This is it. The one you’ve all been waiting for. The Proton X70 SUV has been the talk of the town ever since it was introduced to much fanfare late last year, and doubtless you’ll want to know how it drives. Well, the wait is now over – you’ve already seen our Driven Web Series episode where we put it against the Honda CR-V and Subaru XV, but for those who’d prefer a written assessment, you’ve come to the right place.
Ever since Proton inked a partnership agreement with Chinese conglomerate Geely in 2017, a mid-sized SUV had always been earmarked as the first product to come from the collaboration. The X70, then, is not just a litmus test for the public’s readiness to buy a Proton again – after years of dwindling sales – but also for the Sino-Malaysian joint venture as a whole.
That’s a lot of weight to heap onto the shoulders of one vehicle, and that’s before you consider the war zone it is wading into. The RM100k to RM150k bracket of SUVs is absolutely cutthroat at the moment, the Japanese dominating the segment of the market that sees various different models of all shapes and sizes slugging it out for your attention. That’s a tall order for a Malaysian newcomer, Chinese underpinnings or not.
Yes, we’ve read your comments. How can Proton sell a car above the RM100,000 mark when there are so many other vehicles to choose from – all from more established, trustworthy brands? Well, having driven the X70 for a few days, I can tell you straightaway that it’s well worth the asking price, and then some.
So publicised was the development of the X70 that we need not tell you that this is pretty much a Geely Boyue, converted to right-hand drive and wearing the prerequisite tiger badges. That’s not to downplay the national carmaker’s efforts in reengineering a left-hand drive vehicle (which would have been significant), merely saying that its strengths – and weaknesses – are identical to the donor car’s.
Despite being priced within the ballpark of B-segment SUVs, the X70 is firmly in a class above, and its not-insignificant dimensions reflect that. Measuring 4,519 mm long, 1,831 mm wide and 1,694 mm tall, the X70 is 225 mm longer, 59 mm wider and 89 mm taller than the Honda HR-V and has a 60 mm longer wheelbase at 2,670 mm, making for a much more substantial vehicle.
Compared to other models in its class, however, the Proton is on the smaller side, although it is comfortably larger than its Korean competitors, the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. Compared to the all-conquering CR-V, the X70 is 77 mm shorter and 24 mm narrower, but it’s 15 mm taller and its wheelbase is 10 mm longer. There’s no seven-seat option, so those with larger families should continue to look elsewhere.
Again, the design of the X70 has been lifted wholesale from the facelifted Boyue, but that’s no bad thing at all because this is one very handsome SUV. Compared to more streamlined offerings on the market, like the Mazda CX-5, the Proton has a more chiselled, somewhat boxier design. A bit more old-school, perhaps, but it takes full advantage of the car’s sizeable dimensions to give it a tonne of presence on the road.
The front end makes a striking first impression thanks to the wraparound upper graphic that incorporates the sharp headlights and five-point grille. It’s an aggressive look that is bolstered by the facelift’s sportier front bumper design, with a downturned centre air intake and protruding corners – these house a pair of inlets that direct air around the front wheels, in a similar fashion to BMW’s Air Curtains.
Bulging front fenders lead into the scalloped sides that extend right into the tail lights, a unique design cue. Not so unique are the upswept beltline kink and blacked-out D-pillars – the latter give it that all-important, in-vogue “floating roof” look and a bit of a Range Rover Evoque vibe to the design.
At the rear, you’ll find broad two-piece tail lights, a large skid plate and a pair of nicely integrated exhaust outlets that are not only chromed but have cutouts that lead to the real pipes behind them – none of the Perdana‘s extremely naff-looking body-coloured items here.
The X70 looks great even in base form, but the Premium and Executive variants amp up the visual appeal with LED headlights and stylish boomerang-shaped daytime running lights (the indicators still use normal bulbs, however, whereas the Standard model oddly gets LED turn signals). It gets even better with the Premium as it’s the only one to get 19-inch alloy wheels – but you will have to pay for much pricier tyres.
While the design of the imported version you see here shares almost everything with the Boyue (the locally-assembled one, due later this year, will apparently come with a few “surprises”), there are a couple of unique-to-Proton touches, one of them being the Proton script in the head- and tail lights.
