The 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox combo used in the Proton X50 1.5 TGDi Flagship has received a top award from China’s Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE-China awarded their highest honour, the “China Automotive Industry Science and Technology Award”, to Geely for the development of the 1.5TD + 7DCT powertrain.
SAE-China is China’s most prestigious non-governmental professional association for scientists, academics, engineers, and technicians working in the world’s largest and most competitive automotive market.
Each year, automotive industry peers in SAE-China nominate and select achievements and innovations that have advanced and influenced the automotive industry for the award. For 2020, Geely’s 1.5TD + 7DCT powertrain was selected among 170 other innovations by top Chinese universities, science academies and global automotive R&D centres. The award is like a “Nobel Prize” for the industry, Proton says.
Panel judges and industry peers selected Geely’s latest powertrain, co-developed with Volvo, for making key breakthroughs in three major challenges faced by the industry – developing a highly versatile compact engine, balancing performance with fuel efficiency, and increasing the utilisation and reliability of hybrid power.
The powertrain was the result of years of collaborative R&D between Geely and Volvo. Designed to be versatile and high performance, the combo can provide sufficient power for models in a wide variety of segments. It’s modular too, designed to be integrated into four different hybrid power setups – 48V mild hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and range extender EV.
In the Proton X50 1.5 TGDi Flagship, the turbo triple makes 177 PS and 255 Nm, good enough for 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. The 7DCT transmission is claimed to have an industry leading 97.2% transmission efficiency, can handle up to 450 Nm of torque, and shift gears near instantaneously in 0.2 seconds.
Commonly used in fuel-efficient economy cars, three-cylinder engines have a bit of a stigma when it comes to refinement. Geely says that it has overcome this, achieving NVH performance levels equal to four-cylinder engines on the market. The 1.5TD (the official designation of the TGDi) was developed with over 120 NVH optimising parts, reducing perceivable engine jitter and noise. At idle, engine noise inside vehicle cabins can be as low as 38db, Geely says.
Counterweighted crankshafts, dual-mass flywheel with centrifugal pendulum absorber damper, single balancing shaft, low noise timing belt, high stiffness oil pan, asymmetric oil pump impeller, and an engine compartment and vibration dampener are among the army of parts combating NVH in the 1.5TD – full story here.
For maximum fuel efficiency, the engine can also run on a Miller cycle for hybrid applications. We’ve previously detailed this downsized turbo engine family with its tech and applications – read more here.
In just over two years, more than 1.6 million 1.5TD engines and 7DCT transmissions have been produced and delivered. The engine can be found across the Geely group, in models such as the Proton X50/Geely Coolray/Geely Binyue, Geely Azkarra/Geely Boyue, Geely Okavango, Volvo XC40, all Lynk & Co models and the LEVC TXe, among others.
The powertrain is now in service in over 21 countries including Sweden, the UK, Russia, Philippines and Malaysia. Geely says that it has invested 20.73 billion yuan (RM13 billion) in R&D projects in the last 10 years up to 2019.
GALLERY: Proton X50 1.5T Standard
GALLERY: Proton X50 1.5T Executive
GALLERY: Proton X50 1.5T Premium
GALLERY: Proton X50 1.5 TGDi Flagship
GALLERY: Proton X50 official photos
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Syabas & tahniah smue Proton engineers…
Proton sudah mampu berdikari dan bersaing secara terbuka.
Ayuh MITI hapuskan cukai duti kereta ya!
Cukai duty is to protect Perodua. Or did you forget we still got another national carmaker living on crutches?
So funny. Sendiri praise Sendiri
Proton Engineers? mimpi ke apa
incoming proton haters
Yup. Right below us.
Yeah hello Proton fans yang syiok sendiri
Sendiri syiok hoping that Proton fans syiok? Sorry I only see hater syiok sendiri like yourself.
1.8TGDI 4cylinders with higher output should get the credit
1.5TGDi 3cyl with less output, okok lar
China made, China own award..
Wait for European award then can boast
Lets look take a look at the calculations and tell us why should the 1.8 be getting the credit?
X70 1.8TGDi = 181hp / 300Nm
X50 1.5TGDi -174hp / 255Nm
Despite the 1.5L only being 3 cylinders which makes the 1.8L engine 20% higher in capacity but the power gained is not 20% higher even with an extra cylinders.
1.8TGDI more potential – good things.
for now, 4 cylinders, less output per cyliners = more durable.
and best, total output = higher.
more makan minyak – biasala for high horsepower.
not getting the speed you want? maybe the wheel
output is much less. nothing suprising bruhh.
Less output more durable? Where did you get that from? The 80’s?
Engine refinement today are so much better that higher performance doesn’t rob reliability if the balance between both are spot on. Volvo Car brand wouldn’t have put their reputation on the line by using this engine if they were lesser reliable.
Makan minyak? At 6.4L per KM vs Honda K24V5 2.4L, with similar engine performance, doing 8.4L per KM? haha.
