When the original Proton X70 was launched back in 2018, there were a lot of people saying it was like getting a Volvo XC60 on the cheap. That’s obviously not true, of course, with the engine being all Geely and the transmission coming from Geely-owned DSI. Still, there’s no doubt the brand association did help the X70’s image and sales.
Proton has sold around 28,000 units of its first SUV model so far, and perhaps even more telling is its claim that the X70 was the best-selling vehicle (regardless of body type) priced above RM100,000 in Malaysia throughout 2019 (and seventh best overall for the year). Out of all that, over 50% X70 customers opted for the Premium variant, signalling that once again people are willing to spend money on a Proton.
I, for one, certainly was, and I did the deed – there’s a Cinnamon Brown X70 Premium parked at home now. It has been completely faultless over 13 months and 16,000 km, in case you’re wondering.
The market acceptance – for both the X70 model and the Proton brand – was nothing short of astounding. The halo effect helped the rest of Proton’s existing range too, with the carmaker registering 100,821 vehicles in 2019, up a massive 55.7% compared to the year prior.
Now, the 2020 Proton X70 CKD is here, with Proton hoping to continue its positive growth into the years to come. The targets are astronomically high: to be Malaysia’s number one carmaker (i.e. overcoming Perodua, as unlikely as that may sound now) as well as claiming a top three slot in ASEAN by 2027. This is a big first step towards all that.
Proton won’t go unassisted, obviously. The X70’s Volvo connection is no longer through association alone; the 2020 version now uses the exact same transmission as the Swedish premium brand, which is a Volvo/Geely-developed seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (7DCT).
So, it’s now time to answer all your questions regarding the new Tanjung Malim-assembled 2020 X70 CKD. What’s the 7DCT like? What’s new and what has been left unchanged? Does it handle better now with Proton tuning? And what about the build quality, now that it’s made in Malaysia? Continue reading, then.
First up, let’s start with what I find to be a little disappointing – the styling changes, or rather the lack thereof. After months after months of being told to expect “some surprises” and “unique differences” in the CKD model by Proton’s lead designer, what we have here now is underwhelming. There’s no other way to say it.
Practically the only change visually is the adoption of Proton’s new logo, this being the first model to do so. The “uncaged tiger” emblem is now used throughout the car: on the front grille, the centre wheel caps, steering boss and even the small prints on the windows.
Personally, I find the new logo to be a little gaudy, and as it is on the X70’s grille, a tiny bit on the large side too. It doesn’t help that the Infinite Weave pattern appears to naturally cradle a triangular crest, making the big round logo appearing slightly out of place. I’ve been assured repeatedly, however, that you will get used to the new logo, and soon. Time will tell.
The application on the steering boss is no less ham-fisted too. It’s finished in bright chrome, standing in stark contrast against the predominantly black and satin silver cabin. A bit more consistency would have helped here, for sure.
In Proton’s defence, though, the X70 is hardly a year old, and it would be somewhat unrealistic to expect a radical change so soon into the model’s life cycle. After all, the car is still fresh to the eyes of Malaysian motorists, the company says. My take is, that’s fair enough. Just, maybe lay off from making bold, sensational claims next time? Being understated does have its value – just ask Perodua.
Proton also says that customers can expect more changes, both visually and mechanically in time to come. It’s worth noting that Proton has started to latch on model years into its car names – the 2019 Saga, 2020 X70, etc. – so perhaps it is planning to roll out yearly updates for all its models, constantly keeping its products fresh. If executed well, there are big gains to be had, both for the company and us, the consumers.
The styling letdown aside, the most significant change for the CKD model is the switch from a traditional six-speed torque converter automatic to a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. As mentioned above, this is a true blue Proton-Volvo tech sharing, being the exact same design as used in various Volvo models (though none are available in Malaysia as of yet).
Made in Geely’s new transmission plant in Ningbo, China, which also supplies the same gearboxes to Volvo’s assembly lines in Sweden and the USA, the wet clutch 7DCT weighs just 75 kg, compared to the older 6AT’s 98 kg. But beyond a simple weight saving measure, it’s clearly a much more advanced piece of machinery.