The car also debuts Proton’s new “Infinite Weave” grille, featuring a kink on the lower edge (the company calls this the “Ethereal Bow” design) and a wavy pattern that is claimed to be inspired by Malaysian woodworking – the design has already found its way to the facelifted Iriz and Persona. But it’s hard to believe that claim when you can find the same sort of pattern on a Subaru Forester.
If the exterior design broke new ground for Malaysian carmakers, the interior is an even bigger step forward. Just like the outside, the cabin bears very few changes (like the “Infinite Weave” pattern being repeated on the speaker grilles) compared to the Geely version, and just like in the Boyue, those used to cheap, plasticky Chinese car interiors will be in for a shock here.
The undulating dashboard design is attractive and features some neat touches like the Porsche Cayenne-esque centre console grab handles and the near-seamless door pulls and handles. It all stands up to the touch, too. Go ahead, close your eyes and point – almost every single item you’ll touch is either incredibly soft-touch plastic, convincing metal-like trim or, in the case of this Premium model, plush Nappa leather.
Forget about challenging rivals in its price range – the perceived quality of this interior trumps some cars that are twice, even three times the price. It’s not perfect, however, as the silver plastic slathered across the dashboard looks and feels incongruous next to its more polished surroundings.
There are a couple of other flaws. While Executive and Premium variants get a powered driver’s seat (both front seats in the case of the Premium), even in the lowest position you still sit quite high relative to the rest of the car. Likewise, the steering wheel is adjustable for reach as well as rake, but it’s set at an angle – this, along with the tall driving position, conspire to make driving the X70 feel like a traditional 4×4.
Minor niggles aside, this is a fantastic cabin, and that’s before you get to the space on offer. As you’d expect for a car originally designed for well-heeled Chinese customers, there’s plenty of legroom and headroom, both at the front and especially at the rear – despite the Premium model’s panoramic sunroof.
That variant even gets Toyota Camry-style shoulder switches that allows those at the rear to push the front passenger seat forward for yet more legroom. The flat floor also means that squabbling for foot space at the back with three-abreast seating is a thing of the past.
With the (comparatively) short length and long wheelbase, you’d expect the boot to be tiny, but that’s definitely not the case here. Yes, at 515 litres, it’s slightly smaller the CR-V (522 litres) and Nissan X-Trail (550 litres with the third-row seats folded), but it absolutely shades the CX-5’s puny 442 litres.
Useable space is hampered by the fact that the sliding parcel shelf is mounted low, making for a shallow cargo hold if you want to keep your items away from prying eyes. You also don’t get sliding or reclining rear seats, nor a powered tailgate – not even on the Premium.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of useful touches, such as the sheer number of USB ports littered throughout the cabin. These include one in each cubby hole either side of the dashboard (which are unfortunately too small to fit a modern smartphone), two at the rear and even one aft of the rear-view mirror – handy for fitting a dash cam without the usual mess of cabling. The Premium model also receives a Kenwood sound system with a decent subwoofer hidden within the space saver spare tyre, plus a built-in audio equaliser.
Much has been said about Geely’s Global Key User Interface (GKUI) in this car, and that’s because it truly is a groundbreaking infotainment system in this segment. Equipped with an eight-inch, high-definition capacitive touchscreen, it uses the Android mobile operating system as its base, just like past systems in the Iriz and Persona – but thankfully that’s where the similarities end.
Compared to the slow and often buggy units in those cars, GKUI is fluid and responsive to the touch, complemented by attractive and colourful graphics. It’s no wonder Proton wasted no time in putting a similar system on the latest facelifted versions of the hatch and sedan.
All models come with 4G Internet connectivity, providing online music streaming (via Tencent’s Ultimate Music service, although buyers hoping for a library as big as Spotify’s will be disappointed), navigation with live traffic information (via Baidu Maps) and over-the-air updates. It also gives access to the Proton Link smartphone app which allows you to check vehicular information such as range, fuel consumption and location, as well as controlling the locks, horn, lights and windows.
It should be noted that while Proton offers one gigabyte of free data every month, both X70 owners in our office (including Hafriz Shah) say that’s not enough if you intend to use the features – especially music streaming – as intended. The company does provide add-ons at an additional cost, and you can also tether the system to your phone to latch onto its data quota.
This car also gets an advanced voice control system, similar to those recently introduced by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, capable of understanding natural language – even Malaysian-accented English, according to Proton. Using the activation phrase “Hi Proton”, users can control various functions of the vehicle, such as navigation, music and even the climate control, and it will also answer questions regarding the weather.
