The 2024 Proton S70 is now officially launched, earlier than the expected December date. Unlike previous Geely-Proton models, the gestation period for the new sedan was pretty short. First official details and images surfaced on November 1, and the media preview happened shortly after that. From that session, we gave you all you needed to know about the S70 except for the price, so here we go.
The Proton S70 comes in four variants, and they are the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X (Standard variant name dropped). The entry-level Executive kicks off the range at RM73,800, while the Premium sells for RM79,800. For many, the Flagship is where the S70 range truly starts, and it’s yours for RM89,800. If you want a sunroof, dashcam and the exclusive Quartz Black paint, the Flagship X is priced at RM94,800. All are on-the-road without insurance.
As expected, the S70’s price range puts in right smack in Honda City and Toyota Vios territory, and those two are household names in the B-segment sedan market. But Proton is calling the S70 a C-segment sedan, with a ’70’ badge to match. By the way, if you want to jump straight to the specs, we’ve listed it all down in point form – scroll down.
The Great Debate
So, is the S70 a B- or C-segment sedan? Well, it’s based on the Geely Emgrand, which sits on the X50’s BMA platform, and the car has a 1.5 litre NA engine/CVT combo elsewhere – 1.5L CVT is of course the ASEAN B-segment default set by the Toyota Vios and Honda City.
In fact, everyone thought that car codenamed SS11 would be called ‘Proton S50’ till we saw spyshots of the S70 badge last month. The pricing of the S70 is also squarely within the City-Vios space, and the two class stalwarts were chosen as rivals in the media preview acceleration test.
It’s a B then. But Proton complicates things (by design, I’m sure) by giving the sedan the ’70’ name. Officially, Proton is calling this a C-segment sedan, and ’70’ ties in with the X70, a C-SUV. The carmaker has also plonked in a 1.5 litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox in place of the 1.5L NA CVT that powers the Emgrand in China and the Philippines. Think 1.5T, think Honda Civic, right?
What about dimensions? Glad you asked. According to the brochure, the S70 is 4,602 mm long and 1,809 mm wide, with a 2,627 mm wheelbase. Strangely, these are lower than the Emgrand’s numbers. Based on Proton’s figures, the S70 is just 13 mm longer than the Honda City RS and 61 mm wider, with a wheelbase that’s 27 mm longer.
By the way, the S70 is longer and wider than the Preve and Mitsubishi Lancer-based Inspira, Proton’s previous two C-segment sedans. Speaking of those models, Proton says that the S70 follows the lineage of the Wira, Waja and Preve.
It’s a C then. But cars grow in size, and a Civic then isn’t the same as a Civic now. On that note, today’s Civic FE is 76 mm longer than the S70, and the Honda’s 2,735 mm wheelbase is a whopping 108 mm longer. In fact, going by the numbers, the S70 is actually closer to the City than the Civic in size. And all of the Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are also lower slung than the S70, giving them sportier proportions that are more inline with the C-segment.
We’ll leave it up to you to place the S70, as it’s a bit of a mishmash. Outside of car guy circles, Proton calling their new sedan C-segment will enable salesmen to use the “Civic rival at City price” good value pitch, just like what they did with the X70 (CR-V size and specs at HR-V price).
Turbo-DCT from X50
The S70 gets turbo power instead of the Emgrand’s standard 1.5L NA unit, and the turbo engine in question is the 1.5-litre port-injected three-cylinder engine that powers the X50 Standard to Premium, and not the 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi unit in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC. Like in the non-Flagship X50, the 1.5L MPI unit’s output is 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm in the S70. Why no 1.5 NA or TGDi? Proton’s answer here.
For those keeping count, the Civic’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder VTEC turbo engine makes 182 PS and 240 Nm, which is 32 PS and 14 Nm more than the S70. As for the NA B-segment duo, the City has 121 PS/145 Nm (S70 +29 PS, +81 Nm) and the Vios’ 2NR-VE has 106 PS/138 Nm (S70 +44 PS, +88 Nm). Proton claims 0-100 km/h in around nine seconds.
Besides the point that a turbo engine would make the S70 a more convincing C-segment sedan, it also makes perfect business sense for Proton as the engine is already made in Tanjong Malim for the X50, while Geely’s 1.5L NA is not used in any current Proton. Using the engine in two models gives Proton better economies of scale, and in this case, the consumer benefits too. Ditto the seven-speed wet-clutch DCT.
Local input, deluxe Emgrand
In the switch from left- to right-hand drive (steering now perfectly centred in front of the driver by the way, no longer offset like in the X50/X70), the S70 project saw the development of 453 new parts with the involvement of 283 local suppliers, Proton says. The sedan has 145 knocked down (KD) parts and 24 in-house Proton developed parts. Of course, the engine is made in Malaysia. A total of 260,000 man hours were utilised.
Still, the target is to reach 70% local content in a couple of years, deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah revealed at the media preview. That’s nowhere near the over 90% local content of Perodua models from launch, and non-national models probably source more from Malaysia. This is not of concern to the customer, of course, and we only spotted one Geely logo on the fleet of pre-production cars – on the sunroof.
The most obvious change from the Emgrand is the S70’s grille, which combines the ‘Infinite Weave’ and ‘Ethereal Bow’ cues from past Geely-Protons to form an elaborate yet neat grille with pins. The side edges of the grille are blacked out to emphasise the Ethereal Bow (lower border), and Proton’s new round tiger badge floats in the middle. To us, it’s a handsome face and one that’s much better looking than the Emgrand, which has vertical lines in its grille.
Everything else is as per the Geely, including G20 BMW 3 Series-style ‘side intakes’, the two-tone 17-inch wheels, the slightly jarring protrusion of chrome from the A pillars and the fancy rear LED full-width signatures.