Geely claims that it’s a fair bit more efficient compared to the old 6AT, to the benefit of outright performance as well as fuel efficiency. More than that, the Chinese manufacturer even goes on to say that its design achieves a higher efficiency rate (max 97%, overall 94.6%) than Volkswagen’s DSGs (overall 91% for wet, 92% for dry units). The 6AT benchmark has an overall efficiency rate of 89%.
I myself have put my own X70 with 6AT on a dyno last year, where it recorded 160 hp and 248.5 Nm on the wheel against the official claimed (on crank) figures of 181 hp and 285 Nm. That translates to an efficiency rate of around 88% (or 12% transmission losses), which is close enough to Geely’s numbers.
With the more efficient 7DCT on board, more of what the engine makes can be transferred to the wheels, so even though the 2020 X70’s engine outputs remain largely the same at 181 hp and 300 Nm (up 15 Nm, more on that later), the car effectively gets a substantial performance boost – theoretically 171 hp and 284 Nm on the wheel, up 11 hp and 35 Nm compared to the CBU model’s dyno numbers.
These aren’t mere claims either, as the 0-100 km/h time has dropped from 10.5 seconds in the 2018/2019 X70 to 9.5 seconds for the 2020 model. A full second quicker is a significant change, no matter how you look at it.
Surprisingly enough, Proton also claims that it has fine-tuned the 7DCT’s power delivery characteristics to be slightly more aggressive to suit typical Malaysian driving behaviour (stand by a busy traffic light for five minutes and you’ll understand how they came to this conclusion). Drivers in China are apparently a lot more relaxed than us, which isn’t hard to believe.
On the road, you can certainly notice the improved performance of the 2020 X70. It is by no means an X70 R3 now, but it accelerates harder than its precedessor, both from a standstill and at speeds. Through my butt dyno, it doesn’t really feel like a sub-10 second 0-100 km/h-car, with a rather slow surge from a dead stop, but it’s definitely less lazy than the 6AT-equipped model.
On to how the 7DCT feels from behind the wheel – the best way to describe it is “like a normal automatic,” which in this case, is not a bad thing.
Most dual-clutch transmissions, even the best of them, have a rather distinct behaviour: rough coming off from a stop, and ultra smooth beyond that with lightning-quick, near-imperceptible gear shifts. The X70’s 7DCT, however, shows complete polar opposite characteristics.
It starts off with a clean and gentle creep (rare among DCTs), much like a regular traditional torque converter automatic, but as the speeds rise, you do feel the gearchanges – small little lapses and pauses of power delivery as the cogs change. So it isn’t quite as seamless as a typical DCT is, but it is smoother at slower speeds. It’s a very likeable gearbox in my books – again, much like a normal automatic.
The slower gear shifts compared to other DCTs could be down to Geely/Volvo prioritising the transmission’s absolute reliability over outright performance; using more reasonable/manageable speeds instead of chasing every last tenth. If the choice was mine, I’d have done the same too.
In many ways, the 7DCT here doesn’t feel like a dual-clutch unit at all. There’s no hunting for gears in start-stop situations, nor do you feel the transmission struggling at all when going up slopes. As enjoyable and quick-shifting as most VW DSGs are, you’d have to admit that they feel clumsy in a traffic jam, and especially around multi-level parking lots.
Simply put, this is not a performance-biased transmission in any way or form. A lot of people associate DCTs with performance cars such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mercedes-AMG A 45 or even the Nissan GT-R, but this very one is a whole different breed. The focus here is more on maximising efficiency rather than performance.
And it sure has worked. Proton claims that the 2020 X70’s fuel consumption has improved by 13% compared to its predecessor, now rated at 7.6 litres per 100 km, or 13.2 km/l. My own 2018 X70 6AT has averaged around 10 km/l over 16,000 km of mostly city traffic, so even if you round down the claimed improvement to 10%, 11 km/l for a big and heavy SUV doesn’t sound bad at all.
UPDATE: The percentage of improvement should actually be 2.6%, given that the CBU X70 had a claimed 7.8 litres per 100 km, or 12.8 km/l FC.
