I was one of the many Malaysian media who were invited to take a look a the upcoming Proton X70 SUV. Yes, the Geely Boyue in its Proton form has been officially previewed by PROTON without any camouflage for the first time to a group of people and they have also chosen X70 as its name. It is also Proton's first SUV ever.
[Update - PROTON has launched the X70 - Details are here and prices start at RM99,800 onwards.]
[Update - PROTON has launched the X70 - Details are here and prices start at RM99,800 onwards.]
This time, Proton revealed what I think was either the final production version of the X70 aka Geely Boyue (pronounced as 'Bo-Ye' and not 'Bo-Yu') The reason for using such a simple name, unlike the previous Protons (eg, Persona, Saga etc) is simply because Proton has decided that the new mid-sized compact SUV will be pushed for export and you wouldn't want a name that could sound like 'Your Mum Farts Loudly' in some other language. So whilst the X70 may sound like a number from a generic electrical appliance, it does make perfect sense marketing-wise.
Furthermore, when asking one of the Corporate Communications people from Proton, it also can have the usual name for special versions, like Proton X70 Sepang or X70 Istimewa for that local limited run model if ever they wanted to. The name play is actually endless and X70 is what they have chosen for now.
Anyway, with that out of the way let's discuss the Proton X70 in a little more detail. If you do not want to read about what I think of the SUV, you can scroll downwards as I have decided to put the whole official press release down below.
So, it has been revealed to us. But according to Dr. Li Churong, CEO of Proton, this is just a teaser. There are not much details as to when exactly the car will be officially launched. Most likely sometime in November according to rumours with first deliveries of the first, imported batches coming in soon after that.
According to PROTON, the Proton X70 will be sold through specific Proton sales outlets only (most likely, the newly upgraded ones with full 3S and 4S facilities) and bookings of the SUV will start, tomorrow, September 8, 2018, with a deposit of RM1,000 (refundable according to what I head so you can just throw that RM1,000 first if you want to).
There will be four variants on offer - the X70 Standard 2WD, Executive 2WD, Executive AWD and Premium 2WD (panoramic sunroof and more goodies). All variants will feature a 1.8 litre TGDi turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 181 hp and 285 Nm of torque. So yes, Proton are bringing in both the all-wheel drive and front wheel drive models and one engine which is actually is impressive in terms of its performance and specification. So, in terms of powertrain and drivetrain, the X70 tickles my fancy already.
In terms of styling, the overall car is essentially the Geely Boyue with localised touches. The front grille is different from the Boyue as is the front bumper. The overall execution seems to be better. The grille takes some Malaysian traditional intertwined pattern design. The nice thing was the same patterns are repeated on the inside on the doors at the door opening inserts and the door speaker grilles. But, later on that and back to the exterior first...
The bumper also has nicer looking placements of the driving/fog lights and better integration of the side pods overall. At the rear, there is less chrome bits and the overall look is less blingy and shiny than before. From the sides, everything is the same as the Boyue. What the X70/Boyue looks like is close to what Land Rover/ Range Rover would design a SUV. Yes, it does look like a Range Rover Discovery Sport or an Evoque with a taller profile. The overall execution of the car is better in the metal than I would expect.
The only drawbacks are that the overall styling may get some people saying that it is too close to a Range Rover with a slightly generic looking front end. And, for me, the design pattern of the alloy wheels used by the X70. On the point of looking too much like a Range Rover, it is actually a good thing. I can tell that it isn't some blatant copy as there are many styling cues unique to the X70/Boyue but one wishes that the front end would be a little more prominent. It's just me actually. I am quite fussy as the overall execution for something which is essentially the first car that Proton and Geely are working on together.
Whilst similar to the one used by they Boyue over in China and, maybe Russia, the design is too similar to the current Mercedes-Benz alloy wheel as well as a design which is also seen on some Kia Forte here. After all, with the presentation that Proton Design had a bigger role to play, it is a shame that they could not add some super distinctive wheel design into the picture. But that being said, this is the first round. Again, Proton has taken what was provided to them.
As for the interior, it is of high quality. There are a lot of soft touch plastics and leather for you to caress. There seems to be more than ample space inside for 5 people to be comfortable. It feels like it is closer to the Honda CRV, Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan in terms of size.
There are 4 USB ports inside (CORRECTION: 6 USB Ports - 2 on either side of the centre console, 1 in the armrest, 1 in the rear view mirror - most likely for car camera and 2 in the rear) and there are nice styling touches here and there as mentioned above. There is a nice looking painted plastic bit that wraps around the front. I wished this were actual wood like how Proton's now associate company, Volvo Car does their interior. This has some unique touches of which Proton Design and Geely have learnt from Volvo and it does show inside the X70. If this car is priced right, it could be the most well built passenger cabin for anything under RM120,000. IF, Proton prices is below that level that is.
So what else is there? Engineering work? Proton is known for its ride and handling you say? Well, during the work for the right hand drive conversion, Proton and Geely actually spent a lot of money and time on making the steering wheel move from one side to another. Whilst there isn't much said by the folks from Proton on this, except that they worked together to make it happen, there is actually a lot of work to make such a conversion from LHD to RHD.
The converted car must pass all safety homologation and regulation. It must also drive as properly as before. There are changes to the weight balance of the chassis when you swop sides. So if you think about it, the Proton X70 does have some chassis tuning as it has to firstly handle the conversion changes and secondly, no car company would launch a product without road testing it in a country the vehicle is meant for. There you go...you can figure out how much work is done on the chassis now. Right?