Speaking of the rear lights, they perform a show when you unlock the car and appear to be naturally ‘smoked’ even in daylight. We’re also wondering why the smart entry button on the driver’s door handle is in chrome, and not hidden away in body colour. There’s no button on the passenger side by the way, and it’s a downgrade from the touch sensor on Proton’s SUVs.
If the exterior is largely Emgrand bar the grille and rear Proton badge, the interior is a deluxe version of the sedan compared to what’s available in the Philippines, and to a lesser degree, China. The default gear lever is a conventional tall stick, but Proton is offering the stubby ‘T-design’ electronic shifter from the X90, which looks way more advanced and premium.
More parts sharing with existing Protons (which are not from the original Emgrand) can be seen in the steering wheel from the X50. Also, the sedan’s cabin is peppered with a soft material that has a songket-inspired pattern. You can find this S70-exclusive trim on the dashboard and door armrests – it’s a nice touch.
The most important aspect of the local input is none other than the well-regarded ‘Proton ride and handling’. The carmaker says that the S70 is tuned for Malaysian roads and the R&D team spent 75,000 man hours and drove a combined 1.2 million km of development miles. Typically, Chinese cars are softly sprung and comfort-oriented to suit the local palate, but Malaysians drive faster and require more control, more dynamics. With regards to ride and handling, Proton engineers claim that they managed to improved both comfort and stability.
However, Proton stoped short of changing the Emgrand’s rear suspension from a torsion beam to multi-links like they did with the X90. Independent rear suspension is a norm in the C-segment, whereas the City/Vios have a torsion beam. They did however upgrade the size of the front brakes to match the heavier turbo engine.
Lots of kit, at the top
The S70 will come in four variants, but we’ll call it ‘3+’. Unlike the X50, there’s no Standard variant, and the sedan’s range starts from Executive. The mid-level spec is Premium and the top one is the Flagship. The Flagship X makes it four, but the only difference the ‘X’ brings is a sunroof and an exclusive Quartz Black paint option.
Is the S70 well equipped? Yes, but the entry-level Executive looks rather different from the Flagship/Flagship X cars that we see in the ads. Much of the exterior and interior bits that make the S70 look fancy (LED headlamps, rear LED signatures, 17-inch wheels that look just about large enough, digital meter panel, infotainment touchscreen) are not present in the Executive. A low entry price gets more eyeballs. Some would say that the Exec’s kit list is more ‘Standard’.
All variants have the same 1.5T 7DCT powertrain, six airbags, lane change assist and an electronic parking brake with auto hold. The Executive comes with fabric seats, halogen headlamps, 16-inch wheels and an 8.0-inch head unit. To get LED headlamps (projectors) and tail lamps, you’ll have to buy the Premium, which also adds on leatherette upholstery, auto air-con and a reverse camera. We also noticed that trim on the front lip, the ‘side air intake’ surrounds and the rear bumper horizontal strip are in silver from the Premium onwards (black in Exec).
Now, LED headlamps have been standard on the Perodua Myvi since 2017, and even a RM40k Axia gets them, so the base S70 is nowhere near C-segment in terms of equipment. There’s also no full ADAS and AEB at the midpoint – Lane Change Assist (blind spot warning), Door Opening Warning, Rear Collision Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard across the board.
Proton is once again reserving the full driver assist pack for the Flagship. The comprehensive ADAS suite adds on Autonomous Emergency Braking with Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, Lane Centring Control, Traffic Sign Information and Intelligent High Beam Control. By the way, ADAS is not available on the Emgrand, so this is yet another Proton-exclusive feature. Five stars in the ASEAN NCAP crash test, by the way.
The Flagship also gets a tyre pressure monitoring system, the 17-inch two-tone alloys you see here, the cockpit’s dual screen setup (10.3-inch meter, 12.3-inch infotainment with Hi Proton), wireless charger, powered driver’s seat (none of the B-segment players have this) and 360-degree camera with 3D display.
As mentioned, the Flagship X’s only extra pieces of kit are the sunroof and dashcam, but the range topper does get an exclusive Quartz Black paint option. Black isn’t a common colour for Protons – will this car be supplied to the government? The Flagship X can also be had in Snow White, Space Grey, Marine Blue and Teal Bayou Green – the latter is a new-to-Proton colour inspired by our tropical beaches.
The signature green and Marine Blue, which are the colours you see in the studio pics here, are reserved for the Flagship and above. The dark blue car has a five-piece bodykit consisting of a front lip, side skirts, rear bumper extension and a boot spoiler. No R3 logos on the kit, by the way. The bodykit is, for now, a freebie for Flagship X early birds – more on this later.
There’s always a different kind of buzz when we’re seeing a Proton/Perodua for the first time. More anticipation and more pressure too, because it seems like national cars are well, of national interest – everyone talks about it, everybody wants to know about it, not just car people. We genuinely want to see the cars do well, but also have the duty to report as it is.
Kudos to Proton for having a couple of cars that it sees as the S70’s rivals at the preview. So confident they are that it wasn’t just the Vios and City present – we were all shocked to see the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan parked alongside for static comparison. Surely not ‘Asia’s answer to BMW’ all over again? More on that later.
Our first impression of the S70 is a good one. This is a three-box sedan that’s handsome in a slightly old school way, and it reminds me of the third-generation Subaru Legacy (B4 RSK!). Proton might have just changed the grille of the Emgrand, but it’s a change for the better – the S70 looks more premium than the Geely. SUVs rule the market these days, but many guys still like sedans, and we think that the S70 will capture the imagination of many bros out there.
Step in and you’re greeted by a throughly contemporary cockpit with three of the most popular elements checked – horizontal dash layout (always emphasised by full-width look AC vents), a high centre console, and two screens (meter and central). The latter gives off a high-tech, advanced feel that goes well with (and is integral to) the minimalist design. Plenty of X90 elements, but the S70’s cockpit is way more stylish.