As this transmission is shared with Volvo, it had to comply to the Swedish carmaker’s high durability requirements. It’s designed to have a product life time of 350,000 km, which is 46% longer than the industry standard of 240,000 km (used by most European and American carmakers).
Seeing that Volvo has a rather decent reputation when it comes to mechanical reliability cetainly bodes well for the 2020 X70. The Geely and Volvo R&D team deployed testing teams across a wide variety of roads and locations globally, including hot, crowded, hilly, dry and wet conditions. The validation mileage totalled over nine million km over 17 tests, double the normal OEM standard.
Proton ran its own durability tests in Malaysia too, racking over 100,000 km in six months, including stress tests of going up and down Genting Highlands. It’s also worth remembering that this transmission runs an oil-cooled wet clutch design rather than the typically more problematic dry DCTs. Geely, Volvo and by extension Proton, are confident that the 7DCT won’t be beset by reliability issues.
It should also be slightly cheaper to maintain, with the Proton service handbook stating 7DCT fluid changes are required at every 90,000 km or 54 months, compared to every 60,000 km/36 months for the previous 6AT. Previously, Geely had also mentioned that its own proprietary DCT transmission fluid, marketed by Shell as the Spirax S5 DCT10 (RM353.45), would be cheaper to buy than the recommended ATF for the outgoing 6AT (RM500.96).
Win-win then, cheaper to maintain and cheaper to run. That’s always good to know.
Another change that comes along with the new transmission is the electronic shift-by-wire gear lever. This is similar to what carmakers such as BMW have been using for quite a while now – a joystick that can be rocked back and forth to select the desired drive modes, which goes back to its original position once released.
Park can be selected via an oversized button on the knob itself, and before you say you can’t rest your palm on the lever as you drive along now, lest you mistakenly press the button, fret not, as there’s a foolproof override that cancels out the request if you do so. A buzzer will come on, along with an accompanying warning screen on the digital instrument cluster. Clever.
The gear lever itself does look good, but while it adds a touch of modernity to the somewhat sombre cabin design, I do believe that a bit more effort could have been put in to fit the lever onto an otherwise-unchanged centre console. In my opinion it looks rather undercooked, especially the large piece of bare black plastic trim around the base of the lever, which has no stylistic cues whatsoever. A little bit of that Proton Design magic here would have been much appreciated.
The 1.8 litre turbocharged direct injection engine remains mechanically identical to the outgoing model, with the extra torque not coming from Geely wanting to give it more performance per se, but rather because the previous 285 Nm rating was limited by the old 6AT gearbox. With the new 7DCT rated at up to 330 Nm, the engine can now be tuned back up to its natural state of 181 hp and 300 Nm of torque.
What has been updated is the engine cover, which now sports a new design and “Proton GPower” letterings. Weirdly enough, the cover layout visually suggests the use of a longitudinally-mounted engine instead of a transverse motor, even though the car obviously adopts the latter. Certainly one for car nerds to laugh about, this.
It came as a surprise to me and I’m sure a few others as well that Proton had chosen to run the same 1.8 litre four-cylinder turbo engine instead of the newer 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbo motor that is now available on various Volvo and Geely models, together with the 7DCT. The smaller engine, being of a more advanced Volvo design would have elevated the X70’s stature even more, I would have thought.
Proton’s justification for this is simple: it had run a series of surveys among existing and potential X70 customers, and the conclusion is that Malaysians are still somewhat conservative when it comes to engine size. Apparently, we still prefer a larger-capacity engine for SUVs which are deemed big and heavy, regardless of the high outputs that smaller, downsized units can now offer.
While I have not personally tested the new 1.5 litre engine just yet, its three-cylinder design is a bit of a worry for me – there’s no telling just how smooth or refined it will be. Refinement being one of the X70’s key strengths compared to its competition – I rate it ahead of the Honda CR-V by a mile, and superior even than the Mazda CX-5 by a pinch – it would be a shame if that advantage is taken away by a less refined motor up front.
The smaller engine has the potential of offering more power and even better fuel economy, but it also runs the risk of compromising the refined edge of the X70 as a whole. Look at it that way, and Proton’s decision to keep the 1.8 litre turbo four starts to make a lot more sense.
