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2020 PROTON X50 Announced: 4 Variants, 2 Power Outputs, October Launch?

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After much anticipation, PROTON has finally confirmed the new X50 compact SUV as part of its lineup, after what feels like an eternity of spotting the car on test camouflaged from here to yonder. At a closed-door preview event in Tg. Malim, members of the media were given an opportunity to get up-close and personal with the new baby PROTON SUV and get more specifics around the new model.

The PROTON X50 will be made available in four variants, named Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship. What’s shared across all cars is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 7-speed DCT automatic, which has been confirmed to produce a maximum of 174PS & 265Nm in the Flagship model. What will also be standard is the infotainment system – all new cars will run a fully-connected GKUI system, replete with the latest ’19’ software. Screen sizes will differ though, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen for Premium & Flagship models, while the Standard & Executive models will make do with an 8-inch unit. 

The X50 will also be available with 6 colour options – Snow White, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Ocean Blue, Citric Orange, and Passion Red, with the Flagship models gaining a contrasting black roof. 

STANDARD

  • 1.5-litre turbocharged engine (110hp)
  • 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission
  • 4 SRS airbags
  • Full-LED headlights
  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Fabric interior upholstery
  • Rear A/C vents
  • 8-inch infotainment display
  • Reversing camera

EXECUTIVE (over Standard)

  • 6 SRS airbags
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • Automatic headlights
  • Front foglight 
  • Leatherette upholstery

PREMIUM (over Executive)

  • Tyre pressure monitoring system
  • 18-inch alloy wheels in dual-tone finish
  • Powered drivers’ seat
  • 10-inch infotainment system
  • 360º camera

FLAGSHIP (over Premium)

  • 1.5-litre Turbocharged Gasoline Direct-Injection (High Output, 174PS & 265Nm)
  • Advanced Driver Assist Features (claimed to be “Level 2 autonomous”)
  • Dual-tone exterior finish
  • Panoramic sunroof

At the moment, PROTON has not been forthcoming about pricing of the new model – when asked, PROTONs top-management gave us hazy answers saying that the X50 ‘breaks segment barriers’ and will appeal to a ‘wider audience’ than some of its competitors, suggesting either a huge price range or a more suggestive positioning in the market. 

What we can confirm from one of our sources is that the new X50 is set to be launched sometime in October, with production already commenced at the Tg. Malim plant. PROTON has planned a whole series of events to properly introduce the car to the market, with order books open on Malaysia Day (Sept 16th) and roadshows beginning on the 19th throughout the country. 

Regardless, stay locked onto MalaysianMotoring as we bring you more updates as they come.

GALLERY: 2020 PROTON X50

PROTON X70 CKD Coming “Very Soon,” X50 Due Before Year-End

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At a luncheon event with the media today, CEO of Proton Cars Dr. Li Chunrong said that while 2019 has been an excellent year for the national flagbearer, the company has no intentions of slowing down.

Remarking that the company has successfully sold in excess of 100,000 cars in 2019 (an increase of over 55% over the preceding year), Dr. Li says the company is targeting a number over 130,000 this year, in an attempt to push its marketshare even further. PROTON successfully claimed the #2 spot in overall passenger car sales last year, and this year Dr. Li is insistent that they do even better.

To do this, Dr. Li says that the locally-assembled version of the highly-successful X70 will be coming “very soon,” packing updated and refreshed features better suited to the local market. These are, according to sources, inclusive of features like updated upholstery options, ventilated seats, and a power boot. There is also some talk of improved ADAS systems, though this remains speculative.

What is more concrete is the updated powertrain, with the 1.8 TGDI engine massaged to produce more power and torque, sent to the wheels via a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. That should see improvements in fuel economy, a major issue with the current car, of up to 15%.

Another contributor to PROTON’s bold sales figures is the long-awaited introduction of the X50 compact SUV, which will arrive in our market packing a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, the same 7-speed DCT, and full local assembly.


Between these two models and the continued improvement of PROTON’s perception in the eyes of the buying public, the company is well on its way to improving its overall marketshare here. But one of the big factors in PROTON’s overall growth through 2020 will be its export activities, with Dr. Li hoping that the company will export to “more than 10 countries” by the end of the year.

PROTON appears to finally be on the right track with Geely, with our talented team of local engineers, supported by its vendors and suppliers, finally able to produce globally-competitive vehicles. Should they be able to maintain the momentum, it would not be without reason to believe that the Tiger will roar louder soon than it has ever been.

PROTON X50 Coming August 2020? – Report

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While PROTON runs on a high with a whopping 61% increase in sales in the first half of this year, Malaysians are keeping their eye on the horizon. The ‘X50’ is set to be the next SUV model from the marque, offering all of the appeal of the larger X70 with a more approachable pricetag. The X50 will be based on the Geely Bin Yue, a car that has been spotted testing on local roads several times already by eagle-eyed spotters.

An article on The Malaysian Reserve, citing an insider source, says that the company is indeed in the process of getting the X50 out to market, but it’ll take a little bit more time than for the X70. For the larger car, the first phase (which is still ongoing) saw the full importation of the car from China, where it’s built in right-hand drive alongside its left-hook brethren. This made the most sense at the time of the investiture agreement between Zhejiang Geely and PROTON Holdings as one of the clauses was that PROTON had to produce a Geely-based model, on sale, within one calendar year.

Also considering the sheer volume the base Geely Boyue enjoys in its home market, it wouldn’t have come at considerable cost to them to tool it for RHD. Furthermore, the Malaysian government had agreed to give PROTON a special tax allowance for the CBU X70, as to permit a faster turnaround time and competitive pricing.

However, the X50 will employ a different route. With the upgrading works at PROTON’s Tanjung Malim plant on schedule, the X50 will be a fully-CKD model, assembled here in Malaysia. That move will purportedly save PROTON & Geely some RM200-million in required changes to the plant in China to produce the X50 in RHD, and by tooling Tanjung Malim to produce the car in such a configuration, would also allow PROTON to engage in export activities to the right-hand drive markets that they compete in.

It is speculated that the X50 will carry a pricetag between RM70k-RM85k, which would make it a very attractive proposition indeed, particularly considering that the (larger & more utilitarian) Perodua Aruz tops out at RM78k.

It’s clear that the gentlemen’s agreement between Malaysia’s two local automakers, who now sit as the 1st and 2nd best-selling marques on local shores, is turning out well. There will always be a Perodua for those looking for no-nonsense zero-hassle motoring, and a PROTON for those keen on more sophistication, dynamics, and luxury.

2019 GEELY BIN YUE SPORT – GALLERY