Look closer and you’ll find a delightful local touch – the passenger-facing piece of trim below the AC vents is soft to the touch and has a nice songket-inspired pattern. This material is repeated on the door armrests. This and the dash top both pass the knock-knock Malaysian showroom test – the dash top, which has stitching on the edge, feels solid. Also nice is the stitched pattern on the door cards, which reminds me of Asics’ Tiger Stripes.
This positive feel doesn’t flow into the centre console and doors; the latter is covered in scratchy hard plastic and the door handles, while nicely integrated design-wise, has a lacquer-like silver finish that feels cheap. So, overall perceived quality is a mixed bag, and sitting in the BMW 2GC after the S70 merely emphasised the gulf in premiumness.
To be fair, hard plastics are common in the B-segment, which the S70 will be priced against. But it’s Proton who’s calling it a C (Civic cabin feels more premium in touch and feel) and brought a BMW along. As mentioned, we like the design and advanced feel, and the IP is quality.
At the media preview, we pushed the S70 along a short course in Proton’s Shah Alam proving ground and also had it in a drag race with the City and Vios. It didn’t take long to deduce that the S70 is tuned for comfort rather than sport, as a sub-RM100k family sedan should be – it’s easy to drive with light and smooth steering, and primary ride comfort should be good, based on its calm, composed reaction to a dip in the course.
We didn’t try the sedan on rough surfaces, but based on trend and Proton’s well-proven capabilities in ride and handling, the S70 should be a well-damped, forgiving ride. Expect some lean on steady-state cornering from this relatively tall sedan, but nothing too disconcerting.
It depends on what your expectations are, but if you hear 1.5T DCT and think ‘VW TSI DSG’ or ‘Civic-beater’, be prepared to be disappointed. There’s a significant delay between your right foot asking for full throttle and the powertrain getting the message, so much so that the City consistently beats the S70 off the line.
But give the Proton enough road and it will eventually overtake and pull away from the Honda, as it should, being turbocharged. The Vios? Quite a distance away from the other two, literally. Away from the drag strip’s standing start, the in-gear acceleration of a turbocharged car would be useful in cut and thrust daily driving.
Speaking of the daily grind, we noticed that the S70’s transmission swaps gears pretty leisurely for a dual-clutch unit, and its engine is more audible than the Vios at idle and low speeds, while sounding coarser. When it comes to isolation, Toyota is tops – even the previous-generation Vios/current Yaris is more refined on the move. Personally, I feel that the lack of powertrain refinement is at odds with the premium messaging.
Moving to the back seat, we can report that the bench is nicely shaped and the seat base height is sufficient. The length is of the seat base is just about right for my 175 cm frame. The S70’s rear headroom betters the City and Vios – it was my first time in the Toyota and I was shocked that they signed this off, and I’m not even that tall.
The most layman way of measuring rear space is legroom, and you’ll expect the ‘C-segment’ car to romp home. Instead, if stretching your rear legs is an important consideration, the City and Vios have more acreage. Mind you, the S70 isn’t cramped by any means, but rear legroom is short of the ASEAN B-segment’s abnormally high bar. Also, if the driver’s seat is set to the lowest position, there’s not much room under it for feet to tuck into.
Anyhow, it’s decent at the back, and passengers get to enjoy AC vents (they look strangely ‘naked’ though), a centre armrest, and two USB ports (1x A, 1x C). As with the front doors, there are stitched stripes on the door cards and songket-patterned soft material on the side armrests. Boot volume is 500 litres and there’s a space saver spare wheel under the floor.
So, how does the S70 compare with its rivals, you ask. The answer depends on who you consider its rivals to be, as discussed above in The Great Debate. Proton is calling the S70 a C-segment sedan, but truth be told, the Honda Civic has it easily beat in touch, feel, drive and desirability. As such, there’s no need to discuss the BMW 2GC.
However, the S70 is priced squarely in the City and Vios range. And against those two, there’s certainly a case for the Proton, which is plenty of car for the money – you’ll get a bigger body, a turbo engine, lots of toys and some feel-good features that are first-in-class such as electric seat adjustment. The S70 is a decent drive and it looks good in and out, too. However, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, not yet at least.
It must be noted though that much of the good stuff you see here are reserved for the Flagship. Also, Proton has announced a ‘standard package’ for the S70, which consists of a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, a five-year data package (1GB per month, only for the Flagship and above), six times free labour service and financing rates from 2.34%.
There’s more. The first 3,000 bookings will get the aerokit you see on the blue car here, worth RM3,130. That’s only for the Flagship X though – early birds for the other variants get RM500 service vouchers and upgraded Proton Insurance Programme. To enjoy the early bird perks, you must register your S70 by February 29, 2024.
For now, what do you think of the Proton S70 as it is, and vis-à-vis the Honda City and Toyota Vios? Check out the list of specs below and once you’re done, join Hafriz on a detailed video tour of the S70. We’ve updated the gallery below with live pics of all four variants, including the base Executive and mid-level Premium.
Are you planning to buy a Proton S70? You can place a booking for RM500 now with our partners Proton PJ Regal Motors. If you have a car to trade in, get a quote from myTukar.