In fact, it goes further than systems from premium marques, as you can also use it to control the sunroof and power windows. It’s a real crowd pleaser, and the operation is just as seamless as advertised. As long as you speak to the system in a clear and uncomplicated manner, it will understand you fairly reliably, and even heavily exaggerated accents will fail to throw it off. You can even interrupt it mid-sentence, which is an impressive feat and makes it much quicker to get things done.
Again, it’s not all perfect. For all its attention-grabbing functionality, it occasionally stumbles on simple commands; the navigation is also only really suitable for emergencies, with unreliable routing and maps that are either outdated or incomplete. The GKUI’s English translations are also hit-and-miss, although some of them have been fixed in a firmware update (along with certain controls for the car’s safety systems).
Speaking of which, the X70 comes with a full complement of safety kit as standard, including six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, stability control, hill start assist, hill descent control and rear ISOFIX child seat anchors. All models get a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating as a result.
The Premium variant gets the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), adding autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and automatic high beam. You also get Door Opening Warning (DOW), which warns when an occupant is about to open a door into traffic – a neat feature that should save owners from costly (and downright dangerous) collisions.
Before we get to driving impressions, I’d like to point out that Proton’s right-hand drive conversion goes beyond what we’ve come to expect. Forget nightmares of tiny French gloveboxes or Mercedes’ cramped footwells – everything is where it’s supposed to be, and even the positions of the centre console buttons and electronic parking brake lever, usually left well alone due to cost reasons, have been switched around. The sole annoyance is the slightly askew instrument cluster which, once you notice, you cannot unsee.
Right, after all of that, what’s the X70 like on the road? Well, like I said at the start, the car is identical to the Boyue underneath, right down to the suspension setup. Those looking for the usual Proton ride and handling flair, then, will be disappointed, but the rest of us will do just fine.
It all starts with the engine, a 1.8 litre turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder petrol mill that delivers a stout 181 hp at 5,500 rpm and 285 Nm between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm. Despite the healthy figures, it doesn’t deliver the turn of speed that you’d expect, and that’s likely due to the car’s weight – at 1,695 kg, this Premium 2WD model is a whopping 146 kg heavier than a similarly-specced CR-V, and it feels it.
The six-speed torque converter automatic transmission (no CVT here, thankfully) also isn’t exactly the quickest in the business, taking a little while to respond to sharp throttle inputs. Floor it from a standstill and the X70 needs a second to gather itself up and get going, resulting in it hitting 100 km/h nearly two seconds slower than the also-turbocharged CR-V, at 11.5 seconds as recorded on our Driven Web Series episode.
However, the more you drive the car, the more you’ll appreciate the powertrain’s relaxed yet steadfast demeanour. Once you get up to speed, you’ll notice that this engine is actually pretty punchy from low down in the rev range, making overtakes a breeze. It does taper off noticeably as you reach the redline, but then, you don’t buy a family-friendly SUV for a revvy engine, do you?
No, you buy it for its refinement and comfort, and on that front the Proton simply excels. This engine is creamy smooth and whisper quiet, and even when fully extended it is barely audible. This level of serenity is amplified (excuse the lack of a better term) by the smooth, almost imperceptible gearshifts and lack of road and wind noise – even well into triple-figure speeds. Make no mistake, this is a first-rate highway cruiser.
It only gets better because the ride is exemplary for the price. Even on the Premium’s massive wheels, the X70 steamrolls over bumps and imperfections with aplomb, managing to be cushy without being wallowy or floaty. There’s none of that dreadful clonking over large potholes that befalls other cars with 19-inch alloys, and body movements are well-damped, eliminating the rocking motion of most softly-suspended vehicles.
With a car this comfortable, handling usually takes a back seat and that’s certainly the case here. The steering is the main culprit, being slow, overly light (even in Sport mode, which also improves throttle and gearbox response) and lacking any sort of feedback whatsoever. There’s also a lot of body roll in the corners, but on the plus side, the impressive damping means it always stays poised and composed, and grip from the Premium model’s Continental tyres is aplenty (the rest of the range gets Giti rubber).
More than anything else, it’s the price that has dominated the discussion surrounding the X70, and you can be sure that this is a debate that will rage on. It has always been a hard ask for Proton to demand six figures for anything it makes, and even more so when it’s a car of Chinese origin.
