It’s the first SUV to hit the Proton showrooms, and it ushers a new era for Proton under the stewardship of Geely, The Proton X70 SUV seems to have all the right ingredients entering into the SUV market.
We may have not driven it yet but on the surface the Proton X70 has convinced us of its worthiness for a test drive and consideration and we will tell you which variant is worth your money
Exterior
Size wise the X70 is smaller than the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 in terms of length and width but it’s taller than both the Japanese counterparts. At 2670mm the wheelbase slots right between the CR-V and CX-5. Boot space at 515 liters trails behind the Peugeot 3008 and Honda CR-V but the X70 up’s the Mazda CX-5’s capacity. This is how the stats stack up between the Proton X70 and the other SUV’s in the segment.
All cars come standard with LED headlamps front and rear except for the entry level Standard 2WD. The Standard 2WD gets 17 inch rims while the Executive 2WD and 4WD gets 18 inch rims. The flagship premium 2WD comes with 19 inch rims.
Under the Hood
Enforcing the Sports in the Sports Utility Vehicle tag is the turbocharged 1.8 liter engine under the X70’s hood. It’s a direct injection petrol powered unit which puts out 184PS and crucially 285Nm from 1700-4000 rpm. That’s a staggering 45Nm more than the Peugeot 3008 and 42Nm more than the Honda CR-V. Power is sent through the front wheels for the 2WD models via a 6 speed torque convertor gearbox. The 4WD model gets what Proton calls the “Intelligent All-Wheel Drive by Borg Warner”.
Granted, brochure numbers only tell you half the story, and the X70 does weigh almost 127kg more than the CR-V and a whopping 370kg more than the 3008, it remains to be seen how the Proton ‘s new chassis and power train comes together in the real world. Rest assured Route Hunters will bring you a comprehensive on the X70’s real world prowess as soon as we get our hands on one.
Interior
The Proton X70 has a well laid out cabin with plenty of space in all 3 directions. The standard 2WD car comes with fabric seats while the Executive variants come with leatherette seats. The Premium 2WD car comes with Nappa Leather, a 9 Speaker (with Subwoofer) Kenwood Stereo, a Panoramic roof and Advance Driver Assistance.
Technology
This is where the Proton X70 makes even the luxury SUV royalties like the X5 and the GLE look ancient. There are 3 innovations here that makes the user experience truly remarkable. First would be the Integrated Cockpit Information System (GKUI, their head unit in normal speak), next would be the Proton Link app, and 3rd would be their voice recognition software.
The GKUI comes with an eSIM which allows you to operate the Navigation, Music Streaming, and Weather apps. The GKUI also has mobile hotspot capability, handy when on road trips. The best part is that eSIM is free for 5 years with a 1GB per month data allocation. The unit itself has a 32GB storage space. The GKUI is operated either via voice command or the 8 inch Android Touchscreen which has a 1280 x 720 full color display
Next is the Proton Link app, which could be compared to the Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl app. In a nutshell, you can keep track of your journey, consumption records and even track service intervals using your smartphone. The handiest feature of this app has to be ‘find my car’ function where you can track where your car was parked. Helpful when you have to park in a big mall.
Finally the most outstanding feature about the Proton X70 has to be its voice command system, which is standard in all variants. You can control functions like operating the window’s, air-conditioning, and best of all use the navigation system by voice! All these in an SUV that costs from RM99,800.
Safety
The Proton X70 comes equipped with front and rear parking sensors and all variants except for the Standard 2WD comes equipped with 360 degree cameras to help you maneuver this car as easily as possible. From the collision protection part, the Proton X70 comes equipped with 6 airbags, ABS, EBD and Stability program. The Executive and Premium cars come with Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and the
Premium variant also gets something called Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) which includes features like Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and even Blind Spot Monitoring. Although the Honda CR-V TC-P offers the similar type of tech in the form of Honda Sensing, there’s a price gap of nearly RM40,000. That’s only Rm7000 short of a Kia Picanto. Although there are no Euro NCAP ratings for the Proton X70, it has scored a perfect 5 stars for the ASEAN NCAP Test. That makes it on par to the Honda CR-V.
Which to go for?
Our picks from the range in the Proton X70 line up would be the Executive 2WD and Premium 2WD cars. The RM109,800 Executive 2WD has a whole lot more standard equipment compared to the Standard 2WD and more than justifies the RM10,000 price difference, which can work out to be an additional RM100 per month, depending on finance terms. This would suit those looking to buy a saloon for about RM90,000
As for those who are in the market for an SUV at the RM140,000 to RM160,000, it would be good consider the Premium 2WD variant because it comes loaded with a whole lot of accessories for the RM123,800 price tag. Its worth a test drive at the very least.
Unless you have a genuine need for a full 4WD system in your regular commute, perhaps driving on routes without tarmac or badly damaged tarmac, you will not need such a system. The 2WD variant would be able to provide sufficient traction and wet weather handling. You’re better off saving that RM10,000 and use it for a set of tyres, 2nd year insurance renewal and even have spare for a family vacation.
Conclusion
So on paper even the most expensive Premium spec Proton X70 sounds like an absolute bargain at RM123,800. You have tech that you see in cars worth twice this price in the X70. On top of that Proton is offering a low interest finance plan which starts from 2.34% per annum, 5 year warranty with unlimited mileage, and 5 times free labour service. It’s a pretty comprehensive and tempting package.
However, it remains to be seen just how well does all these tech and engineering come together in the real world, on the road, where it truly matters. We would like to see if the refinement, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) , power delivery and consumption figures are indeed in favor of the X70.
For now though, those who are in the market looking for an SUV, we highly recommend you head down to the Proton dealership for a test drive.