2024 Proton S70 Executive – RM73,800
Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
- 1.5 litre DOHC MPI turbocharged three-cylinder engine
- 150 PS at 5,500 rpm, 226 Nm at 1,750 to 4,000 rpm
- 7-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission with manual mode
- Electric power steering (EPS)
- Electronic parking brake with auto hold
- MacPherson strut suspension (front), torsion beam (rear)
- Ventilated disc brakes (front), solid discs (rear)
- 50-litre fuel tank
Exterior
- Halogen projector headlamps
- LED daytime running lights
- 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 205/55 Giti GitiComfort F22 tyres
- Power adjustable side mirrors, manual fold
Interior
- Smart entry with push-start button
- Remote engine start
- Cruise control
- Drive mode selection – Eco, Comfort, Sport
- Urethane steering wheel
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
- Steering wheel audio controls
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth
- Four speakers
- 5x USB ports – 3x front, 2x rear
- Analogue meter panel
- Manual air-conditioning with N95 cabin filter and rear vents
- Fabric upholstery
- Auto-down power windows – all
Safety
- Six airbags (front, side, side curtain)
- VSA, ABS, EBD, brake assist
- Hill hold assist
- Rear collision warning
- Lane change assist
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Door opening warning
- Reverse sensors, three-eye
2024 Proton S70 Premium – RM79,800
Adds on:
Exterior
- Automatic LED headlamps
- Rear LED light bar
- Auto folding side mirrors
- Silver trim on front and rear bumpers
Interior
- Leatherette steering wheel
- Leatherette seats
- Automatic air con, single-zone
- Rear centre armrest
- Anti-trap power windows
Safety
- Reverse camera
- Front parking sensors, two-eye
2024 Proton S70 Flagship – RM89,800
Adds on:
Exterior
- 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 205/50 Goodyear Assurance tyres
- Auto nearby trunk unlock
Interior
- Steering mode selection – Comfort, Normal, Sport
- Full LCD digital meter panel
- Security window tint
- Powered driver’s seat, six-way
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 4G and WiFi
- Voice command, navigation, music streaming, weather forecast
- Proton Link app with vehicle status, remote control
- Wireless charger
- Six speakers
Safety
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
- Intelligent cruise control
- Lane departure warning
- Lane departure prevention
- Lane centering control
- Traffic sign information
- Auto high beam
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- 360-degree camera with 3D display
2024 Proton S70 Flagship X – RM94,800
Adds on:
Exterior
- Sunroof
Safety
- Front dashcam
- Five-piece bodykit (if you’re among the first 3,000 buyers)
Are you planning to buy a Proton S70? You can place a booking for RM500 now with our partners Proton PJ Regal Motors. If you have a car to trade in, get a quote from myTukar.
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Flagship X
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Flagship
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Premium
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Executive
GALLERY: Proton S70 brochure and price lists
GALLERY: Proton S70 presentation
GALLERY: Proton S70 official images
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This time Proton wanna sapu the B and C segment potential customera. The exterior design is not really great but at 95k got 1.5T with DCT and all safety features ready.
This S70 pricing likely done to recover the “failure” of X90 who price high and less demand compare to other models. I don’t really like Proton but good job for this S70 pricing.
same segmen P1 Persona was selling for RM54k to RM65k only
So,if taking the base model S70,the Proton fanboy just add extra one year of HP instead of Pesona.
Matter of time,the Pesona sales will be cannabalised,but Dr.Li already forsee,this aging Jurassic Pesona will see an earlier sunset.
Proton sales freefalling. Since PAS dumped kempen BMF & embraced mercedes alphad with glee..
U drank to many longkang water… what the hack u mumbling bout?
Nope. Persona starting at 47K and 58K for Premium spec. Go figure.
I thought it is special compared to Preve?
This S70 will forever be known for jumping categories at its convenience. When comparing performance, they compare with Vios/City. When people put them same level as B-segment, they claim it’s a C-segment tapi takut nak lawan Civic/Corolla.
Kalau berani put S70 same price with Civic/Corolla. Agreed coward?
S70 is similar like other C segment in term of interior space, more or less about Corolla. Look at the Mazda 3, it is belong to C segment but interior space is much smaller and even smaller than current B segment Persona. For me I don’t care B or C segment as long as the interior space is good. Fyi, Honda City interior space is even bigger than Corolla. Accord space is bigger than E class or maybe closed to E segment S class.
Takut lawan Civic/Corolla? S70 certainly not as fast as Civic, but it is much quicker than Corolla and maybe slightly faster than Mazda 3 2.0NA. S70 at this price tag you still question? Get your brain check man
Stop bringing about price tag. The car is a B-segment at a B-segment price tag which is fair. Whether the car is fast or not, the fact that they shamelessly compared it to Vios and City proves that they have inferiority complex. They have done it on Myvi with crappy Savvy but it backfired with ridiculously low sales. Get treatment.
Your reply is a typical pathetic person who has narrow mindset but insist you are the right one. Let’s look at the sales of this S70 in coming year. Figure will tell.
A segment size is mostly dictated by it’s shoulder/hip width and also kerb weight, rather than leg/knee & head room. Wheelbase figures can be confusing as 5/7 seater SUV/MPVs can vary, but the shoulder/hip width remains the same. Example, CX5 (c-segment) vs CX8 (d-segment??) both have similar cockpit size & design.
The Mazda3 has more shoulder room vs City/Vios despite the cramp rear passenger legroom. Similar case to the CX5 vs HRV, or Accord vs 7series arguments.
Not sure abt the S70’s shoulder room, but from the pics, it’s bit wider than City/Vios. A typical C-segment is typically wider by 4-8 cm compared to B segment counterpart, which is so small that it’s hard to notice.
Leg room is as equally important as shoulder room. But ultimately, there’s no objective way to determine car segment. BMW 2GC is about S70 length in wheelbase, a little narrower cabin, with similar inline 3, 1.5T, 7speed DCT that put out 10hp 5nm less than the S70. Strangely enough, people never consider BMW 2GC lower than C-segment, as they did with S70. (fanboys & haters alike tunnel vision)
Segment is just marketing tools for carmaker to determine price and features for their target market. It is as SUBJECTIVE as it can get. Geely consider it B, but proton want it to be C which is no problem if they can deliver. S70 can be a true C if they wanted to, but the interior material choices, design, and feel make me think: it’s B++ at best or you can consider it lower tier C-segment.
