This is the Proton X50 and it’s better than you expect

After several rounds of leaks and teaser, the Proton X50 is officially revealed on Proton’s social channels. They have shared three high resolution images which provides a better view of the front, sides and the interior. Although it is no secret that it’s based on the Geely Binyue, it looks like Proton has thrown in a couple of extra features which most Malaysians would appreciate.

In terms of exterior, it looks pretty much the same as the Chinese-made Binyue that the X50 is based on but it does come with some distinctive Proton design elements. This includes the infinite weave pattern on the grille and the Ethereal Bow that’s highlighted in red.

Similar to the Proton X70, there are also “TGDI” badges on the front doors. The photos also confirmed the availability of panoramic sunroof for the range topping model and you can also expect a host of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) which includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection and Adaptive Cruise Control. If you look closely at the above image, the disc brake callipers on all four wheels are also painted in red but this could be offered only on the higher spec models.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, it appears that the X50 will be offered in Jet Grey (similar to the current X70) and solid Red. You can also expect the compact SUV to come in Blue as teased in the Merdeka video. Being a 2020 model, you also get the new round Proton badge on the front, steering wheel and the centre caps on each wheel.

On the inside, you get a more modern looking interior than the X70 thanks to a floating touch-screen entertainment display and contrasting colours on the dash. The entertainment system is likely the same 10″ unit that’s found on the Geely models. It will definitely run on GKUI and unfortunately, we don’t think it will support Android Auto or Apple Car Play.

You also get the same shift-by-wire gear shifter as the new X70 CKD, which confirms that the X50 will be equipped with a 7-speed DCT. The X50 also has Electronic Parking Brake with Autohold function.

If you look towards the back, you’ll find not one but two USB ports which provides greater charging convenience to rear passengers. On top of that, the Proton X50 also provides two rear aircon vents which is great for our tropical climate. As a comparison, the left-hand-drive Geely Binyue in China and the Geely Coolray in the Philippines only provides a single USB port and there are no rear aircon vents.

The locally assembled Proton X50 is expected to come with a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo engine that is rated to push 177hp and 255Nm of torque. Expect the new compact SUV to be priced well under RM100,000 and this would provide some serious competition to other B-segment SUVs such as the Honda HR-V that’s priced from RM104,000.21 with SST exemption.

If you prefer a larger SUV, the Proton X70 CKD is currently priced from RM89,900 for the base Standard model with 0% SST. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line X70 Premium X that comes with a sunroof is now going for RM115,800.

The launch is expected to happen pretty soon. According to Paultan, Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong has hinted that they are making an announcement on Tuesday. According to Proton, they will be dropping more updates on their social media pages and website very soon.

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