But it only takes one turn of the wheel for you to completely forget about the money you’ll be paying for this car. From its plush cabin to its peerless ride and refinement, the X70 truly breaks new ground for Proton and shatters the glass ceiling of what this beleaguered company can achieve. As a car to live in, day in, day out, it’s head and shoulders beyond anything else in the segment – with or without the pricing advantage.
Yes, it is a shame that all this excellence is down to Geely’s efforts and not Proton’s own, and that will be a bitter pill to swallow for many. But that shouldn’t take anything away from this car’s capabilities, and the fact that it has set sales alight means that it isn’t stopping customers from buying the car, either.
Better yet, the X70 is just the start of a slew of new models coming our way, with a smaller B-segment crossover and an MPV already in the pipeline. If this car sets the standard for what’s to come from Proton, then we cannot wait to see what’s next. The future’s looking bright.
The Proton X70 is priced at RM99,800 for the base Standard 2WD variant, RM109,800 for the Executive 2WD, RM115,800 for the Executive AWD and RM123,800 for the range-topping Premium 2WD. Proton also offers a range of exterior and interior accessories, including side steps, door visors, sun shades and a dash cam. Browse full specifications and equipment on CarBase.my.
GALLERY: Proton Link app screenshots
(Like) Proton X70
(Dislike) Perodua Aruz, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson
Actually an easy choice for me and I will pick the 3 game changers. The game changing Perodua Aruz, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson.
See Hafriz huge broad grin and had great fun piloting in that brown X70, replaced his C300 .
PT has spoken, the pipu has spoken!
P1, Geely, Mesidis, VolvoCar, Volvo Trucks, Lotus, L&C, Polestar > all
Wait, who has spoken the game over statement? Spoken what? As I can see only you have spoken…
If u continue to stay ignorant, its not my fault u chose to be stupid about it.
Get a used Tucson. Great value for money
Save money for your tow truck service, I’ll bet. Thanks but no thanks.
My X70 can beat CRV CX5 and not to mention those junk korean brand. I even over take X5 at the hiway easily
Oh look, see how this man so proud with his x70.
Bro, maybe x5 didn’t want to race with u la…
Finally a written review. much appreciated.
(Like) X70
(Dislike) Santa Fe
If money ain’t a thing, Santa Fe honestly
Car is good but potong after sales are still as bad as before. My friend have oil leakage
3 weeks later. Still only respond don’t know how to fix
Send outside shop immediately found the defect. Just order the same part and install back only. Bodoh SC
What car model? What is the defective part? Which service centre? Maybe we all can learn something from that experience.
Kenapa tak hantar ke [email protected] centre?
Yep. Another “my friend” story. This never gets old like conspiracy theory stories.
Yeah, always very vague ‘leaking here’ and ‘broken there’ stories without clarifying. ‘Really believable’ indeed.
A list of proton issues. I owned persona 1.6 auto high line 2008 and satria 1.6 1997. Let’s start with persona. Cam pro engine head will leak every 2 years. Power steering host has manufacturing defect. The fittings and host needs to be change under warranty because under rough road conditions while turning to the right it causes the aluminium host to hit the lower arm. Cam pro air fuel intake breaks every 2 years as it is made of plastic. Most car makers do them plastics too but because cam pro engines suffer torque dip between 2k-3k rpm they devise a shorter and longer air fuel intake with a valve, and this valve breaks every short of 2 years. Rear seats folding down 40:60 but the latch holding the seats up needs to be diy fix with a wire tape to reduce rattling noise. Persona pre 2009 boots were design without a catch to open the boot. Key fobs to unlock the boot doesn’t work from the day I bought the car as the boot is way too heavy to unlock with the key fob. Doors squeak after 2-3 years and constantly having to re-grease. Power windows is classic, don’t need to elaborate on that. After 4 years the starter gave up. After 3 years the radiator gave up, rattling sound behind and dashboard around after 2 years. Fuel consumption is terrible, full tank around 40 litres and can hardly reach 400 km. lights up around 370 km. and the list goes on with engine , build quality and servicing is just awful. Cost as much as Honda and Toyota during warranty years but it’s only a proton. Satria ABS doesn’t even work. List goes on and it’s not a myth but my personal experience with protons.