But still can’t even compare between this and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe as different categories and different levels like someone said. BMW including 2 Series Gran Coupe still have better quality level, more power acceleration and more power top speed while horsepower and torque doesn’t any affect on car power much and also better handling and better car proven safety rating than Proton S70, despite BMW and Proton are good. Besides, based on interior cabin, many people won’t feel any complaints about comfort and practical so far on BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.
Besides this Proton S70 can only compare with Nissan, Honda and Toyota, but not continental car brand levels and also can’t compete with Tesla.
“more power acceleration and more power top speed while horsepower and torque doesn’t any affect on car power much” LMAO It can’t get more complicated than that, learn to type a coherent sentence please.
I’m was comparing between the two questioning people ability to tell the segment apart without using spec sheet. I’m not justifying S70 using BMW 2GC. As I said, S70 is a B++ at best.
Other than coherent sentence, please learn how to digest what you read so you don’t stray away from original point.
Done booking.
price is cheaper than i expected…it’s gonna be another glory of proton just like when it did with the wira. expect s70 to be every where in next 6 months.
Dong Gor
I beg to differ.This S70 will no doubt,bring back quite a bit of sales if strictly going by pricing comparison alone.
However,there will still be ardent hardcore fanboys who still want a City or Vios.
I know of people who will only buy a Honda all their lifetime.This is due to the power of “branding”.
The only thing Dr.Li has to watch out r the “smoking” wiring other related spare parts issues.If it keeps occuring,then no matter how cheap,spacious,turbo the car..fanboys may look elsewhere.
This is not gonna like X90 which is mild hybrid having smoke on it wiring earlier. Spare part issue will be sort out since the engine part sharing with X50 while gearbox is same as X50, X70 and X90.
It is not doubt hardcore fanboy will support to Honda or Toyota due to branding. But I believe at least 50% people buy City or Vios around 90k because these are the only choices they have for sedan. Almera unfortunately not successfully due to distributor issue.
Btw don’t overly appraise on H brand. The steering rack issue is common defect and the CVT is fragile if keep revving the engine. Go check out their Civic club page to find out the truth.
I don’t like proton X70 due to its dated inside out design and high fuel consumption. I criticise X90 for its overpriced and awful rear design. X50 cabin is small and high fuel consumption (family owned 1). This S70 I don’t really like its exterior design, but price is absolutely great.
Nahh, you may know people who buy Honda all their life, but that’s where you stop knowing.
People bashing Proton on every product launch, that’s the sign it will do well. Who expect X70 had become the best selling SUV in MY. Nor would anyone guess X50 would scattered everywhere on the road. They’ve received the warmest bashing from haters, that’s why they’re popular.
True…
More the better.
Cause most of us previous owners knows better, Proton best to buy secondhand.
Love it. This will also attracts for young girls
Mr Tica
You must be kidding.Young girls r attracted to new Merc,BMW,Lambo n Rm 200K birkin handbags.
You must be dreaming n wearing underwears cap “UNTA” from pasar malam.Just low class,or no class.
Yet can’t compare between Proton S70 and Merc, BMW and Lambo as both are different categories and different levels
Lebai unta r also attracted to new Merc,BMW weyh..
Klau betuii ade young girls memang syok giler. Raptor gua nok juai dah.. kih3
Other than the base model, I can’t see the rest doing well with this sort of pricing.
People will just get a Vios / city if the pricing is too close.
If they really think is a C segment, they won’t bring the vios and city along for media test.
The rm75k base model might be good enough to capture some market share thou with the 1.5T engine. I think is the most powerful car for anything below rm75k.
Of course you can’t see. Who are you? Professional market analyst? Nahh, you’re nobody. Please realize that.
Are you a mental health patient?
Pickup NO POWER Loss to S70
Want to BAKE no brake , STOPP nearly HALF a mile infront of S70
maintenance this, spare part that blabla, baik beli this, baik beli that wtv. Still worth for the features and value it gives.
Credit where credit is due, this price range is insanely good value. I was expecting it to reach 110k at first
There is no free lunch. Make sure no sensitive conversation in the car.
before pricing proton haters: this is B-seg car sold as C-seg!!
after pricing proton haters: salah taxes caused civic corolla so mahal.
People will go for reliability,and honda and Toyota has it which proton don’t
Honda? Honda and reliability shouldn’t be in one sentence. My CVT just gone poof last year, and Honda SC keep telling me I’m the first customer who had such a problem every time I presented the problem. Steering rack issue ring a bell? I have to live with that until I get rid of this car, that’s what their solution are. As horrible Proton CVT was, at least it never give me headache, nor does it ever force me to daily my weekend car until I sold the neo to some gearhead who wanted to swap a manual transmission to it. Honda can go die as far as I’m concerned.
That must be your Honda Scooter because you can only afford a motorbike, not a car.
Yeah the civic is a scooter, nahh even worse. At least scooter doesn’t have concerning steering rack sound mid drive. Probably a breeze to maintain than replacing a civic cvt. It should have been my reliable daily commuter, but it failed to do so in a horrible way. Few more years this car will be history, and no more cvt for me in the future, Proton Honda or any other brands.
Scooter > Civic
My 3 year old Civic already need to replace steering rack. My sales agent’s (CRV and City Hatchback) admitted to me his cars also got steering rack problems.
I’m not creating any stories here. Hmm..
Seriously? Please go ask those people who work in official Toyota and Honda workshops, ask them for their honest opinion. Yes, even Toyota. You’d be surprised. People buy those brands based on the illusion that those brands are reliable. Perhaps they were…a long time ago, and they’re lucky they still have that old reputation to keep selling cars.
Oof, bye bye City and Vios.
I had a City GM6, and now Civic FC TC and an Axia both are 2020 models. I would surely buy this over the similarly priced GN2 for my wife. This gives more for the same money
Love about moon and star vintage proton badge before..
Forget about rivaling city or vios.
