Proton says that it has collected 5,000 bookings of the 2025 Proton X50 facelift in 10 days after order books opened on July 5. This means that half of the early bird offer quota – RM1,000 cash rebate, special edition Touch n Go card and an exclusive ‘Gempak!’ deal that will be announced at the launch – has been taken up.
Test drives are now available at selected 3S/4S dealerships ahead of the launch and price reveal, which is happening on July 24.
“The incredible response we have seen for the all-new Proton X50, truly shows how much Malaysians love this model. We are humbled by the 5,000 bookings received in just 10 days, and to keep the momentum rolling in the final week prior to the launch, we will offer test drives at our outlets beginning July 19 so that customers can get a live on-road experience from behind the wheel,” said Zhang Qiang, deputy CEO of Proton Edar.
“Proton’s production team at Tanjong Malim have also worked hard to build up our stock levels to enable the delivery of cars to customers immediately after the launch. The target is to have at least 5,000 units ready for registration by the end of August, which will help manage the time it takes for a customer to receive their vehicle after placing an order,” he added.
Offered in Executive, Premium and Flagship variants (Standard dropped), the X50 is now powered by a new ‘i-GT’ 1.5-litre turbo-four with 181 PS and 290 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm. The good thing is that this engine, which has higher outputs than the old 1.5 TGDi, is standard across the range. Mated to a seven-speed DCT, 0-100 km/h is done in 7.6 seconds (0.3s faster than old Flagship) and there’s also 4.7% better efficiency to boot.
Looks wise, there’s an all-new face based on the Geely Binyue L plus an entirely new interior that Proton says is fully designed in-house – big screen, clean layout, angled slot for phones, just like many Chinese EVs on the market. Check out our walk-around videos and full galleries of all three variants below.
The 2025 Proton X50 facelift (or all-new, according to Proton) has been open for booking since July 5, and although we will only know the prices at launch, we know that the first 10,000 customers will enjoy a RM1,000 cash rebate, an exclusive ‘Gempak Deal’ that will be revealed at launch, as well as a special edition Touch ‘n Go card.
We’ve already covered the new X50 extensively, so do refer to our earlier story detailing exactly what’s new and what’s not, including a complete breakdown of the three available variants: Executive, Premium and Flagship. You may also watch our walk-around videos below, available in both English and Bahasa Melayu, just like the new X50’s upgraded Hi Proton voice recognition system.
Just to recap, the 2025 X50 gets a heavily updated look on the outside based on the Geely Binyue L, an entirely new interior claimed to have been fully designed in-house by Proton, as well as a 181 PS/290 Nm 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from a new i-GT engine family. The motor is codenamed the BHE15TD, developed by Aurobay – a Geely-Volvo joint venture (based in Sweden) that is now part of Horse Powertrain, a Geely-Renault JV.
A week after Proton released the first details of the facelifted X50, we finally get our first look at the car in 1.5TD Executive trim. This is the new base model of the revised B-segment SUV after the outgoing Standard variant was discontinued.
For the first time, all models get the same high-output engine – a new 1.5 litre BHE15TD turbocharged and direct-injected i-GT four-cylinder engine, making 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm. As before, drive is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, and the zero-to-100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds (three tenths of a second faster than the outgoing TGDI-powered Flagship) should comfortably eclipse that of the old port-injected PFI model.
Instead, the differences over the Premium and Flagship variants come down to the equipment. All models get the same new look, with reflector LED headlights (no more projectors, sadly), songket-pattern upper grille, massive full-width lower grille, LED taillight bar, redesigned tailgate, re-profiled side skirts and L-shaped front and rear bumper corners. And yes, you still have fake vents on the bonnet.
But whereas the Premium and Flagship roll on handsome 18-inch alloy wheels, the Executive makes do with 17s. The design looks similar to the old one but it’s actually slightly different and it comes with a nice two-tone finish, which helps make the car look less bargain-basement.
The Executive is also the only variant not to come with red brake callipers, sticking to the usual bare metal stoppers. And don’t be fooled by the glossy “camera lens” on the bumper – there’s no 360-degree camera system here, just a black nub where the front camera would be. The roof rails on the other two variants have also been ditched.
Inside, the Executive retains the all-new, in-house-designed cabin (as with the Premium, it’s all black here; no red highlights as per the Flagship) with a “flying” centre console, a steering column-mounted gear selector, new (and hopefully more sturdy) door handles and twin “floating” displays.
The good news is that the tech – an 8.88-inch digital instrument display and large 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen – has now been standardised, meaning you get the same revised interface, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, more powerful “Hi Proton” voice control with a new Bahasa Malaysia option, updated Proton Link 2.0 app connectivity and six speakers (previously four).
But there are differences here, too. The dual phone holders are just that – there’s no Qi wireless charger like you have on the higher variants. You also get manual fabric seats here, with no leather as per the previous Executive (the steering wheel is thankfully still leather-wrapped); then again, given the additional kit over the old car, this seems like a fair trade. One of those added bits of kit is auto wipers, which are again now standard.
Elsewhere, the Executive gets the same “looping” graphic on the passenger-side dashboard panel (repeated on the door cards), but unlike the Premium and Flagship, it does not light up. Other standard equipment includes keyless entry with proximity locking and unlocking and remote engine start, push-button start, auto air-con and a reverse camera.
In terms of safety, the X50 now gets six airbags as standard; the previous Standard model had four airbags, so this is a great update for the base model. You also receive stability control and new rear side radar sensors that add blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert rear collision warning and a door opening warning.
However, you still don’t get the full suite of driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist. This means the X50 remains subpar by class standards (barring the Mazda CX-30, all of the car’s main rivals get these features as standard).
The facelifted X50 is now open for booking, with early-bird buyers getting a RM1,000 cash rebate, an unspecified “Gempak Deal” and an exclusive Touch ‘n Go card. Refer to our in-depth preview post for full details and first impressions by our own Jonathan James Tan.