Talk nonsense la, I purchased Persona (H line as well) in year Jan-2008, and until today, it does not give me the problems that you mentioned. You said: “the Cam pro engine head will leak every 2 years”, please show all your repairing and service invoice to prove this, otherwise this is just another crammer. I can tell you the problem during my about 12 years ownership,
1) The driver side auto windows was gone mulfunctioned once.
2) The multimedia button is not working properly many times when I press volumn up, but it mute the audio. This happens until today, of course, I was lazy to send it for repair.
Other than than, everything is in good condition until today. Oh yeah, I have replaced the alternator at the 10th year if I remember it right.
Don’t create story to bash a car like many kiddos and idiots used to be in this Paul Tan site, but please comment with fact and with good manner. You may jealous that people get the better car than you, but come one, why should you let the jealous govern your life. Move on with sunshine in your heart, grow up man. Also, please no ‘My friend story’, because usually my friend is a fake story.
Exactly what I’ve been telling those sceptics/bashers. See it, touch it, feel it & drive it only then you deserve the right to speak your thoughts on the X70.
It really is on another level, way above the Japanese!
Well its kinda funny to see how basher/sceptics goes on with their life, they simply bash without experiencing it. Yet, the buy another make oso without experiencing it.
Good or no good you will know after 2 years. Engine going kasar, intermittent problem.
Funny why we never heard of such problems with initial Boyue customers.
Yes this on another level car is actually chinese brand make, just a re-badge.
Sceptics and bashers are understandable coming from people who doesn’t know that this car is actually boyue geely but a proton. But then again this X70 is design and made by a company that is incorporated in 1997, began production of making cars in 2001 and started of making refrigerators.
The question is how did this chinese brand overtook proton by bounds and leaps which started way back in 1983? Well, I rest my case.
The negative image & reputation of PROTON is very deep in Malaysians because of its past. Consumer confidence is not something you should mess with because the consequences is great and very hard to restore. People don’t buy cars on a regular basis, so ONE bad experience and they will shy away from that particular brand for a very long time, maybe forever. The only reason PROTON is around as we know is through the Gov’s help but hopefully under Geely now, they will have a brighter future. I never did like PROTON after owning one before, but if they can turn things around in a good way, I will give it a chance but being a ‘Malaysian’ brand, people would expect it to be cheaper than its foreign rivals, yet matching them in every aspect. Maybe PROTON can demand a closer price once they can prove that they can match or beat their rivals in terms of quality and value. As of now, they really ought to be selling it at a lower price to draw back the customers. It is not an uncommon practice that some companies sell things at a loss just to gain customers.
The X70 is about 24% cheaper than the CRV, spec for spec. How much cheaper do you think the X70 should go?
Any car that has a proton name on it should be cheaper or should i say any brand that doesn’t have a proton name should be cheaper.
All cars doesn’t matter if CKD or CBU, they are taxed very high to make protons “competitive”. Protons are cheaper spec for spec with the X70 is because Geely is trying to gain market share and gain recognition with the model X70 and branding.
Just imagine for the past 36 years proton has been selling us short.
One more thing, just imagine all brands high taxes were remove on a level playing field, or lets put proton taxes on par with other brands, would you still consider this X70? food foor thought eh?
So you want a company that has declared billions in losses to start selling it’s new SUV as a loss leader? This is despite the fact the price is already about RM35,000-RM40,000 less than the SUV it is benchmarked against, the Honda CR-V? How about RM80,000 la. Will you buy it then?
What do you mean it should be selling it at a lower pricing? The Premium model with all the bells and whistles selling at RM40k below topkek CRV is not cheap enuff? If this price diff still not gud enuff, it means u cant afford either way.
Cold reality is the locals nak up CRV, CX5, Subaru XV, HRV and seken Harrier. Proton X70 amat mantap but locals plainly hadap foreign brands. When balik kampung this coming raya , you see it for yourself. Proud to be seen by relative and member2 kat kampung driving Honda, Toyota, Mazda but never a local national car anymore , asal bergaya beb …
Sure. Tell that to the 30,000 on the waiting list and 11,000 new owners that disagreed with you.
Wow, already RM40k cheaper and you still ask for more!!!!
If Proton and Geely cannot make enough profit to stay afloat, Msian consumers will be forced again to buy those over-priced Japanese, Korean and conti cars.
Someone here has some entitlement issues. Google what’s the meaning of entitlement.