It can’t even beat its own brother in X50 with this pricing.
Unless you absolutely want a sedan, X50 is a better buy than the S70
Hundreds of P1 fanboys have cancelled the X50..they rather get a bigger vehicle like this S70.,with competitive pricing.People r always changing..doesnt mean suv suv..it can also mean moving back to sedans.
habislah Proton X50
This is not a bigger car than the x50. Interior is the same as the x50. The only thing bigger is the bootspace.
Competition is good for consumer.
It’s quite competitive because of the following:
1. The 100k City RS has no EPB, plasticky dashboard.
2. The 96k Vios has flimsy center console, subpar steering leather, and tight rear headroom. Not to forget the Perodua parts (save cost?).
3. None of the them can match s70 engine output.
But then, the above brands have more brand equity & trust coupled with rock solid reliability track record. The battle is going to be fierce. I wish good luck for Proton.
Different segment brother. It’s just like comparing secondary vs primary school students.
Even the cheapest variant S70 is more practical than the Vios. The rear seatbacks can be reclined and has better headrooms. Vios with RM96k price tag also lokek spare tyre and rear armrest lol.
Sudah cut cost meeting lower spec C segment, cheaper price now for value money
1. Not the same 3 cylinder 1.5tgdi from X70 C-SUV.
2. 205mm wide Tyre only, smallest tyre in ‘C segment.
3. Shortest Wheelbase in its ‘C’ segment
4. Don’t have Android Auto / Apple Carplay
5. No Full Size Alloy Rim Spare Tyre.
6. Timing Belt
7. Torsion Beam not multilingual nor better double wishbone
8. Even smaller than it’s own Geely Emgrand compact sedan, shorter and narrower?
9. No AEB for lower spec of S70 in a C segment?
10. Abit more soft Spongy Handling
Not bad, you pay what you get here.
LMAO Multilingual suspension? Other C-segment not even have a single language in their suspensions, it good proton just not multilingual.
Seriously, if all that feature available, proton would still priced it the most value C-segment. Other brands would have a starting price of CRV for these features you’re asking for.
It is better in most parts but 1 thing I guess the S70 lose to City and Vios, the handling. For X50 some youtubers described the handling was “not bad” and kind of “soft” suspension. My family got 1 X50 and my own feeling on the X50, it is TERRIBLE. The suspension is like 90s Toyota, it is ultra soft setting which gives many soft rebounce after a speed bump. This is really like riding a sampan. It feels okay in city drive but terrible bouncing (goyang) in high speed and high bodyroll in corner. As I know this kind of ultra soft suspension is very welcomed in China domestic market.
Proton X series is totally lost the spirit of Proton ride and handling. I hope S70 as a sedan will gives a slight firmer ride like City. New Vios handling without the test can almost guarantee better than the S70.
(like) berbaloi-baloi / worthful
(dislike) tak berbaloi / unworthy
Now the Persona B Segment replacement has arrived
First
No comments? Where the experts at……
Finally someone got a different words than “first”
Quite a disappointment regarding the absence of a reverse camera and front parking sensor in the Executive variant, especially considering its classification as a C-Segment. While I acknowledge that the Premium variant starts to align with C-Segment expectations, it’s disheartening that it lacks basic ADAS like AEB.
On a positive note, the overall package offers good value for the price, and the grille significantly enhances the car’s aesthetics compared to the Emgrand. However, I hoped there will be more substantial improvements in terms of features and equipment in the facelift.
Personally, I would consider purchasing if upgrades include like insert the Leather Trim on the Upper Part of the Door, Nappa Leather, Keyless Entry as well Power Seats for the Passenger and eliminating blank spaces, (such as the absence of a LIM button on the steering wheel).
It would be a big plus if Proton could also include 1.5 TGDI with a better throttle response, Rear Multi-Link, and Paddle Shifters, perhaps for a sportier version akin to the Corolla GR Sport.
In conclusion, well done, Proton. Look forward for the improvement not just in product but also After Sale Service.
why?..without camera and front parking sensor you dont know how to drive iziit?…tulah told u dont “Pao” during your JPJ driving test
LOOOOOL
Well, it’s not just about whether a person can drive or not. It’s more about aiding the driver in avoiding minor accidents because, let’s face it, humans are prone to making mistakes. Mistakes can stem from complacency or just having an unlucky day. Despite being cautious, things can still happen.
This is solely my personal opinion, and I’m not an expert by any means. I’m not casting doubt on those who can live without a reverse camera and front parking sensor. I simply believe that if Proton labels it as a C-Segment, including these features should be standard, especially at that price point. It would be a big win if they could also integrate basic ADAS across the entire range.
From a business perspective, I understand this might be a strategy to boost sales of the pricier variants. However, as consumers, we have the right to advocate for such features to be standard, making the market more competitive and providing more options. In the end, we the consumer are the ones who benefit from it. It might even prompt Honda to finally adding Blind Spot Monitoring.
I’m not complaining, for instance, about the absence of a full-screen Gauge Cluster, advanced gimmicky feature and leather as long as it’s high-quality fabric, solid material and functional. Costs need to be managed to ensure business viability, but it’s crucial to be fair to consumers without compromising safety and basic necessities.
But hey… This is just my two cents, no hard feelings. I simply want to see our National Pride excel. After all, they’ve received advantages that other manufacturers haven’t had the privilege of enjoying. They can be better than this and I have faith and rooting for them.
Too long man.. too long.
The wheelbase is similar to other B-segment. Only the width is wider than other B-segment. Toyota and Honda definitely will throw in RM5K discount throughout the year and not limited to year end promotion after this.
Saya suka Proton S70, harga cantik dengan turbo. Japan carmakers worry bro.
Funny, where all the turbo naysayers at now? Last time C-segment switched turbo with Civic FC all came out with pitch forks and said that would increase maintenance cost, but now P1 does it all’s good?
