Proton X70 gets test driven by the Johar Sultan

KUALA LUMPUR: It's a big day for Proton, we must say. Earlier today, ruler of Johar - Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar took the X70 for a spin. The X70 is Proton’s first SUV which was introduced in September. Since then the Proton X70 is creating headlines for its striking and luxurious appeal, something we never associated with Proton. The all-new X70 is a product of Proton and Geely new found relationship. Under which the later acquired 49.99 percent stake in the former and Proton got to use Geely's tried and tested SUV platform.

The Johar Sultan is sure a busy man, however, with so much going around, he managed to take the time off and got inside the all-new X70. He even learned a few things about the SUV. The variant presented to his highness was the Executive AWD trim. And as can be seen from the official pictures released by the Sultan’s social media channel, he was presented with a Cinnamon Brown X70 wrapped in premium black leather upholstery.

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar inspected the car at the Istana Bukit Pelangi, Johar Bahru. He was also given a short briefing about the new X70, which lasted almost an hour by Proton deputy CEO Datuk Radzaif Mohamed and Proton Edar CEO Abdul Rashid Musa.

Proton is currently on a preview spree of the X70, wherein the SUV would be visiting different states across Malaysia. It's all done so that the prospective buyers can have a good look at the Proton X70 prior to its launch. It is only after the preview sessions are completed, Proton will launch the X70 in Malaysia which we suspect to happen by mid-November. We say so, as the nationwide public showcasing would be completed on November 4.

The booking for the Proton X70 is now open. The car is available in four variants - Standard 2WD, Premium 2WD, Executive 2WD, and Executive AWD. All these trims are powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine that produces a maximum power of 182 PS along with a peak torque of 285 Nm. A 6-speed automatic gearbox pairs the mill. When launched, the X70 would compete with a bunch of cars, check them out here.