Now on to other notable updates on the 2020 X70. There are now ventilated front seats fitted on Executive variants and up. With Malaysia being as hot as it is, this addition is a Godsend in my books, being able to cool your bottoms at a press of a button.
Speaking of that, however, there are no physical buttons to activate the new feature – they’re burried under the HVAC screen within the touchscreen head unit. You can also activate it through the much lauded “Hi Proton” voice commands, but again, I myself see this novel feature as a marketing gimmick, and not something you’d actually use on a daily basis.
In a year of ownership, I’ve used voice commands perhaps a total of five times, including the few times of showing it off to friends. Beyond that, there’s not much use for it as the voice recognition system is still very much hit and miss, and I’d much rather use actual buttons for all the controls anyway. Nothing against the new ventilated seats, which I love, but more the lack of dedicated controls for them, which I don’t.
Another change is reclining rear seats, fixing one of the original X70’s minor drawbacks – the rear backrest can now be adjusted from 27 to 32 degrees of recline. The update necessitated a redesign of the seat hinges, now with added railings for the sturdier tonneau cover too. As part of the update package, the sides walls of the cargo area also gain carpeting and an extra hook for shopping bags.
Beyond that, the 2020 Executive variant also gains a power tailgate, with the Premium versions adding a foot sensor. More than anything else, this was the feature that a lot of existing X70 owners wanted the most – with quite a number of them even retrofitting the feature at the risk of voiding the warranty – so it’s great to see Proton taking in their feedback for this yearly update.
Yet another change made based off customer feedback and demand is the new variant lineup of Standard, Executive, Premium and Premium X. The Executive AWD option has been dropped, as that version accounted for less than five percent of the CBU model’s sales tally. What’s more interesting is the introduction of a new Premium X flagship model.
This, essentially, is a carry over of the outgoing Premium model, complete with all the bells and whistles, while the new 2020 Premium variant is the exact same, but without the panoramic sunroof – practically making the sunroof an optional item at the top of the range.
The way it is now, customers who truly want a sunroof can still get an X70 with one fitted (Premium X), while those who don’t, but still want the rest of the Premium goodies like the 19-inch wheels, Nappa leather upholstery and ADAS active safety suite can get their ideal specs too. If I was given such a choice in 2018, I would have gladly saved the difference and picked the solid-roofed Premium.
What’s less positive, is the SUV’s driving dynamics. Unfortunately, the 2020 X70 has not been given the full Proton ride and handling treatment, with just some fine-tuning work done to the dampers and not much else. The suspension hard points, the springs, even the steering characteristics, remain as before.
The revised dampers do work as intended, reducing body-roll through corners, improving body control while not compromising ride comfort. But unless you’re very familiar with the original X70, or are lucky enough to compare them back to back, you’ll hardly notice the difference. There’s clearly an improvement, but ultimately the 2020 version feels very much like the old car and by extension, the Geely Boyue.
A taller Preve or Iriz, this is not, then. With the original X70’s handling characteristics being its biggest weakness (average by class standards, well behind the athletic CX-5), this is definitely a disappointment.
The payback for this, though, is fantastic ride comfort. The X70 has the best ride quality in its class, striking the perfect middle ground between the stiff CX-5 and the overly soft and rolly-polly CR-V. Compared to its similarly priced rivals such as the HR-V, this is on a whole different planet, to be completely frank. Borrowing one of Proton’s old taglines, you really need to drive it to believe it.
It may not be a fun car to throw into corners with, but it is supremely comfortable be it in the city or on the highways, with a stable and planted feel even at high speeds. It’s a pleasure to drive in that sense, if not exactly fun in the more traditional sense of the word.
As for build quality, the cars we drove were pre-production units with a few minor flaws (untidy paint finishes, uneven panel gaps), but I’ve been assured that all of them have been fixed for the production units. Speaking to those in the know, I believe them.
UPDATE: The cars on display at the launch were full production units, and all the flaws have indeed been rectified.
Inside, the interior’s fit and finish and material use is on par with my own fully-imported unit, with no discernible difference to be seen. Looking closely, the Nappa leather upholstery now appears to be more cocoa instead of saddle brown, but beyond that, the two models appear nigh on identical. Trust me, I’ve looked for flaws to report, but failed.