Proton use turbo in Exora and Preve earlier than Honda in Civic
Pretty worth it but….
It’s only a rebadge. Another half-baked conversion. At least BYD bothered to switch signal stalks to the right in the name of safety.
only Bodo Yg Drive…
Euro cars all turn signal on left, got class just like all recent Proton cars.
I see, so that’s why so many BYD on the road nowadays. What a strategic move they’ve made to appeal our Malaysian customers yea!? Yeaa!??
Haha deep down you know, the values and features it is offering exceeded those two japs.
I find it amusing that some “car expert” said that the wheelbase of C segment car should be at least 2700mm nowadays, and anything short of that should not be classified as C segment but they were happy to label Toyota Harrier a D Segment SUV although Toyota Harrier is only having 2690mm wheelbase.
Typical Malaysian consumers (those who didn’t read Paultan or auto news) do not care abt the car segment as long as these offerings sit within a comparable price range. For example TNGA Corolla Cross vs HRV vs mazda CX30 vs subaru XV, all are confusing/mixed B/C segment.
The keyword here is risk bias. PROTON has less than average expectations for reliability, aftersales & RV. Hence it’s weak branding does not justify it to go head on with Civic/Altis . That’s why I think that branding it as an S50 (B segment) is a better positioning strategy, since Malaysian car buyers are very very demanding people.
This is spot on. BMW 2GC has a 20mm different in wheelbase compared to S70, yet people have no problem the 2GC being C-segment even with the similar inline 3, 1.5T, 7DCT configuration that put out 10hp 5nm less than S70. They don’t realize there no objective way to determine car segment.
Since when people have no problem comparing between 2 Series Gran Coupe, A Class, Tesla and this Proton S70? I disagree with you as no one will said Tesla, 2 Series Gran Coupe, A Class can compete with this car
Actually still can’t even compare between this and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe as different categories and different levels like someone said. BMW including 2 Series Gran Coupe still have better quality level, more power acceleration and more power top speed while horsepower and torque doesn’t any affect on car power much and also better handling and better car proven safety rating than Proton S70, despite BMW and Proton are good. Besides, based on interior cabin, many people won’t feel any complaints about comfort and practical so far on BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.
Besides this Proton S70 can only compare with Nissan, Honda and Toyota, but not continental car brand levels and also can’t compete with Tesla.
“more power acceleration and more power top speed while horse power and torque doesn’t effect on car much” WHAT? Is my sentence were as hard to comprehend as this contradicting sentence?
Read again, I didn’t compare between the two to justify the S70 as it is a B++ at most. My argument is, people quick to use dimensions and performance combination to determine segment when that doesn’t mean a thing. The BMW 2GC existence is the prove of that.
My point is, segment is as SUBJECTIVE as it can get. Is there objective way to measure how you FEEL inside the cabin? NO!! But people still feel the BMW 2GC is a C-segments, and disregard the spec sheet they bought to the table earlier to justify their claim.
In my opinion BMW 2GC is still a premium C-segment as far as technologies and premium material goes.
Overall disappointed price range. Because x50s price around. And EV ‘s are around corner. Soon or later petrol cars price will drop Because government are now encouraging for Ev’s. 9yrs loan will drag and Ev will take over the market. Just opinion care full choosing cars. Don’t regret later.
You just can’t afford, that’s the reality. Any car with more than 12v battery system will have crazy drop in resale value. People actually more aware than you are.
If ev price will be like saga (coz axia is now more expensive), we’ll see petrol cars being dropped like you said. Also, jokes on you, my loan is only 5 years.
From a Proton X70 owner, never again Proton. Product is good but after service is miles behind Toyota and Honda. I have owned/owning cars from Toyota and Honda.
What is with the C segment marketing strategy? It really is a straight B segment fight.
My only guess is because the price is too close to the non-national cars of the same segment. Usually, Proton always boast of pricing their cars against a segment higher of non-national cars.
Nevertheless, I guess for majority of people, segments won’t matter as much as price and body type.
Akhirnya Proton berjaya utk jual ‘B-Segment’ (Emgrand) sedan pd harga B-Segment (Vios, City etc).
Nampak ke x nampak sekalian manusia?
Ha, gi beli cpt. Dpt free choki2 tu.
Make a lot of sense right? I know.
Great, now all B40 can drive a Volvo S60 cousin. Hope they provide 100% loan, and accept blacklisted borrowers.
Better get full spec Vios. Proven durability. Full spec price same as Vios full spec. Price at 73K but empty spec. So, no point buying this car unless go for last 2 flagship models. Go get Toyota/Honda with this price and spec. No apple or android car play. Failed China product.
The most sensible variant here is Flagship only at 89K. Add on 5K for just manual sunroof is absurd for real. Not to mention thedashcam must be useless one. There are others third party dashcam out there much better features and cheap less than 500. Eg:70mai, ddpai.
Even the X70 Premium and Premium X with proper full length panoramic auto sunshade only add on 3K only. This s70 sunroof is just plain oldscholl 1990s style small sunroof only.
Ps: price inflating from Preve Premium 2012 72K whopping 32% to 95K. Meanwhile City Vios since 2005-2023 just inflate 7% only from 89K highest spec in 2005. Now just increased to 95K with latest tech.
P1 nk buat duit brother. Bg la mrk peluang tu, kesian da tu, siap up kan segment lg utk tarik perhatian manusia.
Berilah muka pd B-Segment Emgrand, Oops, ‘C-Segment’ S70 tu sikit.
For the 1st time there were no comparison between P1 and P2 like previously infamous so call Ativa vs X50, Saga vs Bezza, Alza vs Exora, Myvi vs Savvy, Myvi vs Iriz.
1.0T is all they can provide at 70k. More than that, they have to price it even higher where Nautica failure would be haunting them, chilling their spine to the bone.