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
181 PS at 5,500 rpm, 290 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,500 rpm
The 2025 Proton X50 facelift (or all-new, according to Proton) is now open for booking. First 10,000 customers will also receive a RM1,000 cash rebate, exclusive “Gempak Deal” that will be revealed at the official launch, as well as a special edition Touch ‘n Go card. As usual, the actual prices will only be unveiled at launch.
We’ve already covered the new X50 extensively, so do refer to our earlier story detailing exactly what’s new and what’s not, including a complete breakdown of the three available variants: Executive, Premium and Flagship. You may also watch my walk-around videos below, available in both English and Bahasa Melayu, just like the new X50’s upgraded Hi Proton voice recognition system.
Just to recap, the 2025 X50 gets a heavily updated look on the outside based on the Geely Binyue L, an entirely new interior claimed to have been fully designed in-house by Proton, as well as a 181 PS/290 Nm 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from a new i-GT engine family. The motor is codenamed the BHE15TD, developed by Aurobay – a Geely-Volvo joint venture (based in Sweden) that is now part of Horse Powertrain, a Geely-Renault JV.
Let’s rewind for a moment to 2020. Remember that surreal year? Remember that uncertain, existential state of mind brought about by the pandemic, job insecurities and shocking local political developments? Remember how you felt having absolutely no idea what tomorrow was going to be like, every single day?
I could be wrong, but I think most of us Malaysians are fortunate enough not to have experienced wartime (and I’m not downplaying any war in human history in the slightest). So I put to you that 2020 was the closest we’d ever gotten to such a situation since the nation’s independence – the despair, the depression, the discomfort, the despondence.
So you’d be pardoned if you forgot that 2020 was the year the Proton X50 was born. Big deal? Yes, and all the more so in hindsight, for the X50 is by far the most successful child of the Proton-Geely marriage.
It took the market by storm almost immediately, becoming, at various points throughout its life, the country’s best-selling B-segment SUV or even SUV in general. Through versions like 2023’s R3, 2024’s RC and the run-out Sport Edition that turned up at the Malaysia Autoshow only half a year ago, over 130,000 X50s have found Malaysian homes to date, making it second only to the Saga in Proton’s sales books at present.
Now there’s an “all-new” one. We’ll leave it to you to judge if Proton’s use of the term in inverted commas is justified, but we’re going to call it the X50 facelift, based on the information we’re going to share here. We will admit, however, that as far as facelifts go, this is a pretty major one.
Now, we only had a few hours with the Premium and Flagship variants (we have not seen the base Executive variant), and most of it was static, with the dynamic bits limited to a straight-line century sprint, an auto-parking demonstration and one or two laps of Proton’s semi-high speed test oval. A more in-depth exploration of how it drives in the real world will have to wait until we can properly get our hands on the car. With all the caveats out of the way, let’s begin.
Engine: From three cylinders to four – power, efficiency up
Just like what first happened with the 2022 Binyue Cool facelift, the X50 swaps out the 1,477 cc three-cylinder engine (JLH-3G15T PFI is the port-injected version; JLH-3G15TD is the more potent Flagship-exclusive direct-injected TGDi version) for the 1,499 cc BHE15TD four-cylinder engine. Still turbocharged, still 1.5 litres and still mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch auto.
Developed by Geely-owned Swedish-Chinese firm Aurobay (which is now part of Horse Powertrain, equally owned by Geely and Renault), the new engine has been given the marketing name i-GT 1.5TD by Proton, i-GT apparently standing for intelligent-Green Technology.
Now, two things are significant here: firstly, all X50 variants will use this one engine (meaning direct injection for all; none of that port injection for lesser variants like before), and secondly, this engine will eventually power all of Proton’s Geely-based ICE models (X70, S70, X90).
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Meanwhile, the Saga will get a non-turbo port-injected BHE15PFI version of the engine. It’s been a long time since the Saga had a 1.5 litre engine – Sungai Choh, time to try and shoehorn your 1.5 into the Bezza?
I jest and I digress. For the X50 facelift, the four-potter makes 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm. That’s stronger than the outgoing direct-injected three-banger’s 177 PS/255 Nm, and it blows the port-injected version’s 150 PS/226 Nm into the weeds. So-engined, Proton says the X50 is now a third of a second faster to 100 km/h (than the TGDi version) at 7.6 seconds.
The carmaker also says the new engine is 4.7% more frugal. Now, the outgoing car’s official efficiency figures were 6.4-6.5 litres per 100 km, so we’re looking at something like 6.1 for the new car. A consumption reduction is quite an achievement, given that you now have one more cylinder, more power and more torque. The engine also uses a timing chain instead of a belt – cheaper to maintain in the long run.
Exterior: Gaping mouth, cleaner rear end
Geely fans would take a split-second’s look at this car and say, “2024 Binyue L”, and they’d be absolutely right. Save for a baby’s handful of items, the appearance is taken pretty much wholesale from the Binyue L – the third Binyue facelift – which only debuted in China in November 2024.
So there are new LED reflector headlamps (yes, projectors previously) with three-dash DRL eyebrows and ‘PROTON Full LED Technology’ lettering. There’s also a new bonnet with fake vent inserts (I don’t want to say ‘Ah Beng’, but…) and creases closer to the sides (the creases were previously closer to the centre of the bonnet, and the bonnet itself had a slight upward curve above the Proton logo, now it’s flat).
Taking centrestage is a massive, gaping, horizontally-slatted mouth for a lower grille. Perhaps you can’t see it so much in pictures, but in real life it makes the car appear so over-chinned that the rest of the body looks small in comparison, like a Coulthard caricature. And yes, no more front fog lamps.
New eyes, new mouth and new bonnet mean a new upper grille, and here Proton’s version has some differentiation – a songket pattern replaces the Geely’s plainer thatched affair, and the Proton logo is cupped by the red Ethereal Bow, as is de rigueur. A note regarding the silver trim pieces that underline the headlamps, upper grille and lower grille – they’re finished in plain satin, unlike the outgoing car’s posher-looking glossy bits.
Look at it from the side and you’ll see that the roof, mirrors, doors and rear quarter panels are carry-overs from the pre-facelift X50, but where that car had chrome along the top of the windows, the new car’s is just plain black. Underlining the windows is still chrome, though, and there’s a slight extension forwards at the A-pillar base for some visual interest. Also new are the front fenders and side skirts (which have ‘vents’), although the gloss black B- and C-pillars remain. All in all, it’s a lot of new sheet metal for a facelift.