That also means in terms of look and feel, it is still far ahead of the local CR-V, if not quite on the same level of the CX-5 in my books. Those who are always skeptical of locally-assembled cars, well, head on over to Proton showrooms to make your own conclusions.
So there you go, the 2020 Proton X70 CKD. Yes, visually it’s a bit underwhelming, because apart than the new logos it’s exactly the same as before, but the improvements underneath are much more impressive. The new seven-speed wet DCT feels good, very solid, and it really does help both performance and fuel economy. Plus, you can now rightly say you’re getting a piece of Volvo in your Proton.
Beyond that, the other changes like the reclinable rear seat, power boot, ventilated front seats, slightly improved handling and the move to make the sunroof optional really makes it clear that Proton is listening to its customers to make constant incremental improvements to give them what they want.
As for the CKD build quality, it’s pretty much the same as the CBU, so for those worried about quality issues, well, you don’t have to. And besides, since when is “Made in China” better than “Made in Malaysia” anyway?
Overall, yes, this 2020 X70 is a small step forward, not a big leap over the CBU model. But the fact is, the original X70 was a great car, and this new one is even better. At this price range, nothing even comes close – the Proton is in a class of its own.
Heck, I’ll say it again, even if it’s priced the same as the Honda CR-V or Mazda CX-5, the Proton X70 is still the one I would buy for myself, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone looking for a family SUV. It’s a no brainer, really.
The 2020 Proton X70 CKD has just been launched in Malaysia, priced at RM94,800 for the Standard 2WD, RM106,800 for the Executive 2WD, RM119,800 for the Premium 2WD and RM122,800 for the Premium X. Prices include a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. You can browse full specifications and equipment on CarBase.my, and read our Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin reviews on the X70 CKD.
2020 Proton X70 CKD Infohub
- 2020 Proton X70 CKD launched: Volvo 7DCT, +15 Nm, 13% better economy, more features, RM95k to RM123k
- 2020 Proton X70 CKD – why it retains its 1.8L turbo engine
- 2020 Proton X70 CKD launched
- DRIVEN: 2020 Proton X70 CKD seven-speed wet DCT
- 2020 Proton X70 CKD 7-speed wet DCT – “reliability and smoothness issues are in the past”
- Proton X70 CKD 7-speed wet DCT: more efficient than VW DSGs
- 2020 Proton X70 CKD to get 7-speed wet DCT
GALLERY: 2020 Proton X70 CKD Premium X in Jet Grey
GALLERY: 2020 Proton X70 CKD official images
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“Just, maybe lay off from making bold, sensational claims next time?”
This is what they have been doing all these years. They never changed. In fact this latest model wasn’t even developed by them.
Also, it is 2020. No Android Auto/Apple Carplay? The voice commands are awesome as I use these every day.; press a steering button and ask Google for the weather forecast to decide if a carwash is a good idea.
“As for build quality, the cars we drove were pre-production units with a few minor flaws (untidy paint finishes, uneven panel gaps), but I’ve been assured that all of them have been fixed for the production units. Speaking to those in the know, I believe them. ”
And their CEO is ok with this being shown to journalists despite all those claims of upgrading and product quality? That Li fella buat lawak.
These are pre-production models. More experienced automotive journalists would take the flaws from these cars with a pinch of salt and come back again with their same PoV on showroom cars if these still persist. Most of the time, they get rectified before moving into the showrooms. So just take these cars as a preview or a taste of what’s to come but they aren’t the final product so benefit of a doubt has to be given.
buat apa teknologi canggih tapi harga melampau dan sama dengan CBU?
Lu tak boleh mampu beli takpe, ramai lagi yang mampu beli sedang beratur.
Bad move by Proton to use DCT for the CKD X70 transmission since we are in a hot tropical country. With this Game Over strategy, the CKD X70 won’t be as successful as the CBU version
Even Volvo Malaysia also refused to bring in DCT cars into Malaysia.
Volvo Malaysia cannot be stupid. They know better.
kereta sama di negara lain boleh jual rendah harga, kenapa Malaysia tak boleh?
