Proton is set to launch its much-anticipated, first-ever sport utility vehicle (SUV) in a couple of weeks. At a closed-door preview to the press today, the automaker revealed some details about the car including the official name of the vehicle – X70.
The X70, based on the Geely Boyue (Geely Emgrand X7 in other markets) will be sold via qualified Proton sales outlets only. Proton has announced that bookings can be made starting 8 September 2018 with a small deposit of MYR1,000.
Members of the public can get a closer look at the X70 soon, as Proton will be organising preview sessions for the public between 19 September until 4 November across seven cities across Malaysia, including Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
According to SoyaCincau who were there at the media preview, the X70 name was picked from a total of 89,800 submissions through an online contest. This is the first time Proton has used an alphanumeric system for its vehicle.
If you were wondering what the rationale behind the “X” moniker is – the letter “X” is quite a common sight amongst crossovers or SUVs e.g. Nissan X-Trail, Volvo XC90, just to name a few. The number 70 apparently denotes the type of class or size of the vehicle.
In terms of design, the Proton design team only made minor exterior tweaks to the original Boyue. What you’ll notice is the unique winged grille with the Proton badge, encased in chrome. At first glance, it reminds me of the Toyota Fortuner or Harrier.
The reason for the light design touches is because the bulk of the work was focused on converting the vehicle from left-hand drive to right-hand drive. The Boyue is the first Geely model to be converted to right-hand drive.
In all honesty, the Boyue already looks good in original form, however, do expect more substantial visual changes when the X70 comes in a CKD version, slated for 2019. And in case you were wondering, the X70 is based on the facelifted Geely Boyue.
It is said that Proton’s advanced Tanjung Malim plant is undergoing preparation to produce the X70, which is expected to start in the middle of next year.
Paul Tan reports that there will be four variants making its way to Malaysia: entry-level Standard 2WD, Executive 2WD, Executive AWD and Premium 2WD. All variants will feature a 1.8-litre TGDI turbocharged four-pot petrol engine delivering 181hp and 285Nm of torque.
It’s all about the tech
Sure, it’s a pretty good-looking car. But the X70 is all about technology. There’s voice recognition support so you’ll be able to control certain aspects of the car using voice commands. It’s also equipped with a fully-digital and configurable instrument panel.
One other never-before-seen-on-a-Proton-feature is the 360-degree camera which scans the surroundings and shows a 3D view of obstacles surrounding the car. There’s plenty more including autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.
How much is the Proton X70?
There are no pricing details yet, but the Proton X70 is expected to be priced below the Honda CR-V. The CR-V currently starts from MYR138,308.
What do you think of the Proton X70? And please no jokes about power windows. I think we’re way past that ?