The back is also totally Binyue L – this means slimmer tail lamps bridged by a full-width rear LED light bar, a new rear bumper with L-shaped reflector-hugging elements, a simpler diffuser insert that still contains quad tailpipes and a slimmer rear fog lamp, plus either the outgoing car’s M-shaped roof spoiler (body-coloured) or a black (regardless of body colour) Batmobile-style rear wing with carbon-fibre-look motifs and red ‘S’ badges on the ‘winglets’, which are integrated very well into the roofline. This elaborate wing is a Flagship-only item.
The tailgate is new – the LED light bar and the PROTON lettering below it sit within a chamfered recess that wasn’t there before. The number plate, reverse camera and boot release button have moved down into a shallow trapezoidal ‘cave’ at the foot of the tailgate. By the way, the rear indicators are LEDs (previously bulbs) and non-sequential, and the reversing lamps are LEDs as well.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and unlike the situation up front, I prefer the new tail – I think it looks more cohesive. In an ideal world, I’d have the old face and the new tail, but this is not an ideal world.
Actually, the 2022 Binyue Cool (the second facelift, where the engine change happened) already got these new headlamps, bonnet, Batmobile wing, slim tail lamps, full-width LED rear light bar and number plate ‘cave’ on the tailgate, but its front bumper was an evolution of the first facelift’s (the 2021 Binyue Pro), being an aggressive X-shaped sea of mesh.
Interior: Unlike any Binyue – unique to X50?
You’d expect the Binyue L’s cabin, right? Well, this is the X50 facelift’s biggest surprise, because the interior looks unlike that of any Binyue we know.
Yes, the steering wheel and seats are the same as the pre-facelift X50’s, but although the 14.6-inch touch-screen, 8.88-inch instrument panel, frameless rear-view mirror and ‘see-through’ sun visors are Binyue L items, pretty much everything else is unique (even the door cards); not to mention worlds apart from the outgoing X50.
There’s an eMas 7-style column gear selector, freeing up space for a sloped bi-level centre console containing, from top to bottom, twin air-con vents, twin phone trays with driver’s side wireless charging (you could direct the vents downwards to cool your phone), a row of buttons (on/off AC, auto AC, front demister, hazard lights) and dual cupholders. Under the ‘bridge’ are 10 litres of storage, a 12V socket, a USB-A port and a USB-C port.
It’s a nice place to be, if a tad generic compared to the outgoing car’s cockpit (that ambient lighting graphic on the passenger-side dashboard is cool, though), but minimalism is in. The carried-over steering wheel looks a little anachronistic amidst the new dash (the Binyue’s more modern-looking item would have looked better), but I suppose it pays to have more shared components with the S70.
You unfortunately do need to use the screen to adjust air-con blower and temperature, and despite left and right temps displayed (like a dual-zone system), as before, the X50 facelift only comes with single-zone air-con, so the temps are always in sync. You also need to use the screen to operate the lights, though with auto lights, this isn’t really a problem.
The two-tone interior used to be red for the upper dash and black for the lower, and offered on Premium and Flagship variants. Now only the Flagship gets it (all-black for Executive and Premium), and the colours are reversed, which may reduce reflections on heavily-tinted windscreens.
Now that the right-hand steering wheel stalk is the gear selector, the left-hand stalk becomes a Mercedes-style all-in-one contraption – flick up or down to indicate (stalk returns to the middle, old-ish BMW-style), twist for wipers, pull towards you to flash the high beams and push away from you to toggle auto high beams. All no different from the eMas 7.
A few more notes before we step into the back – as with many Chinese cars, because the instrument panel must be visible through the steering wheel, it has to be made small, and because it has to house so much information, even something as important as speed is relegated to the left-third of the screen. And the text and numbers are truly miniscule.
I know my eyes are not a young man’s anymore, but try as we did, we couldn’t find a way to customise the instrument panel to show just the crucial stuff in the hope that it would be easier to read – we’ll try again when we get the car.
To the right of the steering wheel is the start/stop button and a phone mounting point (you’ll have to purchase the accessory separately); below these are the headlamp height scroll wheel and the parking brake switch.
The door cards are new, eschewing the old car’s grab handles and L-shaped door handles (which have a propensity of breaking, if social media is to be believed). The same graphic you saw on the passenger-side dashboard features here, though the graphic itself is not illuminated (the ambient lighting illuminates the insides of the door pulls). The window switches have an aluminium-like finish and sit within a piano black tray, in contrast to the old car’s plain black tray and aluminium trim only on switches’ bottom edges.
Climb into the back and you’ll see that the only changes are the aforementioned door cards and the back of the centre console – where the old car had two USB-A ports above and air-con vents below, the new car reverses their positions and surrounds the air-con vents with satin trim for a more premium look. Also, it’s now one USB-A and one USB-C. No changes to the boot (except that it’s now white LED-illuminated) and space-saver spare tyre.
Technology: Qualitative and quantitative quantum leaps
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The X50 facelift’s Level 2 ADAS makes use of a 170-metre monocular camera up front and an 80-metre millimetre-wave radar out back. The front camera makes possible the same functions as before (AEB, ACC, ICC, lane-centring etc), but this is the first time the X50 is getting functions for the rear, which Proton bundles under the term ‘Rear Side Radar System’ (RSRS).
These comprise lane change assist (despite the name, this is blind spot monitoring and not auto lane change), rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and door opening warning – all of which the eMas 7 already has. The 360 camera has been augmented with 180-degree transparent view (lets you see ‘beneath’ the car) and auto-parking is now a one-touch affair (you no longer need to press and hold the button for the vehicle to move).
Proton says the 14.6-inch touch-screen is the segment’s biggest. The 16:9-aspect ratio unit is Android 10-powered, has a full-HD 1920×1080 resolution and has a quad-core processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM. And – get this – there will be wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (AACP) straight away from launch! The room actually broke into thunderous applause when this was announced. Currently, only the X70 has AACP (and it got it only quite recently), while the eMas 7 just got Apple CarPlay today.
