PROTON’s first SUV launched

After months of building anticipation for the first-ever PROTON SUV – the Proton X70 has finally ended with the official launch at a glittering ceremony officiated by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The full details of the SUV were also revealed at the event including the selling price, service, financing and warranty packages.

The first premium SUV by a Malaysian automotive brand
The Proton X70 is the first vehicle to be jointly developed by PROTON and its partner Geely, and is the first premium SUV by a Malaysian automotive brand. It also introduces PROTON to a new market segment and is the key catalyst for the total rejuvenation of the brand.

When developing the Proton X70, both PROTON and Geely collaborated on multiple levels. From the cross deployment of staff in China and Malaysia, to testing in Malaysia’s hot and humid climate to the collaboration between local and international vendors, the goal was to ensure a product that is perfectly suited to the needs of Malaysian and ASEAN car buyers.

At the same time, significant investments to PROTON’s network were made for the arrival of the Proton X70. Training activities for sales and service staff and the launch of the inaugural PROTON After Sales Service Competition (PASSC) were part of efforts to ensure everyone had sufficient knowledge of the new vehicle. The Company also embarked on an ambitious network expansion plan by inviting new investors to start PROTON outlets and offering generous incentives for existing dealers to upgrade their facilities to 3S and 4S centres. To date 115 plans for such centres have been approved with 71 already launched thus far this year.

“The Proton X70 is the result of more than one year of hard work by PROTON and Geely engineers, designers and hundreds of other people working together to develop the first premium SUV by a Malaysian car manufacturer. PROTON is proud of our achievement and it is our belief Malaysian car buyers will be equally proud to own an SUV that will help to transform the Proton brand. With over 10,000 bookings, it already has a good start so we will work hard to deliver on our product and brand promise,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer, PROTON.

“Deliveries of the Proton X70 will commence over the coming weeks as we want customers to get their cars as soon as possible. Some have had to wait for over six months, having given their name to dealers before bookings were even officially Special packages and one price for all Malaysians.

To enhance the ownership experience of the Proton X70, special value added packages were announced at the launch event. Defined as Xtra packages, they affect four distinct areas.

The Xtra Service Package offers free parts and labour for the first service as well as free labour for five scheduled service appointments within 100,000km or five years. Next, there is the Xtra Low Financing Package, offering low interest rates that start from 2.34% p.a. for qualified buyers.

PROTON will be the first national automotive brand to offer an unlimited mileage warranty as the Xtra Warranty Coverage Package will cover the Proton X70 for up to five years regardless of mileage. Finally, to ensure owners enjoy a premium connectivity experience the Xtra Data Package offers free internet data for five years (capped at 1GB per month).

“The Xtra packages offered will enhance the experience for owners by offering peace of mind, savings for servicing and financing as well as free data. PROTON will also create history by offering the Proton X70 at one price for one nation. This means East and West Malaysia car buyers will pay the same price for the same vehicle, making PROTON the first automotive brand to offer such a deal. It is our hope that by doing this, PROTON proves that a Malaysian product can be offered at the same price for all Malaysians regardless of where they live,” added Dr Li Chunrong.

Refined Design
The purposeful and energetic lines of the Proton X70 were penned by a team led by the Executive Vice President of Design at Geely, Peter Horbury and Geely Shanghai Design Chief, Guy Burgoyne. They collaborated with PROTON Design head Azlan Othman and his team of designers who helped ensure Malaysian elements were incorporated in the design.

This is immediately noticeable in the silhouette, which was sculpted with explosive energetic lines inspired by the muscular and agile feline form of the Malayan Tiger, conveying a sense of explosive forward momentum.
Headlamps, featuring daytime running lamps (DRL) create a distinctive pair of ‘eyes’ to reinforce the link. Other Malaysian touches can be found in the shape of the grille, which takes the shape of a traditional bow, as well as the horizontal elements used featuring a distinctive repeating pattern inspired by Malaysian craftsmanship, termed the infinite weave. The finishing exterior touch are wheels available in sizes up to 19-inches, adding more latent energy to the stance when at a standstill.

