Proton X70 2020: Everything you need to know

The Proton X70 is a game-changer for the national carmaker and they have sold over 26,000 units in 2019. After slightly more than a year since its introduction, the Proton X70 2020 is finally here and it’s now assembled in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.

The Proton X70 2020 is offered with a total of four variants and this time there’s no AWD version. All four options are front-wheel drive and there’s now a Premium model that comes without a sunroof. You can still get the panoramic sunroof feature on the Premium X.

Below is the On-The-Road Price without insurance and it’s valid for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Standard 2WD – RM94,800
Executive 2WD – RM106,800
Premium 2WD – RM119,800
Premium X 2WD – RM122,800

As an early bird promo, the first 3,000 customers will getting additional 4GB/month data for 5 years worth RM1,740 and extra accessories worth RM2,000. This includes a dashcam, floor mats, magnetic sunshades, door visors, boot tray and trunk organiser.

In terms of design, the exterior remains unchanged from the CBU models. The only way to identify that this is a 2020 model is from the new round Proton badge upfront and on the wheels. The X70 is available in 6 colour options – Snow White, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Ruby Red, Cinnamon Brown and there’s the new Space Grey which is only offered for the Premium models.

Under the hood, it gets a 1.8L Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection (TGDI) engine that produces the same 135kW (181hp) of power like the fully-imported model. New on the X7 2020 is a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. With this combination, the new CKD model produces 300Nm of torque which is 15Nm more than the previous version that’s mated to a 6-speed auto transmission.

Its 0-100km/h acceleration time is now quicker by a second from 10.5 sec to 9.5 sec. Fuel economy is also improved by 13% and it has a rated consumption of 7.6 litre per 100km.

According to Proton, the 7-speed DCT is a wet-clutch unit and it has been tested in various weather conditions. Unlike other dry-clutch DCT, this wet-clutch is said to be better suited for our hot Malaysian climate. On the inside, the 2020 model gets a joystick-like gear shifter that comes with a P button on the top. Like the CBU models, you still get an electronic parking brake with auto-hold.

Some of the new enhancements include ventilated seats for both driver and front passenger on the Premium models. However, this feature is only accessible via the 8″ touch panel under the HVAC menu. Proton says that you can also activate the ventilated seats with the “Hi Proton” voice command feature.

Another major upgrade is a powertail gate which is offered on the Executive variant and above. For the Premium variant, you get an added motion sensor which lets you open the boot hands-free by moving your feet underneath the rear bumper.

Previously missing on the CBU version, the rear seats now offer a slight recline from 27-degree to 32-degree angle. This allows you to adjust the seats for either more space or for better rear passenger comfort. As usual, the rear seats also offers a 60:40 split.

In terms of safety, all X70 variants get 6 airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Hill Hold Assist (HHA), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System (TCS). Meanwhile, the Premium variants come with the Advanced Driver Assistance Package which include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Door Opening Warning System (DOW), Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). There’s also a 360 camera system that’s offered for the Executive model and above.

Whichever variant you pick, Proton is offering an 8″ touch screen infotainment system that runs on GKUI which is based on Android. This is the same unit on the previous X70 model and it is connected via 4G LTE. Unfortunately, there’s no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay support and it still runs on Baidu maps for its default satellite navigation system.

The new Proton X70 2020 still comes with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and it’s also bundled with a 5-year data package of 1GB per month for its GKUI system. In addition, Proton is also including 5 times free labour service.