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‘Hi Proton’ now recognises Bahasa Malaysia commands (first in the country), and you can now ask it to do several things at one go rather than one by one – for example, “Hi Proton, close the windows, turn on the air-con, play music and navigate to KLCC,” or the national-language equivalent.
You can do lots of things with the Proton Link 2.0 phone app including operate the windows and air-con, start the engine, track the car’s location, and access the owner’s manual and service records. Lastly, an Adaptive mode – which automatically adapts the vehicle to your driving style – joins the existing Normal, Eco and Sport drive modes. However, there’s no more physical drive mode buttons; you need to use the screen.
Also new are walk-away auto locking and a key fob that’s now black instead of silver.
Very brief driving impressions
To demonstrate the X50 facelift’s extra grunt, Proton lined it up against a Honda HR-V Turbo (same 181 PS but 50 Nm less torque at 240 Nm) in a straight-line sprint. The Japanese car is supposed to do 0-100 km/h in 8.7-8.8 seconds, and the Malaysian car 7.6 seconds, but because conditions were wet, both cars could only manage times north of 10 seconds. However, the X50 was consistently faster than the HR-V by about a third to a half of a second.
Cruising around Proton’s semi-high speed test oval revealed that wind noise has been considerably reduced compared to the outgoing car, with engine refinement a strong point. ADAS-wise, the ICC and lane-centring operate a lot more smoothly on the whole, especially when the car encounters another vehicle in front – it reduces speed more naturally than before.
Some low-speed clunks can occur, the gearbox being a twin-clutcher, but this is easily circumvented by addressing the throttle a bit more gingerly before giving it your full command. Its operation is otherwise silky smooth. Not much can be said about the steering or ride and handling at this point (at least not before we test it out in the real world), but as Proton did not mention anything concerning these areas, it’s likely to be status quo here.
Variants and equipment: Raising the base; maybe not the bar
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The X50 facelift will be offered in Executive, Premium and Flagship variants. The departure of the four-airbag Standard variant is good news, because it now means that all variants get six airbags.
However, ADAS is only on the top two variants; the Executive’s RSRS is strictly just a rear warning system, with no rear AEB. When the eMas 7 was launched with ADAS across the board, we were hoping that it would herald a new ‘max safety for all’ era for Proton, but not yet, it seems. Still, two out of three ain’t bad.
Having the Executive as the new entry-level X50 means that the base is now higher than before – you already get auto lights and wipers, six speakers and auto air-con. However, it does have to make do with fabric manual seats, a manual tailgate and 17-inch alloys.
2025 Proton X50 Premium (left) and Flagship
One step up is the Premium, which gets full ADAS, TPMS, 18-inch alloys, red brake callipers, a power tailgate, roof rails, front welcome lamps, 72-colour ambient lighting, leatherette seats, a six-way powered driver’s seat, plus the 360 camera with 180-degree transparent view.
Extroverts should go straight to the Flagship for its Batmobile-style rear wing, black roof, black door mirror caps and red interior. It’s also the only variant with auto-parking, semi-transparent sun visors, wireless charging and a panoramic sunroof. If you can live without the Flagship’s toys, the Premium is by far the most well-balanced and all-rounded variant.
You can have your X50 facelift in Teal Bayou Green (from the S70), Jet Grey, Snow White, Armour Silver or Passion Red. Ocean Blue is gone, and Citric Orange left us when the 2024 X50 RC was introduced.
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
181 PS at 5,500 rpm, 290 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,500 rpm
“Hi Proton” voice control with Bahasa Malaysia option
Two front USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
Two rear USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
Electronic parking brake with auto brake hold
Proton Link 2.0 app connectivity (vehicle status, remote control, navigation)
330 litres boot space
Safety
Six airbags (front, side, curtain)
ABS with EBD and brake assist
Traction control and stability control
Hill start assist and hill descent control
Blind spot monitoring
Rear cross traffic alert
Rear collision warning
Door opening warning
Reverse camera
Front and rear parking sensors
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Premium Adds on:
Exterior
Silver roof rails
Red brake callipers
18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 215/55 R18 tyres
Interior
Six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
Faux leather upholstery
72-colour ambient lighting with “rhythmic” mode
Six speakers
Powered tailgate
Safety
Autonomous emergency braking
Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
Lane centring assist
Lane keeping assist
Traffic sign recognition
Auto high beam
Tyre pressure monitoring system
360-degree camera with transparency
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship Adds on:
Exterior
Rear spoiler with fake carbon fibre print
Black roof and door mirrors
Interior
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Black and red interior with red stitching
Black headliner
Semi-transparent sun visors
Panoramic glass sunroof with powered sunshade
Qi wireless charger (driver’s side)
Safety
Park assist
Conclusion: A significant step forward
Proton says 245 new parts, 412,000 R&D man-hours and 4.3 million km of testing went into developing the X50 facelift, and even from the relatively short time we were given with the car, it was evident that this was a good car made better. You get a sense that Proton was fully aware of the model’s significance and the enormity of the task at hand to update it. Certainly, more was done than expected.
Looks are subjective as always, but the many objective improvements – the new engine, totally-new and up-to-date interior, plus loads more tech including a bigger screen, AACP from the get-go and nation-first Bahasa Malaysia voice recognition – categorically reinforce the X50’s Malaysian-market relevance. Long may it reign.
All that’s left to do now, really, is for Proton to launch the thing. The pre-facelift X50 cost between RM86,300 and RM113,300, but now that the base Standard is gone, the entry price is sure to go up. How much will the new car ask for? How much do you think is fair?
Proton has wasted no time in letting the public get a good look at the facelifted Proton X50. Just hours after revealing the first official photos and details of the revised B-segment SUV, the national carmaker has now shown the car at a music festival at Heritage Valley in Chow Kit, showcasing the major exterior and interior redesign and the biggest new feature – an all-new engine.