Utk dapat teknologi canggih kena buat R&D kan? U ingat R&D free ke? Lagi pun spec lebih dari CBU dan harga turun sikit dah bagus ni.
That is the prob with basher. They wan kolos P1, but they wan P1 gip luxury Mesidis car, with kancil prices and motor servicing. Topkek logic.
Drove the X70 Ckd. Refinement much gooder then Honda CR-V by a mile, and superior even then Mazda CX-5 by a pinch.
Surely much refined then BMW X3 and Benz GLC by a very good margin too. kudos
The price should have gone down further!
Proton ride handling should be incorporated more!
Shame on you drb! Mau untung banyak!
Interior design need replace with bouye Pro design too outdated, X70 CKD Pricing is REASONABLE. Now is X50 price, 1.0lL from 60k to 70k kill myvi n DL55 sales,1. 5L 73k to 90k kill entire Suv sales… IF price reasonable will take over perodua sales…
Check out the pricing in China! Proton can do better!
Interior I agree, boyue pro should have been the choice.
If it is the pro, the price is a bargain!
This car will also fail even without the corona virus especially it’s built by mat rempits from uitm and mara that never work hard and also minum teh 8x and goyang kaki which ended up asking for bailouts from government
It is a slap to all Malaysians. To get your car at lower quality CKD for RM3000 less.
I think Malaysians just got fooled.
The CBU higher quality Boyue in China is RM60k.
Is this really a Malaysian company?
Proton is not a Volvo. Otherwise, nobody will buy a Volvo.
Remember that.
Don’t think you are getting Volvo quality. There is always B grade and C grade in the manufacturing industry.
Geely or Volvo will never give the expensive version for a cheapo car. Rm400k Volvo car gearbox is not going to be given to a Proton
Be careful. When rosak time, you will pay nothing less than RM60k to repair a DCT.
So what does this mean? It means after the 5 year warranty finishes, this car will have a RV of about RM20k.
Copy paste: “Comments like this are why there are still racial problems in Malaysia. I bet you dont even wash your hands. Another reason why you hid your name because you are shallow and ignorant.
Great car, fantastic to see CKD developed by Malaysians for Malaysians!”
This is assembled here mate. Whatever virus will have died off by the time you get the car. Happy buying folks!
Do you know why companies like VW and Ford failed big time in Malaysia?
These are the two biggest car companies in the world. They spend billion on research and development and they know everything about dual clutch.
When the two companies cannot solve their own dual clutch issue, do you think a China company can be trusted?
Geely started in 1997
VW and Ford started in the 18th century!!!! They were around before 1900 la
I think I better bilip VW and Ford. They themselves cannot find a solution for their DSG/ Dual clutch.
How can young 1997 Geely know more?
as above
Malaysians especially Proton fanboys were expecting RM70k to RM80k
proton shoes must be very shiny now.
Hafriz, great work!
It is hard to have a car journalist to write a better review and driving experience post than you, as a true CBU X70 user.
Thank you!
0-100 in 9.5 secs is so much slower than the Honda CRV 1.5 turbo. The CRV can do 8.8 seconds even with a smaller engine capacity. Habisla proton… people still tabik to honda.
Wanna drive fast, get a urus la
People won’t feel the 0.8 secs but will definitely feel the more positive shifts from the DCT than the slurring CVT.
The price of 9.5 seconds is RM94,800 and the price of 8.8 seconds is RM150,992. Will people pay an extra RM56,192 for a faster speed of 0.7 seconds?
Dude… Crv kerb weight is only 1.5 tonne… This X70 is more than 1.7 tonne.. Come on.. Just 0.7 sec doesn’t make any big difference
Driven the old X70 and came out quite impressed. Was looking forward to the new one. More power, better performance, better fuel economy sure sounds tempting.
Maybe give the guys at Tanjung Malim a year or so to sort their production issues.. and hope that they will bring in another refresh with the better dash design of the Boyue Pro. That silver plastic trim just screams cheap.
Does the rear seat back fold flat now?
