Can not wait for Proton X70? Here are the other alternatives

Malaysians have a soft spot for the Proton cars because not only they are affordable and offer a great value for the money, but also because Proton is an all-Malaysian car company. Or is it? Well, Geely, a Chinese automobile manufacturer, now owns 49.99 percent stake in Proton. Using this point in its favor, Proton will be using Geely’s platforms to build its cars. In fact, Proton recently revealed its first-ever SUV - the X70, which is based on Geely Boyue.

The Proton X70 is going to be an important product for the company. It has got all of us excited as Proton promises to deliver the latest features in the X70 at an approachable price. Talking about the price, as of now there are no details regarding Proton X70 price but based on Proton’s history we’re expecting an affordable price tag. But if you’re really in need of a car and can’t wait for the Proton X70 launch, here are a few alternatives to it that you should consider.

Ford EcoSport

The EcoSport is the cheapest crossover SUV from Ford available in Malaysia. This car has been quite popular among the people across the globe for the way it looks and features it offers at its price point. It is available in a single engine option - 1.5-litre petrol unit that churns out 110 PS and 142 Nm of peak torque. The transmission duties are handled by Ford’s 6-speed automatic PowerShift gearbox. The EcoSport has got decent safety features like airbags, ABS, EBD, etc. It offers a raised driving position that allows you to have a better view.

There are two variants of the Ford EcoSport available in the Malaysian market - 1.5L Titanium and 1.5L Trend. The pricing starts from RM 92,988.

Peugeot 2008

Peugeot is trying to build a market for itself in Malaysia. At present, it has got quite a few offerings spread across various genres of cars. One of those products is the Peugeot 2008. It is a modern-day SUV that has got a sharp design, sporty interior, and refined engine. It comes with a 1.2L-litre 3-cylinder engine that produces 112 PS of max power and 205 Nm of peak torque. Peugeot offers its Efficient 6-speed auto with Quickshift Technology. It has a top speed of 190 kmph and goes from 0 to a ton in just 10.3 seconds. In terms of safety, the Peugeot 2008 has received a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. You’ll find many advanced safety features like Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-skid Regulation (ASR), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), etc.

As far as the pricing is concerned, the Peugeot 2008 is available at RM 105,888 and comes in only a single trim.

Mitsubishi ASX

If you want to go for a simple, elegant, and a practical approach, then the Mitsubishi ASX would be the one for you. It has been around for a few years now and has been sold in decent numbers. It offers a clean and neat design with a practical interior. The driving position is set a bit high giving a good view of the surroundings. Under the hood of the Mitsubishi ASX is a 2.0-litre MIVEC engine with 150 PS of power and 197 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a CVT unit.

For the safety front, it gets Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), Active Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill-Start Assist (HSA), Brake Assist (BA), etc. The Mitsubishi ASX is available in 2WD and 4WD trims which are priced at RM 112,400 and RM 126,739 respectively.

These are some of the alternative cars that you can have a look at if you can’t wait for the Proton X70 to hit the showrooms. Keep in mind that Proton has not released any price details of its X70, so the aforementioned models are suggested based on an estimated price (RM 98,000 - RM 112,000) of the new X70.

The prices are not out yet, but the Proton X70 specs have been revealed. It is going to come with only a single engine option - a 1.8-litre turbo that has got 181 PS of power and 285 Nm of torque. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic unit.

We are expecting Proton to not take much longer and launch the X70 soon enough. Whatever the pricing would be, it’s for sure that the new X70 will be offering a lot for its price because that’s what Proton is known for - providing all the necessary bells and whistles at an affordable price.