As we’ve detailed before, the mill is a 1.5 litre i-GT TD (turbo direct injection, not turbodiesel) four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous three-pot unit – the VIN plate on the door confirms this to be Geely’s latest BHE15. Compared to the old TGDi unit in the Flagship model, power has gone up by just 4 PS to 181 PS, although peak torque has seen a useful 35 Nm bump to 290 Nm.
With an unchanged seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive, the new X50 nevertheless manages to get from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second quicker, taking 7.6 seconds. Yet, Proton still claims a 4.7% improvement in fuel efficiency.
More importantly, however, the TD unit is now standard across the range, and against the 150 PS/226 Nm port-injected PFI engine found in lesser variants of the previous X50, the new powertrain represents a significant boost in outputs. Speaking of variants, there are now just three – Executive, Premium and Flagship – this time around, with the base Standard being discontinued.
This facelift is based on the Geely Binyue L, meaning that Proton gets the latest version of the car, launched in China in November. The entire front clip is new, sporting reflector LED headlights (no more projectors, unfortunately), a massive (and rather controversial, judging by your comments) full-width slatted lower grille with silver L-shaped corners, and even different fenders to house S70-style chrome A-pillar extensions.
The upper grille is also new and unique to Proton, still with a silver surround and a red “Ethereal Bow” strip but gaining alternating vertical “pins”. All this is topped by a reshaped bonnet, now with fake vents at the corners near the A-pillars.
At the back you’ll find another wholesale redesign, with full-width taillights and a new tailgate that pushes the number plate recess lower down. The bumper gains more L-shaped corners but retains the old car’s large diffuser and quad tailpipes (finally, the X50 gets one pipe per cylinder). The side skirts have been redesigned as well, again with fake vents aft of the front wheels.
The wheels themselves measure 17 inches in diameter on the Executive and 18 inches on the Premium and Flagship – the latter with a two-tone turbine design and a rather classy “knurled” finish on the five spokes. The Flagship model shown here also receives the “Batmobile” rear wing as previously reported – an option hitherto exclusive to the Binyue – and maintains a black roof that is standard no matter the exterior colour.
As big a deal the exterior revamp is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the interior. That’s because the new cabin is a clean-sheet in-house design that isn’t shared with other Geely models, despite looking like many Chinese EVs on the market.
Taking centre stage is the “floating” centre console that houses twin phone holders (the driver’s side incorporates a Qi wireless charger, again a Flagship-exclusive feature), two cupholders arranged side-by-side and a row of four buttons for air-con on and off, auto climate control, the front demister and the hazard lights. Also reserved for the Flagship model is a black-and-red colour scheme that inverts the hues – black for the upper dashboard, red for the lower, presumably to reduce reflections on the windscreen.
A couple of things are missing – the gearlever has been replaced by a column-mounted stalk, while most of the air-con controls have been moved into the the much larger 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. The interface is ostensibly similar to the Flyme Auto system in the eMas 7 EV but gains features yet to be offered on that car, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bahasa Malaysia voice control. You still of course get access to the latest Proton Link 2.0 app with the usual remote vehicle functions.
Elsewhere, the 8.88-inch digital instrument display is considerably larger than the outgoing model’s seven-inch unit, sitting behind an unchanged three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel. Other new features include a 72-colour ambient lighting system (with the X70’s “rhythmic” function) visible in the door pulls and a distinctive “looping” graphic ahead of the front passenger; this motif is mirrored in the also-new door cards.
2025 Proton X50 facelift interior (left) versus Geely Binyue L
The rest of the cabin looks identical to before, including the seats that still come with power adjustment for the driver on the Premium variant onwards. Meanwhile, the Flagship version retains its panoramic glass sunroof and adds the Binyue L’s cool half-transparent sun visors that provide some additional forward visibility while still keeping glare to a minimum.
Other bits of standard kit include remote engine start, auto lights and wipers, single-zone auto air-con, fabric upholstery and a reverse camera. The Premium adds faux leather upholstery, the aforementioned ambient lighting, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a powered tailgate and a 360-degree camera system with a new transparency function, while the Flagship throws on the exclusive features listed earlier.
Last but not least are the driver assistance systems. New rear side radar sensors are now fitted as standard, bringing features such as blind spot monitoring and the new rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and door opening warning to the entire lineup. Unfortunately, you’ll have to step up to at least the Premium (previously Flagship only) to get the rest of the ADAS suite – yes, even autonomous emergency braking.
This is enabled through a new camera array at the top of the windscreen, which should offer improved functionality for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centring assist. Other features included in the package are traffic sign recognition and auto high beam, with the Flagship throwing on an improved park assist system. Six airbags are now standard-fit.
The facelifted Proton X50 comes in five colours – Snow White, Passion Red, Jet Grey, Armour Silver and the new Teal Bayou Green from the S70, the latter replacing Ocean Blue. Now that you’ve seen the live photos, has your opinion of the car – especially that polarising front fascia – changed? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
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2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
At long last, Proton has previewed the facelifted X50 (although the company calls this an “all-new” model), some five years after the original was introduced – and just a year after the mild RC update. Making up for its tardy timing, the B-segment SUV has been comprehensively redesigned inside and out and, remarkably, sports an all-new engine.
That engine is the i-GT 1.5 litre TD (turbo direct injection, not turbodiesel). Proton has not specifically said exactly what kind of mill it is, but it did reveal the outputs – 181 PS and 290 Nm of torque, increases of 4 PS and 35 Nm over the previous car. Crucially, those figures are exactly the same as the Geely Binyue L sold in China, meaning that the X50 has almost certainly inherited that car’s latest four-cylinder powertrain.
Many people would consider this an upgrade over the existing locally-produced three-cylinder, and the performance figures speak for themselves. Still paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive, the new mill propels the car from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second quicker at 7.6 seconds – and yet Proton also claims a 4.7% improvement in fuel efficiency.
For the first time, all variants get the same engine, meaning that lesser variants get a big power and torque bump over the 150 PS/226 Nm port-injected PFI three-pot. Speaking of variants, there are three this time around, those being Executive, Premium and Flagship – the base Standard is no more.
Not only is the engine from the Binyue L, but so is the entire exterior styling it seems, Proton gaining the newest design that was launched in China in November 2024 (the previous Binyue Cool, which earlier test prototypes were based on, has apparently been discontinued).