All X70 have about RM20k+- duty slapped on it.
Deduct that, the price is very close to Boyue 1.8L turbo variant in China.
The so called RM60k Boyue some tooting around are 2.0L manual kosong spec.
The market has spoken, they buy the car like hot cake. The price Proton set is fair.
No, proton got the advantage when other SUVs were priced between 130-160k. Which is unfair (when Honda City price pushed up, same goes to Honda Civic, Honda HRV and relatively CRV.
Credit should be given when it’s due. Kudos Proton..!
…but I share similar sentiments. I had owned 3 Protons throughout my life (Wira, Savvy, Gen2) and had to go through numerous hellish bad ownership experience – with the cars & service centres.
My then 5-year old Gen-2 had ridiculously more rattles and squeaks than a 5-year old MyVi. Proton cars simply seemed like they were falling apart faster than other cars.
I’ll wait another few years to see how the X70 ages.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Actually credit goes to Geely. Afterall this X70 IS a geely Boyue.
I totally agreed with you about proton cars. I too have owned 2 protons in my lifetime and boy they are hopeless. Anti-lock braking system does not work can you imagine that! that was in 1995 proton satria 1.6. step on the brake turn your steering left and right and watch the car just skidding in a straight line. I’m lucky to be alive today.
and then persona, boy does the fuel consumption sucks big time. You be lucky geting rattle sounds after 5 years, mine is rattling after 2 years!
2nd cheapest C segment SUV
Dun compared Borgward with this car. This is a real SUV with 4WD option and powerful engine. That Borgward wanna go up kerb oso so susah.
i want to ask an honest question…what if geely is selling the boyue in M’sia and not proton…would anybody will give it a chance since its a chinese vehicle like the haval h1/h2, where the sale is not that great here in m’sia..
Proton’s network of service centres is much larger than Haval’s.
What’s the point of the question? It isn’t sold as a Geely, buyers and reviewers are waxing lyrical over the car. Done and dusted.
Woww, the best car i bought. For the price range dan the features i got, well it enough for me. So far my X70 11,000km mileage and perform very well.
My advance condolences on your loss – you’ll see after 2 years.
Lol.. So bad
Review appreciated in will part of decision, the final decision however should be left to consumer, they will choose/decide whats best for them for whatever reasons.
U did not mention she only does 11.2 L per 100 km.
BTW, is that ur car Haf bro?
Yeah that’s my dad’s car.
Gud to hear. Wud also like to hear his reviews as an unbiased real user after 6 months/1year of use. Cuts all the crap from jeles competitor sales pipu talking bollocks and old grandma stories (like power window).
I would like to recommend to you the Perodua Aruz. It’s a real game changer in it’s segment. I bet you’ll like the game changing Aruz more than the X70 after you drive it and we will wait for your reviews as an unbiased real user after 6 months/1year of use.
I don’t need to wait 6 months to see how good it will be. After seeing one catch fire and burned to a hulk, that’s all I need to stay away from Aruz.
Yeah Hafriz. I do agree with John if you or the other presenters can interview your father and get his no holds, unfiltered feedback. That is if you and your Pa don’t mind, of course. Not everyone is camera friendly.
The car is from geely, the infinite weave grill is from subaru. CBU from china. Hi proton, do u have no face?
Look at the previous waja,and you will see the infinite weave grill design was alreadu featured there. Waja was made many years back long before subaru launched their Forester.
Still with the ‘from China’ argument? Got anything new?
That’s like pointing out Perodua should be ashamed of themselves everyday for the last 20 over years and counting. Mind telling what original is coming from them?
At least perodua cars are home made n genuine local design. No infinite copycat hype here.
Gen 2, 1st gen Persona, 2nd gen Persona, Iriz, Saga, Exora, Suprima, Preve…
VS
New Myvi and Bezza… Every other model was copied from Daihatsu/Toyota…
John L those cars you mentioned aren’t really proton, more like Lotus……
Gr8 review but a few comments here.
“the X70 is 77 mm shorter and 24 mm narrower, but it’s 15 mm taller and its wheelbase is 10 mm longer” – meaning X70 has better packaged the the cabin space within compared to CRV
“A bit more old-school, perhaps” – nothing wrong with old skool. SUVs shud be big and boxy anyways. Even new Land Rover maintains that design element.
