Booking of Proton first SUV, the X70 starts in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Booking has started for Proton X70, the first SUV from the company to hit the Malaysian soil! The car will be priced at a little less than RM 1,00,000 and will thus be quite affordable, especially compared to its probable competitor Honda CR-V priced at RM 1,38,308. A joint venture of Geely and Proton, the car will require prospective buyers to pay RM 1,000 initial booking amount.
The nomenclature of the model was done through an online contest where as many as 89,800 entries were submitted. It is the first time Proton is using an alphanumeric name for its model. As the company believes it will help the car to get popularised in the other Asian countries too, overcoming the language barriers. The 'X' here represents crossover or SUV, and 70 denotes the size.

The X70 SUV is expected to available in four trims- standard (available in 2WD), premium and executive (available in both 2WD and 4WD) and premium 2WD. All will be powered by the same 1.8-litre turbo engine producing 183 PS of top power and 285 Nm of maximum torque. Latest technical features like 360-camera, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, 360-camera along with lane departure warning, and tyre pressure monitoring system are included in the package, thus ensuring a safe drive.

Though based on the Geely Bouye, also known as Geely Emgrand X7, it will have some alterations made in the design, making it distinctly different from the Chinese car. A large Proton badge against three horizontal bars will give it a majestic look. The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) that look like large eyes makes the front resemble the face of a Malaysian tiger. Coming to the interiors, the Nappa leather and brushed aluminium accents along with the built-in air purification system, multi-speaker sound system and touch-screen dashboard interface will provide the passengers with a soothing ride.

The car is expected to be available in the market from November, this year. Before investing your money, you can have a look at it in the exclusive preview sessions organised by the manufacturers from 19th September to 4th November of this year across different cities of Malaysia including Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.