The entire front clip is new, sporting reflector LED headlights (no more projectors, unfortunately, but with triple daytime running light “eyebrows” à la the S70), a massive full-width slatted lower grille with silver L-shaped corners, and even new fenders to house S70-style chrome A-pillar extensions. The grille is also new and unique to Proton, reintroducing the red “Ethereal Bow” strip and adding alternating vertical “pins”. A reshaped bonnet has been added as well, now with fake vents.
At the back you’ll find another wholesale redesign, with full-width taillights and a new tailgate that pushes the number plate recess lower down. The bumper gains more L-shaped corners but retains the old car’s large diffuser and quad tailpipes (finally, the X50 gets one pipe per cylinder).
Elsewhere, the side skirts have been redesigned, again with a fake vent aft of the front wheels. The wheels themselves measure 17 inches in diameter on the Executive and 18 inches on the Premium and Flagship – the latter with a two-tone turbine design and a rather classy “knurled” finish on the five spokes.
Finally, the Flagship model shown here receives the “Batmobile” rear wing as previously reported – an option hitherto exclusive to the Binyue that was recently reinstated on the Binyue L on a crass new Beyond Edition. It also maintains the black roof that is standard no matter the exterior colour.
But the standout new feature is the all-new interior which, to our knowledge, is not shared with any other Geely model – despite what its China-centric design suggests. The cabin on the Flagship model continues to be two-tone (it’s all black on the others) but with the colour scheme inverted – a black upper dash and a red lower, instead of the other way around (presumably to reduce reflections on the windscreen).
Everything appears to be designed in-house, including the “floating” centre console that houses twin phone holders (the driver’s side incorporates a Qi wireless charger, again a Flagship-exclusive feature), two cupholders arranged side-by-side and a row of four buttons for air-con on and off, auto climate control, the front demister and the hazard lights.
The rest of the air-con controls have been moved into the much larger 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, now standard. The interface is ostensibly similar to the Flyme Auto system in the eMas 7 but gains features yet to be offered on that car, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bahasa Malaysia voice control. You still of course get access to the latest Proton Link 2.0 app with the usual remote vehicle functions.
2025 Proton X50 facelift interior (left) versus Geely Binyue L
Elsewhere, the 8.88-inch digital instrument display is considerably larger than the outgoing model’s seven-inch unit, while the gear selector has been moved from the centre console to the steering column, freeing up more storage. The three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel, however, remains the same.
Other new features include a 72-colour ambient lighting system (with the X70’s “rhythmic” function) visible in the door pulls and a distinctive “looping” light band design ahead of the front passenger; this motif is mirrored in the also-new door cards. Curiously, there appears to be a large “Allen bolt head” below the driver’s side air vent, next to the repositioned engine start button.
The rest of the cabin looks identical to before, including the seats that still come with power adjustment for the driver on the Premium variant onwards. Meanwhile, the Flagship version retains its panoramic glass sunroof and adds the Binyue L’s cool half-transparent sun visors that provide some additional forward visibility while still keeping glare to a minimum.
Other bits of standard kit include remote engine start, auto lights and wipers, single-zone auto air-con, fabric upholstery and a reverse camera. The Premium adds faux leather upholstery, the aforementioned ambient lighting, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a powered tailgate and a 360-degree camera system with a new transparency function, while the Flagship throws on the exclusive features listed earlier.
Last but not least are the driver assistance systems. New rear side radar sensors are now fitted as standard, bringing features such as blind spot monitoring and the new rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and door opening warning to the entire lineup. Unfortunately, you’ll have to step up to at least the Premium (previously Flagship only) to get the rest of the ADAS suite – yes, even autonomous emergency braking.
This is enabled through a new camera array at the top of the windscreen, which should offer improved functionality for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centring assist. Other features included in the package are traffic sign recognition and auto high beam, with the Flagship throwing on an improved park assist system. Six airbags are now standard-fit.
“By offering customers a comprehensive technology and performance upgrade together with luxurious features and combining it with exciting and sporty new exterior styling, we think Proton’s latest offering will resonate with customers from all walks of life, [resetting] the benchmark in the B-segment SUV class,” said Proton Edar deputy CEO Zhang Qiang.
The facelifted Proton X50 comes in five colours – Snow White, Passion Red, Jet Grey, Armour Silver and the new Teal Bayou Green from the S70, the latter replacing Ocean Blue. What do you think of the new X50 and especially that new engine? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
AD:Interested in the new X50? Register your interest and Proton PJ by Regal Motors will get in touch with you to answer all your questions.
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
A prototype 2025 Proton X50 facelift has been sighted with a revised front camo that’s thinner on the disguise, revealing a new front face that seems inspired by the Geely Binyue L. These new spyshots were posted to the paultan.org FB group by reader Hadri Jeffrey.
We previously already guessed that the new X50 facelift will take the Geely Binyue L as its base (judging by the full-width horizontally-slatted lower grille, as opposed to the Binyue Cool’s mesh grille), but this new spyshot pretty much confirms it.
Geely Binyue L (left) and Binyue Cool
Expect the next iteration of Proton’s best-selling SUV to get a redesigned tailgate and back bumper, full-width tail lamps, the aforementioned full-width horizontally-slatted lower front grille, slim headlamps with S70-like DRL dashes, L-shaped bumper corners front and rear, plus new 18-inch turbine-style alloys.
Under the X50 facelift’s bonnet could be Geely’s latest four-cylinder turbo engine, used since the Binyue Cool. In the Binyue L, the 180 PS/290 Nm mill is married to a seven-speed wet twin-clutch gearbox, yielding a 7.6-second 0-100 km/h time.
Proton is understandably patting itself on the back after reporting strong sales last month, but it’s also looking to the future. Buried in yesterday’s press release was a hint that new models are just on the horizon, with launches expected over the coming quarter.
“Looking ahead towards Q2 in 2025, we predict a continued number of new models being launched that will deliver a bevy of attractive deals, but Proton remains confident our dealership network and commitment to Malaysian car buyers will deliver the best long term ownership experience to our customers,” said Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.