Wonder what will be the prices of ALL cars in Malaysia without “customised incentive” to anybody.
Saya taknak komen pasal kereta, mmg terbaik produk Geely.
Cuma minta kerajaan raja formula review semula harga roadtax di malaysia. Pakcik bawak wira buruk meniaga pasar malam bayar roadtax sama mcm orang kaya guna kereta mewah. Mekanisma roadtax di malaysia masih guna sistem lapuk ketinggalan zaman berdasarkan saiz enjin.
It’s value for money when compare to the Waja I bought in 2001. I paid 61K for a car which practically had no safety feature except the brake and safety belts or may be the third brake light. 23 years down the road with the inflation, even the entry level variant is much much better now. If you still care so much because it’s a rebadge from China, then opt for City or Vios. Thank God, I am now elevated to another level and l will leave Proton for good, but if I were to buy S70, I will opt for the Flagship model.
Walao 74k! It’s not Civic segment la. Wake up la Proton! By then the next gen City/Toyota/Honda will be bigger. Then what? P1 marketing department is living in the cloud.
Do remember, proton C-segments has always been around this price. Maybe you have an amnesia. Next gen Proton could be bigger too. What a short sighted brain you have.
Well, wasn’t expecting this, but Proton did nail the price range for S70. Won’t be a game changer; nevertheless, it will be shortlisted by buyers whose seeking family saloon.
Proton should’ve definitely added at least AEB, reverse cameras as standard; that’d do well for their sales.
Congratulations Proton.
P.S Kindly consider a B-seg hatch (208) / Rebadge Lync&Co/Zeekr / FY11
Looking at the spec, this S70 is indeed a B-segment rivaling Vios and City. There’s no luxury element like Civic or Corolla to be a C-segment.
Phenomenal execution by proton’s rebadging & grille engineering team. Flagship or Premium variants are both good buy.
basing on the batch alone “S70” doesn’t mean it is place as a C-segment. Also, comparing it to Preve and Inspira is not right because these cars are more than a decade old and cars has grown to be large. Comparing it based on the price and dimension of the car vs its current competitors is a more reliable indicator on which segment it is competing. With that, the S70 is a B-segment car.
Perodua should name their Myvi replacement a “Camry Hatchback” to make it a D-segment.
They are not reveal it much about F/C. What is F/C value for this car? Is it same with X50? or X70?…
I am wondering, even they lowered down the OTR but F/C is T20…
Yep, FC will never beat a Honda/Toyota. C-segment vs B-segment. Coupled with that engine, which has never prove to be good in FC.
world class aftersales, enjoy
Driving the car to meet your friends.
Friends: “Fuyoh, tukar kereta C-segment siut….”
rm73k exec not bad at all, only missing a reverse camera. Retrofit android player and leather seat outside then a good enough car for me.
Proton should not have the mindset that they can get their market share by simply undercutting other brands across 2 segments. They should instead work with their local suppliers to deliver equipment and quality that is on par or even better than let’s say Honda. It is an uphill costly struggle but it must de done once and for all to pull themselves out of the hole they find themselves after years and years of neglect and half baked offerings. Yes, they have export markets, but exports to just a few countries does not make them a global brand, but more like limited market brand. They need to tackle all details because the devil is always in the details. So they should have an eagle’s eye for detail. Very much like what Mazda did when they benchmarked and set their sights on other brands and then delivered their KODO skyactiv cars. What is Proton benchmarking themselves against? And if course, fix the service and spares issues. Also, it is now almost 6 years passed since X70’s launch in 2018, and still no Apple Carplay and Android Auto? UNACCEPTBLE, as Hafriz Shah famously and empathetically says over and over in his reviews of Proton. As a Malaysian, am i proud of Proton? Yes, but quite disappointed and embarrassed too. I hope someone is listening and has the wisdom to do all that is necessary to take Proton higher.
Author repeated ‘by the way’ 8 times in this article, by the way.
saya tak tau nak kata Proton S70 berbaloi atau tidak .
setakat ni saya masih tertarik pada Honda City RS Hybrid .
X kan menyesal kemudian hari brother utk H or T punya brand. Kalo bajet x mengizinkan, go for P2.
Sekadar cadangan saya.
Looks nice but expensive as national cars.
Proton should sack the team that proposed the X90 pricing previously. this is better
Lousy OEM engine. Ugly design. Ewww. Disgusting car.
The engine tech still going backward.. Still usingtiming belt… Not timing chain this is a drawback… Long run not economical
Yes, ridiculos. 2024 and still timing belt? WTH.
alza acc low speed still cheapest at rm75k but s70 rm89k would be the 2nd. s50 110k would now be the 3rd.
don’t know if anybody has done myvi 60k with additional
Stupid move with so many variants. Premium and flagship is more than enough, plus ADAS and AEB should already be standards for all variants.
O’ well do we need to wait 10 years for AA & CP to be made available?
Yang penting….makan minyak or not? From what i know all the Geely SUV minum petrol. I doubt they can beat City for FC. Besides, this is untested model coupled with Proton Geely “tak ada spare part” reputation. I will take a City/Vios anyday.
This S70 will forever be known for jumping categories at its convenience. When comparing performance, they compare with Vios/City. When people put them same level as B-segment, they claim it’s a C-segment tapi takut nak lawan Civic/Corolla.
I have few questions would you allow me to ask
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I don’t mind as a daily car for commute and work but I feel they need to address the turbo lag. Probably I’m not used to driving turbo.
It’ll be great if they can put in AA and ACP in it. C’mon it’s 2024.
I test sit on the driver seat, is quite worse than Myvi, not even got leg support. Other than that I haven’t test drive I’m not sure about overall driver seat comfortable level. Minor complain is the middle bar too wide. Other than these problems, other features seems great, but feel only worth if purchase full spec.