Inside, the interior has been described as The Haven and was designed as an area that promotes calmness. Information that is needed is clearly presented via displays customisable by the driver. Luxury touches abound with the use of metallic surfaces and nappa leather but there is also a lot of utility touches engineered in the design such as six USB ports to charge mobile devices and an air purifier system that filters out harmful gases and kills bacteria. The infinite weave pattern makes a subtle appearance on the door handles and speaker grilles to link the interior and exterior harmoniously.

Redefined Connectivity
With the rapid development of mobile communication technology, a revolution has begun in the way people travel, changing the auto industry’s understanding of what it means to be online. With the boom in autonomous drive technology, the auto industry is becoming ‘intelligent’ as vehicles evolve from being a means of transportation to a new intelligent mobility system.

With the launch of the Proton X70, PROTON has embraced this ethos and moved the goalposts for in-car connectivity. All variants will be offered with an advanced Integrated Cockpit Information System (GKUI) offering multiple user functions as well as the ability to stay connected to a mobile device. Featuring an embedded eSIM card, the system is preloaded with four apps offering services such as online music streaming, navigation, weather forecasts and voice recognition. Access to the apps and other car functions is via an 8-inch Android based touchscreen interface with a 1280 x 720 full colour display with 32GB of internal memory space. It is also Wi-Fi enabled for mobile hotspot capability.

Connecting Proton X70 owners to their vehicles is Proton Link, which will use an individual ID that is assigned to every buyer. By keeping their smart mobile device connected to Proton Link, a profile of their journeys is created thanks to the on board telematics that records data such as distance travelled, fuel economy, journey times and even service intervals. There is also a ‘find my car’ function that will be useful when parking in huge and unfamiliar parking complexes.

Aside from the connectivity functions, true hands free operations for a number of functions is possible thanks to advance operate the windows and air conditioning system and even access the navigation app to look for points of interest. By using an Android based operating system, the GKUI offers mobile device users using the same operating software full mirroring capabilities. Finally, the system is also upgradeable with free over-the-air (OTA) updates improving the user experience and keeping the apps current.

Responsive Performance
Powering the Proton X70 is an engine and gearbox combination new to PROTON. All four variants will be powered by a 1.8-litre Turbocharged, Gasoline Direct Injection (TGDI) engine producing 184 PS at 5,500rpm and 285 Nm of torque from 1,700 - 4,400rpm to provide smooth yet efficient performance, proven by the energy efficient vehicle (EEV) status awarded by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

Drive from the engine is mated to the driven wheels via a 6-speed automatic (6AT) with switchable drive modes and a manual sequential shift. Drivers can select from Normal, Eco and Sport to fit their driving style and road conditions. By doing so the LCD combination meter will also change colour and display the most relevant information related to the drive mode selected.

The driving dynamics of the Proton X70 were developed by HORIBA MIRA in the United Kingdom. The company balanced the need for a dynamic driving experience with safe and secure handling and a comfortable ride with enhanced NVH levels. The Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system, offered on the Executive AWD variant, was developed by Borg Warner and improves safety and handling in unfavourable road conditions.

Reassured Safety
As the Proton X70 is equipped with the most powerful engine of any Proton model, the Company focused a lot of engineering resources to ensure it had a high level of safety that can be divided into three layers. These are protective, preventive and cognitive and as a whole they form a comprehensive safety solution.

Standard safety equipment for all variants consists of six SRS airbags, rear seat ISOFIX with top tether anchorage, Anti- Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Auto Brake Hold, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Hold Assist (HHA), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS).

A 360 Camera is offered on Executive and Premium variants while Executive AWD and Premium specification cars also receive a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The Premium variant also adds an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) suite to the equipment list. The ADAS on the Proton X70 consists of active and cognitive safety systems including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Door Opening Warning System (DOW) and Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC).

The effectiveness of the comprehensive safety solution was proven when the Proton X70 was awarded a 5-Star safety rating in recent ASEAN NCAP tests.

Price list and video link here.
Proton X70 OTR Prices and Xtra Packages_v2.pdf
X70 NCAP.mp4