The national carmaker is obviously keeping mum on exactly what it will be launching, but the phrase “continued number” is key. Last year, the company launched two new models, the mildly-refreshed X50 RC and the facelifted X70, so expect the same number of cars to be introduced this year.
As it happens, we already have a good idea of what’s to come. The big news is the new Saga, which is set to receive its third minor change (MC3) facelift – and this time, it’s a major one. Maintaining the same basic shape, proportions and structure as before, the budget sedan will nevertheless get entirely new front and rear fascias, although copious amounts of camouflage and placeholder lights and grille on the prototypes have obscured the changes.
From what we can tell, the car will be fitted with a new front bumper, a larger grille, reshaped headlights (likely available with LED lighting, matching its main rival, the Perodua Bezza) and a re-profiled bonnet to accommodate all the changes. Meanwhile, the rear end looks to gain new taillights and boot lid that should give the car some familial resemblance to the larger S70. The interior also appears to be mostly redesigned with new freestanding displays.
One big change is the long-awaited inclusion of driver assists, as the windscreen camera on the test mules indicate. The Saga has long lagged behind the Bezza in this regard, which has had autonomous emergency braking, front departure alert and pedal misapplication control since 2020.
An upgrade in the number of airbags (currently just two) would also be welcomed. However, since the car’s AMA platform is basically a warmed-over version of the 2016 Saga – itself a heavily-revised 2008 BLM – we wouldn’t hold our breath for it. No word on what will power the car; will it use the same 1.3 litre VVT enigne as before or adopt a Geely-sourced mill? We’ll have to wait and see.
Less of a mystery is the facelifted X50, which will come just one year after the running change (RC) stopgap measure. Whereas that car looked virtually identical to the original, the new model will have a vastly different design derived from the latest Geely Binyue L in China.
New LED reflector headlights with S70-style “three-dash” daytime running lights will join a reshaped upper grille and a toothy full-width lower grille, while the rear end is set to get full-width taillights, a new tailgate – pushing the number plate recess into the bumper – and L-shaped bumper corners. One change over the Binyue L is an outlandish Batmobile-style rear wing from the older Binyue Cool, which looks set to be fitted to the top-spec variant.
It’s not visible in the spyshots, but the X50 should also receive a completely revised cabin. The Binyue L has a more modern dashboard incorporating new air-con vents, toggle switches for the climate controls and a revamped centre console with twin grab handles, configurable storage and a thin translucent gear selector.
The tech is entirely new as well, the Binyue L gaining the latest Flyme Auto infotainment system that made its Malaysian debut on the electric eMas 7. This runs the 8.8-inch slimline instrument display and the 14.6-inch centre touchscreen, both upgrades over the existing X50’s seven- and 10.25-inch displays respectively.
We should point out, however, that the X50 may not necessarily follow the Binyue L in getting the all-new interior. Last year’s facelifted X70 got a bespoke cabin design that was different from both the Geely Boyue Pro/Azkarra and the 2022 Boyue facelift, incorporating a larger “floating” 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and 64-colour ambient lighting, among other things.
Last but certainly not least are the mechanicals. The X50 has hitherto soldiered on with the same 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine since its October 2020 launch, but the facelift could see a switch to Geely’s latest four-cylinder unit, used since the Binyue Cool. In the L, the mill produces 180 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm.
This is 3 PS and 35 Nm up on even the highest-spec direct-injected TGDI version of the existing GEP3 engine, enabling the Binyue L to sprint from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second quicker at 7.6 seconds. No matter which engine the MC comes with, it will be mated to the usual seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
The Geely Star Wish is set to be sold as the eMas 5 in Malaysia this year
We’re hopeful that the X50’s driver assist package, which looks to have been updated judging by the new windscreen camera module on the prototypes, will be expanded to more models and not limited to the most expensive Flagship variant. That’s because one of the mules without the aforementioned rear wing was seen with the camera, hinting at the democratisation of the tech.
Aside from the core Proton brand, the eMas range of electric vehicles is also set to be expanded later this year with a smaller, more affordable sibling to the eMas 7. It’s tipped to be badged as the eMas 5 and should take the form of the Geely Star Wish, known as the Xingyuan in its home market of China. Roslan has already been reported as saying we can expect an announcement on the said car soon.
GALLERY: Proton Saga MC3 spyshots
GALLERY: Proton X50 facelift spyshots
GALLERY: Geely Star Wish at 2025 Bangkok Motor Show
Another round of 2025 Proton X50 facelift spyshots, this time courtesy of Cairel Zikry. By now we know the SUV will take the Geely Binyue L as its base (judging by the full-width horizontally-slatted lower grille, as opposed to the Binyue Cool’s mesh grille).
However, this particular unit’s roof spoiler is similar to the current X50‘s and not the more outlandish Batmobile-style one previously spotted, leading us to believe that the latter will only be fitted to the top variant(s). The current X50 RC comes in four variants, all with the same spoiler.
What’s more, there’s an ADAS camera on this ‘lower-spec’ variant. Proton seems to be entering a new era where ADAS is not a top-of-the-range exclusive feature, as the lower-spec eMas 7 Prime also has ADAS.
Expect the next iteration of Proton’s best-selling SUV to get a redesigned tailgate and back bumper, full-width tail lamps, the aforementioned full-width horizontally-slatted lower front grille, slim headlamps with S70-like DRL dashes, L-shaped bumper corners front and rear, plus new 18-inch turbine-style alloys.
If we look at the Binyue L, that car gets a revised interior with new air-con vents, climate control toggles and a revamped centre console with twin grab handles, configurable storage and a thin translucent gear selector.
There’s also the latest Flyme Auto infotainment system that made its Malaysian debut on the eMas 7, running on an 8.8-inch slimline instrument display and 14.6-inch centre touchscreen (bettering the current X50’s 7.0- and 10.25-inch displays). Other new bits include novel new sunvisors with a see-through lower half that retains forward visibility while still cutting out glare.
Under the X50 facelift’s bonnet could be Geely’s latest four-cylinder turbo engine, used since the Binyue Cool. In the Binyue L, the 180 PS/290 Nm mill is married to a seven-speed wet twin-clutch gearbox, yielding a 7.6-second 0-100 km/h time.