“the silver plastic slathered across the dashboard looks and feels incongruous” – this I agrees. The CKD one shud replace it with wood trim including door inserts surrounding the handles.
“this, along with the tall driving position, conspire to make driving the X70 feel like a traditional 4×4.” – SUVs r meant for driver having commanding view and that means sitting in high position. This is no sedan or crossover hatchback. This is a proper SUV.
“The flat floor” – wait, they managed a flat floor even with 4WD model? Wowzers Great!
“if you want to keep your items away from prying eyes.” – Dun use the shelf and just tint the rear windows blackblack now that its legal. Problem solved.
“both X70 owners in our office” – wait, what? Both?! Theres the mark of approval right there.
“say that’s not enough if you intend to use the features” – keep the 1GB for navi and other essential updates or download apps. 1GB no way enuff for streaming, but anyways most prefers to use Spotify on pongs. Otherwise can still ride on Mekdees wifi when drive thru parking.
“navigation is also only really suitable for emergencies” – map app need to replace with GMaps but will Google(/Trump) allow it?
“it is a shame that all this excellence is down to Geely’s efforts and not Proton’s own” – Like wha..? Din u just praised P1 superb effort in the RHD conversion above? It can be a gud car like Mesidis but a lousy conversion will ruin the experience. P1s efforts complemented Geelys own excellence. They might be diff, but working together towards a common goal have made their own efforts and excellences complemented each others strengths (like P1 foresight in changing the single rear AC blower into 2). Perfect synergy of the 2 companies.
Proton had always strive to make their donor car feel proud to be donated and made it better than the original whenever they can. Take Inspira & Perdana, which the Japanese admitted were much better than the Lancer & Accord models they were based on. The same legacy continues with Boyue as the X70.
Inspira? Yes. Waja? Yes. Perdana? A big nooo. Honda is too kedekut to allow Proton to tune the suspension. The rebatch is purely rebatch, plus exterior changes allowed. Mitsubishi is a good partner, same goes to Geely. But not Honda.
X70 30k booking already… …
Yes, without doubt the car is very good in terms of what have been spelled out in this article. But what we must anticipate and look for is a long term review. Must see how this car perform after 2 ro 3 years in terms of reliability.
Already about 6 months on Malaysian road and much much longer in China. Any public outcry, protest or recall?
But if you really must, please wait till 2021
Proton power window ok?
no mentions about how thirsty it is?
power is a bit lacking to be honest. there is some turbo lag unless you turn on sport mode
Not thirsty at all if you compared it with SUVs driven by 2.4/2.5L engines making the same power.
compare apa? real life FC? or the FC stated in the brochure?
bet you dont even know whats the real FC obtained by this car
furthermore….the engine cannot be compared to 2.4/2.5L engines out there… its more like a 2.0-2.2 NA engine
Tapi lihat pada group x70 terlalu banyak complain Dan hampir setiap Hari Ada post dari owner sendiri yg complain faulty part. Baru berapa Bulan dah berpuluh tersadai.
Group mane? Jgn le nak tipu ye. FB pun xde hal besar2, kat loyat pun xde komplen macam ko tu. Bulan Ramadan ni jgn le fitnah ye. Puasa x halal.
Berpuluh tersadai abah kau. Only one known was because he got into accident, waiting for bumper parts to come to Malaysia took awhile.
Otherwise, just issues with GKUI sometimes hang, restart usually fixes it, app disconnected from the car, or false notification as if car stolen.
Penipu scammer, you must be butthurt honda, perodua or toyota SA wanna smear Proton’s face black with your lies. Go fix your CRV’s gear knob, CVT, power steering assembly, wheel bearing before accuse Proton of non-existent problems.
I haven’t driven the X70 but I can comment on Aruz. Rented one for 5 days and boy, the power is in such short supply and you get loud whining noice when overtaking or accelerating…
Nice write up. However can’t help noticing it’s more of a china make car review rather than a proton. Most of these china make cars started way after proton did and yet, here we are, all the great stuff that actually, is of a brand who actually intends on progress, China Brand.
There was a time Proton used to be compared with Hyundai and many Proton fans are quick to say, “but Hyundai started 8 years before Proton”. I guess that excuse can’t be said here anymore.
The point I’m making is this: It’s a shame Proton has been in the market for 40 odd years but nothing to show for and no new technology under it’s belt. The acquisition of Lotus hasn’t bear much of anything besides an engine that is 10 years behind competitors.