Engine is not actually geely.. It is developed by volvo for geely. It has been confirmed by volvo representative in a media conference by volvo itself. You can google this news.. Geely only got the credit.. However, it is also not true to say it is volvo, since engine used by the volvo models are from volvo.
i agree to hate the choice of chrome logo on the steering..the 1st thing to be mod or covered entirely for future buyer
Dude hafriz.. Who was the fella claimed “wait for a suprise”.. Ask li chun rong not to over promise.. And now.. See.. Only RM1k-RM5k difference for the price.. And the promise to replace “Baidu” navigation with other local r friendly apps just an empty promise for a company that aspired to conquer South East asean market.. More over that so called famous ride and handling is not realized… Seems like the “inspiring connection” slogan does not in line with the real action..
yes i agree that the round logo does feel out of place on the grill as the grill still has some triangle shape at the center and also edgy vents…
i expected more changes rather than this
You can thank Azlan0 for that. Somehow he is still there making design mistakes. His highlight was the fake body-coloured exhausts on pondana.
Perhaps they are saving more pronounced styling changes for the facelift. This is after all a CKD version of the X70 launched just one year ago. Would make existing CBU owners feel better too with the minimal differences.
Who else notice all the proton sales man is here to defend the model?
Yoh got issue go bring it up to the orang tua… it was his magic fingers that caused this downfall.
This is no bread + butter model made for the mass. Time will tell as to how they can sustain this premium market segment placed above the reach of an average Msian.
Many may have over committed and will soon feel the pinch when it come to maintainace and wear + tear issues.
Am not a fan of an SUV, but news & reviews about X70 is exciting, since it stirring the local automotive scene. Much like news about Myvi update with lot of features from premium segment, or when the Civic FB & Type-R with it radical design launched in MY
It made me smile the way Hafriz concluded.
since when is “Made in China” better than “Made in Malaysia” anyway?
What? A long review but no mention of how many cupholders?
Thanks Hafriz for your honest review. Geely claim the new DCT is more efficiency than the German DCT however in real life it has little lapses and pause and do feel of the gear changing. I do not believe Geely DCT will be better than DSG as DSG has much longer history and reputation.
To be honest VW DSG nowadays is more mature (it debut in year 2003) as it is seamless smooth and lightning fast gear shifting. But when the DSG debut the DSG suffer lots of problem and over the years VW improve it. The same DQ250 wet clutch is still using until today while VW also develop new unit such as DQ380 etc. Even VW DSG wet clutch so mature it has HUGE problem while they come out with DQ200 dry clutch where problem happened in the whole world till they withdraw the dry clutch in new models. And the bad reputation of dry clutch has frighten everyone while hearing DUAL CLUTCH (even though wet clutch has high reliability).
To those who scare of DCT, please note the wet type of DCT reliability is as good as AT.
Driving X70 after several hours under hot burning sun in open car park
which more comfortable and cool down car cabin heat faster?
a).Open Sun-roof
b).Activate ventilated seat
c).Open all car windows Maxed out Aircon
Hafriz Shah sila jawab
1) Buy an X70 without a sunroof
2) Ventilated seat + Max air con
Really that bad ka the sunroof? No 3M, raytech tint can cover the heat ah? Am thinking of having a go at premium x. Never own a car with sunroof before. @Hafriz Shah appreciate your input.
Hmmm, has there been anything said about Apple Carplay or Android Auto? since thats the bit that would make me consider this over CRV/CX5. A car is a long term investment and if I’m shelling out 120k i don’t want to be perturbed by a bad user interface for 5 years.
What about the space? Does it comes near to CRV?
Folks,
As usual when I buy something.. first thing I check is the warranty terms and conditions. I strongly suggest you all read the FINE PRINTs (clause 1.2 onward) on:
a). What is covered for “5 years and unlimited mileage” As per the brochure.
b). same as above for 3 years and/or 60,00km. Most of the big ticket items eg. turbo, transmission, suspension, electrical etc fall under this category
c). most interesting is what is NOT covered above 3 months and/or 5000km.
The word “clutch friction plate” crossed my mind…ahem. Have a good one folks…
How many standard size golf bags can you fit into the CKD model’s boot without adjusting the back seats down & with the tonneue cover in place ?