The 2025 Proton X50 facelift has been spotted again, this time by Yong Owen and Lee Sherman. Some of the sheetmetal changes are visible, including a redesigned tailgate that houses the chiselled full-width taillights and moves the number plate recess lower down.
The redesigned bumper keeps the quad tailpipes but gains a new diffuser design. The Binyue L-specific rear bumper is less aggressive than the previous Binyue Cool (the left-hand-drive prototype seen in 2023 was based on this earlier model), ditching the diffuser fins and fake vents. However, the car you see here gets the Cool’s outlandish Batmobile-style rear wing.
The frontal spyshots show that the lower grille is full-width and has horizontal slats (like the Binyue L) instead of mesh (like the Binyue Cool), essentially confirming that the X50 facelift is based on the former. Expect slimmer headlights (with S70-like DRL dashes), L-shaped bumper corners that mirror those at the rear (with the bonnet and front fenders re-profiled to fit) and new 18-inch turbine-style alloys.
The Geely Binyue L also has a revised cabin that incorporates new air-con vents, climate control toggles and a revamped centre console with twin grab handles, configurable storage and a thin translucent gear selector.
There’s also the latest Flyme Auto infotainment system that made its Malaysian debut on the eMas 7, running on an 8.8-inch slimline instrument display and 14.6-inch centre touchscreen (the current X50‘s displays are 7.0 and 10.25 inches respectively). Other new bits include novel new sunvisors with a see-through lower half that retains forward visibility while still cutting out glare.
Could the X50 facelift get Geely’s latest four-cylinder turbo engine, used since the Binyue Cool? In the L, the mill produces 180 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm. That’s 3 PS and 35 Nm up on even the highest-spec direct-injected TGDI version of the existing GEP3 engine, giving the Binyue L a 7.6-second 0-100 km/h time. The gearbox should be the usual seven-speed wet twin-clutcher.
Proton confirmed at last night’s Chinese New Year media dinner that it will be launching at least three new models in 2025, as you can see in the slide above.
AMA definitely refers to the next-gen Saga, the test mule of which was recently spotted with an ADAS camera but cloaked in the old body. We do hope this old body is a disguise and that the production car will have new body panels – fingers crossed. Whether it will have a Proton or Geely engine is still unknown.
On GMA, Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong mentioned “at least one new model”, and he specifically said either the eMas 5 or eMas 3, confirming that Proton has plans for both. Another possible model is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the eMas 7 (see Geely Galaxy Starship 7).
It’s also at least one new model for the X/S series. We’ve already seen the X50 facelift on test, which is likely to debut a new 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder engine. That should be the confirmed model, while the ‘+’ could refer to another X model receiving said new four-potter. Could that be the X90, which is currently the oldest in the range?
It’s barely 2025 and already we’ve gotten a good look at Proton’s two big product updates this year. Just last week we clapped our eyes on the facelifted Saga MC3, and now it’s the turn of the facelifted X50 to make the rounds. This year, the B-segment SUV will be treated to a far more comprehensive makeover than last year’s disappointing RC update, with a massively redesigned exterior and possibly even a new interior.
Spotted by reader Chun Yin Chan at the Kampung Pandan roundabout in downtown Kuala Lumpur, the prototype you see here is very obviously based on the latest Geely Binyue L, despite Proton’s best attempts to keep it under wraps via heavy camouflage. Only the rear end can be seen, but even here you can spot some of the sheetmetal changes, such as a redesigned tailgate that houses the chiselled full-width taillights and moves the number plate recess lower down.
Also visible is the redesigned bumper, which retains the X50’s quad tailpipes but gains a new diffuser design. The Binyue L-specific rear bumper is less aggressive than the previous Binyue Cool (the left-hand-drive prototype seen in 2023 was based on this earlier model), ditching the diffuser fins and fake vents (there are also L-shaped bumper corners, but these are not visible here). However, the car you see here gets the Cool’s outlandish Batmobile-style rear wing.
Geely Binyue L (left) and Binyue Cool
The front end is obscured in these images, but you can expect the car to gain an entirely new front fascia, featuring slimmer headlights (with dashes for the daytime running lights, similar to the S70) and grille, a massive full-width lower grille and L-shaped bumper corners that mirror those at the rear, with the bonnet and front fenders being re-profiled to fit. Last but not least are the new 18-inch turbine-style alloy wheels, which can be seen on the test mule.
No look at the interior here, obviously, but the Binyue L does come with a completely revised cabin, incorporating new air-con vents, toggle switches for the climate controls and a revamped centre console with twin grab handles, configurable storage and a thin translucent gear selector.
The tech is entirely new as well, the Binyue L gaining the latest Flyme Auto infotainment system that made its Malaysian debut on the electric eMas 7. This runs the 8.8-inch slimline instrument display and the 14.6-inch centre touchscreen, both upgrades over the existing X50’s seven- and 10.25-inch displays respectively. Other new bits include novel new sunvisors with a transparent lower half that retains forward visibility while still cutting out glare.
Geely Binyue L (left) and Binyue Cool
We should point out, however, that the X50 MC (or minor change) may not necessarily follow the Binyue L in getting the all-new interior. Last year’s facelifted X70 got a bespoke cabin design that was different from both the Geely Boyue Pro/Azkarra and the 2022 Boyue facelift, incorporating a larger “floating” 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and 64-colour ambient lighting, among other things.
Last but certainly not least are the mechanicals. The X50 has hitherto soldiered on with the same 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine since its October 2020 launch, but the facelift could see a switch to Geely’s latest four-cylinder unit, used since the Binyue Cool. In the L, the mill produces 180 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm.
Geely Binyue L (left) and Binyue Cool
This is 3 PS and 35 Nm up on even the highest-spec direct-injected TGDI version of the existing GEP3 engine, enabling the Binyue L to sprint from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second quicker at 7.6 seconds. No matter which engine the MC comes with, it will be mated to the usual seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
Given that the X50 RC was only launched last June, expect the MC facelift to be launched closer to the end of the year. Are you excited? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