Talking like you don’t know what SAE stands for. The SAE organisation is based in USA with SAE-China being their affiliated branch there. All nominations are objectively submitted by industry peers (registered SAE members) and evaluations are done according to SAE international standards so there is no bias in their judgement. Its powertrain system was selected among 170 other industry-shaking innovations developed by top Chinese Universities, science academies, and global automotive R&D centres so the win is well deserved.
It’s for Geely, not Proton okay.
Title no need so much dramatic.
tajuk tulis Proton X50 engine, bukan tulis Proton menang buat engine
Patut tulis Geely Binyue engine.
Tp still guna timing belt
Guna timing chain nnt lagi banyak complaint bising gegar mmg motorboat pulak
Heavy timing chain soaked in engine oil couldn’t provide the efficiency. Parasitic loss.
Timing Chain and Timing Belt both got pros and cons. For NVH, Timing Belt is better.
What to do, your mind is not free, it’s still ‘chained’.
Congratulations to Geely for own China Award.
Engine China memang diorang puji sendiri.
Masuk bakul, sendiri angkat
Betul tu. Mana2 kes copyright infringement kat China memang tak akan menang. Mahkamah dia orang akan backup syarikat sendiri.
You mean like how Land Rover won lawsuit against Landwind in China? Yeah, kinda expected you to be not good in telling facts.
1 Vs many all other suit out there? until these foreign companies ruling out suing as option. This tells you how bad judiciary in China is.
Just 1.5TD. Such an achievement with such a simple name.
Sound great now then please list your engine in the ‘International Engine of the Year’ award. Well to be honest I dont even think even Volvo won any one category for the past 20 years.
Anyone that do product Type Approval submission knows how difficult to find testing bodies that is approved by SIRIM.
it kinda leads many to think that the engine is a true blue Proton invention.
rupa rupa, it is Geely punya la … adui …
Tu yang Geli tu. Aduh3x
Author better change new headline:
Geely 1.5 TGDi engine, 7DCT combo receives top award from China’s Society of Automotive Engineers
It is why people like you should read the article in full and not just comment based on the headlines.
That blow-up pic looks like the engine uses a timing belt, can anyone confirm this? If so, is there a service/replacement schedule for it?
Which bloody cave you just crawled out from…?
When is paultan going to do full test drive review, been 2 weeks since launching day yet not even 1 reputable car journalist/reviewer have done it. Why Proton could not loan you all for few days to trash out the car car ka?
CMCO, buddy. Nak drive pergi mana? Go to office and back only, not enough to review the car properly.
Just go the extra mile, buddy. Musim CMCO ni, drive pergi Pahang, Kelantan and some say, Perlis. Any reputable car journalist/ reviewer first done it, PT youtube views & subs…. perrgggh konpem meletopp buddy.
Though possible with police permission, we believe that goes against the spirit of CMCO. Car reviews can wait a few weeks while we all get through this.
Let’s minimise travelling and driving around, everyone.
Hafriz, here’s an idea. Since CMCO has limited the options and many are dying for a real world review.
” My mum reviews the X50 as her going to pasar /supermarket car. “
Hahaha! As good as “full reviews” from showroom test drives, then
Thank You Geely! We look forward using them!
syok sendiri…
Apa-apa pun, Tahniah PROTON/DRB HICOM, you are making money now. MARI should given award to Proton X50 for Malaysia CoY 2020.
Menipu je semua ni
Yg benar
Pencacai wolksagen
Hope PT will consider publishing something on Proton X50 price variance from Geely Binyue in China.
The price variance is considered outrageous considering if truly Proton is still majority share holding by Malaysia.
The car is great but the price is a true disappointment.
We understand that profits need to be allocated here and there.
But almost 50% higher priced for the top of the range flagship model which is CKD?
Does it mean China don’t tax their car manufacturers at all?
Ultimately, it feels like a total rip off.
Rip-off? Do read up on the articles leading up to Proton X50 launch and even those related to X70 prior.
Did it occur to you that CKD has its taxes and duties levied even if for national car brand?
Did it occur to you this CKD isn’t so straightforward as Proton needed to reengineer the car for our roads (ie LHD to RHD conversion)?
Did it occur to you there are extra cost incurred since CKD parts need to be redeveloped by local vendors?
Did it occur to you that Proton had position X50 on a higher market level than those in China and the lower prices there reflected on the much fiercer competition in their market?
Expect China to tax much on their local cars is like expecting our Govt to levy much taxes onto Saga. Laughable.
I think toyota still have good rv
put this engine/tranny in the exora/iriz/persona and they will easily dominate the market
So you mean China no need development cost nor manufacturing cost?
If you mean redevelopment as in top up more money, u win.
But I see it differently, redeveloping need such high price?
Proton placing it in a higher market level so need to increase the price?
I thought Proton is our national car and suppose to help Malaysians by promoting lower prices and increase the competition for other brands.