255 Nm. On the equipment front, the car is expected to stock some advanced set of units all working to make your drive comfortable and enjoyable. Seeing the Binyue specs sheet we can expect to see a GKUI system, 7-inch LCD instrument panel, 10.25-inch main display, autonomous emergency braking, and even Level 2 autonomous driving features like adaptive cruise control and parking assist. In totality, it seems that Proton is working seriously on its commitment to introduce a new car every year till 2021.