The Proton X70 driving experience
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The Proton X70 driving experience
Bangkok, 3
April 2019 - The
Proton X70 is the first vehicle to be jointly developed by
PROTON and its partner Geely, and is the first premium SUV by a Malaysian
automotive brand. It also introduces PROTON to a new market segment and is the
key catalyst for the total rejuvenation of the brand. When developing the
Proton X70, both PROTON and Geely collaborated on multiple
levels. From the cross deployment of staff in China and Malaysia, to testing in
Malaysia’s hot and humid climate to the collaboration between local and
international vendors, the goal was to ensure a product that is perfectly
suited to the needs of Malaysian and ASEAN car buyers.
“The Proton X70
is the result of more than one year of hard work by PROTON and Geely engineers,
designers and hundreds of other people working together to develop the first
premium SUV by a Malaysian car manufacturer. PROTON is proud of our achievement
and it is our belief Malaysian car buyers will be equally proud to own an SUV
that will help to transform the Proton brand. With over 10,000
bookings, it already has a good start so we will work hard to deliver on our
product and brand promise,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer,
PROTON.
One of the key design ideas
that are unique to the X70 is seen at the front grille,
which is referred to as the “infinite weave,” a pattern inspired by batik and
Malaysian wood carvings not only on the exterior, but also on the speaker
covers inside the SUV. The chrome surround on the grille is also another
standout feature, as its shape is inspired by a bow, one of the traditional
weapons used in the past. The Malayan tiger is the source of inspiration,
seeing how the big cat can be found on various symbols like The National Emblem
of Malaysia (Jata Negara in Malay) and obviously, Proton’s logo. Therefore, the
X70’s muscular body surfacing and the headlamp design are
reminiscent of the body and eyes of a tiger, a further showcase of Proton’s
identity.
The Proton X70 is a right-hand-drive version of the Geely Boyue with minor cosmetic differences. The Proton X70 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Chinese automaker Geely, For the first batch, the X70 is fully built-up in Hangzhou, China, the most populous city of Zhejiang Province and home to PROTON’s joint venture partner, Geely. At 4,519 mm long, 1,831 mm wide and 1,694 mm tall, the X70 dimensions and wheelbase length at 2,670 mm is identical to the Geely Boyue. The X70 is marketed as a C-segment SUV. It feels nice to be inside the X70, everything feels good and well thought out.
For the first co-developed
vehicle by Geely and PROTON concentrated exclusively on the Integrated Cockpit
Information System (GKUI), which will offer owners multiple user functions via
apps as well as the option to stay connected to the car via their mobile
device. Featuring an embedded eSIM card, the GKUI in the Proton X70
is preloaded with five apps offering services such as online radio, online
music, navigation, weather forecasts and voice recognition. Access to the apps
and other car functions is via an 8-inch Android based
touchscreen interface featuring a 1280 x 720
full colour display with 16GB of internal memory space.
The system also has Wi-Fi connectivity so the X70 can be
used as a mobile hotspot. To fully exploit the connectivity capabilities,
owners can pair their cars with their personal mobile device via Proton Link
and use an individual ID that is assigned to every buyer. They can then create
a profile of their driving thanks to the on board telematics that will record data
such as distance travelled, fuel economy, journey times and even keep track of
service intervals. There is also a ‘find my car’ function that will be
particularly useful when parking in huge and unfamiliar parking complexes.
“The GKUI system in the Proton
X70 allows owners to stay almost constantly connected to
their car. It’s an active two-way system that allows for multiple options to
fit the preferences of individual owners. In the future, the ability to
download additional apps will also be offered and just like mobile devices, it
means no two cars will be exactly alike,” added Dr Li Chunrong. Because it runs
on an Android operating system, the GKUI offers Android mobile device users
full mirroring capabilities. That means apps owners have on their device can be
accessed on the Proton X70’s touchscreen thus offering yet
more connectivity possibilities. Apple OS user won’t be able to do the same
though they will be able to connect to the X70 via
Bluetooth to access telephone and contact list functions.
True hands free operation
of a number of functions on the Proton X70 is now possible
thanks to advanced voice recognition software that allows the use of spoken
commands. Access to the system is granted when an owner utters the phrase ‘Hi
Proton’ which opens up a variety of choices that can be controlled simply by
speaking a command. This includes operating the windows and air-conditioning
system and even accessing the navigation app to look for places to eat nearby.
Currently, the GKUI offers voice recognition for English phrases only as there
are software limitations but we have ensured the phrases it recognises are easy
to use even for owners who are not fluent speakers of the language.
The Proton X70 is available in four variants - Standard 2WD, Executive 2WD, Executive AWD, and Premium 2WD. The SUV is offered in five colour options - Snow white, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Cinnamon Brown, and Flame Red (availability depends upon the variant selected). The Proton X70 1.8 TGDI PREMIUM 2WD is priced at RM123,800,- (on-the-road price excluding insurance).
Powering the Proton X70 is a 1.8-litre TGDI engine producing 183 PS of power and peak torque of 285 Nm
at 1,700-4,300 rpm. The engine is connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual drive mode
selector. It is claimed that the front-wheel-drive X70 can
sprint from zero to 100km/h in just 10.5
seconds. As far as fuel economy is concerned, the X70 is
claimed to return a combined fuel efficiency of 12.8 km/l.
Our X70
Premium 2WD features Nappa Leather. The dash looks quite
upmarket with silver finishes. The doors and speaker panels get wood garnishing
that enhances the overall appeal of the cabin. There is a multi-function
flat-bottom steering wheel with controls mounted on it. The centre console
features an 8-inch infotainment system with 6
USB ports, voice command support, Bluetooth, navigation and built-in e-SIM
functionality for on-the-go connectivity. Proton likes to call it a GKUI
infotainment system powered by Android. For a detailed vehicle information, the
company has added a fully-digital multi-info display that provides all the
necessary details about the vehicle to the driver.
As said, the new Proton X70 resembles the Geely Boyue but to a certain extent. The Proton designers have done a commendable job to incorporate Malaysian details. Up front, it gets a unique ‘infinite weave’ pattern on the grille whose design cues have been taken from the Malaysian wood carvings. The chrome-garnished grille is flanked by LED headlamps with daytime running lights that do not come as standard. The standard X70 gets halogen headlamps. The muscular structure of the Boyue is something that you see on the X70 - features prominent wheel arches over 18-inch alloys (17-inch are available with the base variant), wide D-pillar look, panoramic sunroof, and slim LED wrap-around taillights. The SUV looks even more enticing with the colours it wears. There are a total of five colours available, including Jet Grey, Armour Silver, Snow White, Flame Red, and Cinnamon Brown. The Flame Red, which the company promotes more than any other on the list, is available only with the Premium 2WD variant.