I actually decided to take a short nap in the afternoon before I sat down to type this piece. When I was at Proton I just talked and complained a little about this bit and that bit, but once refreshed, things seem clearer.
All in all, I must say that the Proton X70 SUV is a very impressive car. Bloody impressive for what is supposed to be coming from a mass market manufacturer. It will be more impressive if we actually knew how much PROTON are going to price the SUV in the first place, but according to Dr. Li, the preview is like breakfast, and we haven't hit teabreak, lunch, teatime and dinner yet. There are more previews to come after this.
We can't wait. But we have to as Proton seems to be masters of Tai-Chi now...avoiding our questions and asking us to wait.
Note - If you compare with this Geely Boyue (above), you can tell that the front end gets some proper rework by Proton Design to become the X70. It does look slightly more elegant and somehow better looking than the Boyue. I have to think that head designer Azlan Othman really knows his stuff when it comes to tweaking things to suit our customers. His overall direction seems to be maturing quite nicely.
The alloy wheels have the same exact pattern so you know that this was not one of the items considered to make the X70 different from the Boyue. Small matter actually, and can be easily swapped when they start local production of the X70 sometime next year.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
PROTON PREVIEWS ITS SUV TO MALAYSIAN MEDIA
- New model revealed without disguise for the first time
- Proton X70 revealed as chosen name
The long wait for an up close and personal look at PROTON’s highly anticipated SUV finally
came to an end as the Company unveiled their newest model to the Malaysian media during a static preview held at the Proton Styling Studio. Showcasing the first co-developed vehicle by Geely and PROTON, the exclusive event also saw the attendance of Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer PROTON, Dato’ Radzaif Mohamed, Deputy Chief Executive Officer PROTON, and all senior management members of PROTON who addressed queries about the new addition to the Company’s product line up.
Designed to incorporate Malaysian styling cues
The purposeful lines of the SUV were penned by a team led by the Executive Vice President of Design at Geely, British designer Peter Horbury. A renowned car designer with 40 years of experience, Peter was formerly the Vice President of design at Volvo Car Corporation and is widely credited with leading the Swedish brand away from boxy saloons to the modern sculpted vehicles they sell today. Presenting the design of the SUV to the assembled media though was Malaysian Azlan Othman, who is PROTON’s Head of Design.
During his presentation, Azlan explained the silhouette was sculpted with explosive energetic lines inspired by a muscular and agile feline form. More specifically, the shape was drawn from the family of big cats, especially the Malayan Tiger, which is why it conveys a sense of explosive forward momentum. The link to the majestic animal is further strengthened by the headlamps, featuring daytime running lights (DRL) that create a distinctive pair of ‘eyes’ making the SUV recognisable in any driving environment.
While there are few changes to the external lines to differentiate the Proton SUV from its Geely counterpart, Azlan and his team still managed to infuse some uniquely Malaysian touches in the design. This is most evident in the grille, which features a shape inspired by a bow to deliver an identifiable presence that also captures a sense of agility, speed and lightness. Proudly displayed in the middle of the distinctive grille is a large PROTON badge, framed by three black horizontal bars. Closer inspection reveal the bars have distinctive repeating patterns inspired by Malaysian craftsmanship and our rich natural heritage.
“We embraced the unique elements Malaysia has to offer and infused them into our design celebrating the uniqueness and richness of our environment, traditions and heritage. Reflecting on the early craftsmanship, we have developed and evolved the art of traditional wood carving into a design arrangement that we call Infinite Weave,” explained Azlan.
Step inside the SUV and drivers are greeted by luxurious materials such as Nappa leather, brushed aluminium accents and a touchscreen interface that create a marriage of luxury, craftsmanship and technology. Elegant interior lines are accentuated by the interplay between dark and light surface treatments while a Malaysian touch is added by the same Infinite Weave pattern carried over to the interior via the speaker grilles and inserts backing the door handles as well as the iconic PROTON badge housed in the centre of the steering wheel.
PROTON X70 name revealed as sales kick off
Aside from giving the media a preview of the exterior and interior design, PROTON also used the event to officially announce the name of its SUV. An online contest was held and Malaysians were asked to choose one of four proposed names - PX70, X7, X70 and X700. More than 89,800 total participants submitted entries, which resulted in the name X70 being selected.
“We can now reveal that PROTON’s SUV will be called the X70. This is the first time an alphanumeric naming system is used on a Proton model as our research shows it will make it easier for PROTON to sell the X70 in ASEAN and other international markets as there are no language barriers to overcome. The letter X is also synonymous with Crossover or SUV vehicles so using it makes it easy to identify the segment this Proton model is from while the number 70 denotes the size/class of the SUV and gives PROTON a logical system to add bigger or smaller models in the future,” said Abdul Rashid Musa, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON Edar.
It was also explained that the exclusive media preview session wasn’t a stand-alone event catering just to the media. A series of customer events spanning 7 Malaysian cities running from 19 September to 4 November would also be held to allow members of the public, the banking and insurance industry as well as potential corporate buyers to get a similarly close first look at the X70 before it is launched later in the year.
“The preview sessions start on 19 September and our plan is to reach nearly 6,000 people. That is only a small portion of the potential buyers we are targeting but for those who are already convinced they want to buy our new SUV, PROTON will start taking bookings for the X70 on 8 September with a deposit of RM1,000 each,” added Rashid.
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