Don’t get me wrong, as a Malaysian, I’m as patriotic as any Malaysian who are proud of having our own National car brand, but in reality can we really be proud of a brand that actually only have rebadge after rebadge? Proton is a hollow name if you really look at it. Was a Japanese car then French car then back to Japanese and now chinese. What’s Next?
Review of X70 as an Owner
My new X70’s rear bumper got knocked by a car MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, the car is still in the workshop (Proton PJ-Regal Motors Holdings Sdn Bhd) ever since and indefinitely! I was updated that they got difficulty in identifying their own sensors (i.e. even proton 3S themselves don’t know what sensors are in their own cars). With that unidentified sensor problem, full insurance claim still cannot be made. Notwithstanding that, even the basic brackets are not available. Thus, with all these processes yet to be completed, a simple bumper fix seems to me that it will be a 5-6 months affair. Imagine the waiting time if it’s a major repair!
The car is good but I am left frustrated and disappointed dealing with the after sales service. If you decide to buy the car, good luck to you and be prepared to go thru this trouble for your new X70 to be repaired.
P.S. Perhaps I should organise a “Proton X70 Sensor Hunting Event” to help out my fellow brothers/sisters at Proton to figure out what sensor it is.
I can imagine how you feel. Waiting time that long is truly frustrating. It seems the 3s service centre staff were not fully trained on the X70 and it shows. I suspect they didn’t expect repair works to be so quick. Proton service centres are one of the worse i have experienced, having owned quite a few other brands. Product knowledge were terrible and mostly weren’t sure how to resolve car issues.
Mentality of “it’s a proton what do you expect” need t be change. Buying an affordable car need not have to suffer poor customer service experience. I think Proton can learn from their younger but more experience counterpart Geely.
The CRV’s 1.5 Turbo has problems when new and that’s not going to get any better as the rings and seals wear.
Honda’s CVT will not last more than 200,000km.
The X70 with its 1.8L engine and 6 speed conventional auto is all that’s needed.
very interesting to read the comments.
let me share my experience. i own a proton saga 1.3cc 2009, honestly this car does not give me any problem at all, just do the maintenance according to schedule which i sometimes terlebih mileage, apart from that the rest is ok. love her so much. then i own a proton preve turbo 2013, the only problem i had was the fuse box, i asked around about the problem and ways to fix it and finally i managed to get it repair, it cost me rm250 and until today no problem anymore. in the early years the fuel consumption was little bit high but still this depends on the driver style i means if you drive at 150kmph of course the fuel has to match the speed. in 2017 after 4 years i nampak the fuel consumption getting lower. early years driving at 120kmph the rpm will be 3000 and it goes down to 2500. if talking about resale value, my opinion is it still depends on the car condition, yes i admit some model and brand are totally hard to sell, they call it keta sejuk. but when people need to get a car for work purpose, hard work like bawa baja, aircond, machines like water despenser, astro punya piring lah and so on they look for proton cars. i ve asked some of them and the answers, easy to maintain, spare part senang cari. the thing is we have this habit that we will tell the whole world bila tak puas hati, and the rest who does not own a proton car get influenced by comments. i admit some proton cars got issues but does that means other brand are perfect? proton baru berusia 30 lebih tahun compared to others like toyota and honda. despite all the rumours and complains please give little bit of attention on their good part. you did 9 good & only 1 bad why this 1 bad that became the story for long time. if we just do our part as malaysian dont support ok lah but dont condemn as well. if proton grows up stronger, better the good will be spread among us juga. who knows your kids will be working as engineer ke technician ke tak kisah lah as long as our youngsters get a job and live a good life.
Boleh saja jika nak pelanggan kembali percaya dn yakin dengan jenama proton ni,iaitu after sales service & parts kena Mesra pengguna dan Harga alat ganti Biarlh mampu miliklah kosnya.Pada masa Yang jgn Hanya tumpu pada model Yang sedang Di pasarkan kini tapi bagi model Yang da tak dikeluarkan lagi perlu juga Ada Dalam senarai dlm list after sales & parts spya pengguna tahu anggaran kos.kenderaan model lama proton jangan Di abaikan.Jika xda YG lama maknanya Xda Yang Baru,jika pengguna X yakin maka X lakulah jenama Tu..