No one automotive has achieved extra to change Proton’s notion in a single day than the X70. The first product of the nationwide carmaker’s collaboration with Geely, it pushed the boundaries of how a lot patrons would pay for a Proton, and in one fell swoop it redefined the SUV market in Malaysia.
I nonetheless bear in mind the primary time I snagged the keys to the flagship crossover. That China may construct good-looking, well-built vehicles was a given even again then, however I didn’t count on to be blown away by plush journey high quality and whisper-quiet refinement. Till today, the X70 embarrasses vehicles which might be twice, even thrice the value, whether or not you’re pottering on a pockmarked metropolis avenue or cruising on a freeway.
It’s arduous to consider that was 4 years in the past, and it appears that evidently clients have taken a shine to it too – over 70,000 items of the X70 have discovered properties because the late-2018 launch. Niggling reliability concerns and the obvious parts shortages have dulled the sheen considerably, however the automotive stays a preferred vendor.
Which is why it’s regarding that Proton is now altering the recipe. Out goes the torquey, silky-smooth 1.8 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, changed by the 1.5 litre triple from the smaller X50. Three-pot mills aren’t precisely the final phrase in refinement, so can the brand new 2022 X70 replicate its uncanny premium automotive impression with one fewer cylinder? We head out for a brief take a look at drive to discover out.
X50 engine brings much less torque however can be lighter and extra environment friendly
This is technically the second minor change (MC) that Proton has put the X70 via. The first was when it introduced the CKD model in early 2020, again when COVID-19 was a distant however looming sceptre in individuals’s minds. The begin of native meeting coincided with a collection of considerate upgrades, not least of which was a brand new seven-speed moist dual-clutch transmission, developed by Geely and Volvo.
For 2022, Proton accomplished the powertrain overhaul by lastly bringing over the X50’s engine to exchange the outdated 1.8 litre unit – one thing it has achieved for export markets first. The three-pot is arguably a greater match for the gearbox, being designed for it as a part of the identical Sino-Scandinavian collaboration.
By now, you’ll be acquainted with the mill, which displaces 1,477 cc and has an undersquare design for higher low-end torque. The model used in the X70 has direct injection as normal and produces 177 PS at 5,500 rpm, which is 7 PS decrease than what the 1.8 litre makes. The key stat that can fear clients is torque, which has fallen by a substantial 45 Nm to 255 Nm from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm.
Proton contends that the height determine is made decrease down, however the distinction is simply 250 rpm, so it’s not precisely night time and day. At least the load saving is first rate – dropping the cylinder has shaved 43 kg from the engine itself. But it’s not sufficient to offset the decrease outputs, because the 9.8-second zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time (three tenths of a second slower than the 1.8 litre X70) suggests.
The nationwide carmaker can be claiming a seven per cent enchancment in gas financial system; whereas no precise figures have been launched, we are able to use the claimed 7.6 litres per 100 km determine for the 2020 X70 to come at an estimated 7.1 litres per 100 km. More than anything, that is what patrons might be most in, and it ought to appease those that balk on the 1.8 litre’s relative thirst. The discount in street tax helps too, after all.
As per its utility in the X50, the 1.5 litre advantages from a number of measures to cut back noise, vibration and harshness, together with a balancer shaft and a centrifugal pendulum dampener on the dual-mass flywheel to compensate for the three-pot’s inherent imbalance. There’s additionally a specially-designed timing belt cowl, in addition to a sound-insulating delicate polyurethane engine cowl that’s distinctive to the X70 1.5.
1.8 litre engine nonetheless accessible, all-wheel drive possibility reintroduced
Not satisfied? Don’t fear, you’ll nonetheless find a way to buy the 1.8 Premium, which is successfully the outdated Premium X mannequin (replete with the panoramic sunroof) with the minor aesthetic tweaks that we’ll element later. All fashions get the identical DCT, albeit with a retune on the 1.5 litre variants.
Proton has additionally responded to buyer suggestions, reintroducing the all-wheel-drive system that was ditched in 2020 due to low sales. As earlier than, nevertheless, the all-paw mannequin comes solely in mid-range Executive trim, that means that it misses out on the X70’s accessible driver assists, all of that are once more unique to the Premium fashions.
The remainder of the NVH package deal is similar to the outgoing X70, as is the chassis tuning. An organization official advised me that the 2020 mannequin’s mild suspension revamp took under consideration the lighter weight of the brand new engine, so no extra modifications have been wanted for the brand new automotive.
Minor color modifications, new wheels do little to disguise age
Also just about unchanged is the remainder of the X70, with the 2022 mannequin receiving just a few aesthetic tweaks which might be little greater than color modifications to particular components. Proton has held off on a correct facelift, regardless of its twin, the Geely Boyue, having gone below the knife twice in China (Boyue Pro/2022 Boyue and Boyue X) because the Malaysian model was launched.
There are not any new physique panels, though the parts that have been beforehand matte gray (the Infinite Weave grille bars, entrance bumper nook “rings”, rear quantity plate garnish and ornamental rear skid plate) at the moment are completed in gloss black. The sole exception is the chin spoiler on the entrance, which seems to be painted in a brighter matte silver.
So too are the inserts for the air curtain inlets, which is a curious selection, because it offers them a barely unfinished look and attracts undue consideration to the small slits for the air to enter. The surrounding trim can be painted in gloss black as a substitute of physique color, whereas the door mirrors are completed in metallic Quartz Black – each of those are carried over from final 12 months’s SE.
Finally, there are the 2 new wheel designs, each lifted from the Boyue Pro. The intricate 19-inch alloys on the 1.5 and 1.8 Premium are acquainted and are available from the SE, however the 18-inch rollers for the Executive haven’t been seen right here earlier than – they’re definitely extra distinctive than the earlier turbine-style objects.
Overall, nevertheless, the X70 seems completely different, although not essentially newer or higher. It’s nonetheless a handsome factor, however regardless that this is among the newer fashions in Proton’s steady, the truth that its different siblings have had a facelift (or two) since its introduction means it’s already beginning to look somewhat lengthy in the tooth.
Interior will get black headlining however is in any other case untouched
It’s the identical story on the within, which has been left virtually unchanged save for a black headliner that helps give the cabin a sportier look, though some clients will probably miss the airiness afforded by the earlier beige liner. There’s no new trim nor any enhancements to the infotainment system, which retains the eight-inch touchscreen and the unique Geely Key User Interface (GKUI) – no GKUI 19 or ATLAS right here.
To be truthful, that is nonetheless an extremely well-made inside, with loads of stylish supplies that embody metal-like trim, soft-touch plastics and, on the Premium fashions, expensive-feeling Nappa leather-based. But for years, Malaysians have had to watch from afar as different nations obtained bigger touchscreens and complete cabin redesigns in their Boyues and Azkarras, and the MC would’ve been the right alternative to convey the X70 again up to date. Proton says there is a facelift in the works; it could actually’t come quickly sufficient.
Nevertheless, this automotive nonetheless has probably the greatest cabins in the category, besting rivals in phrases of perceived high quality and normal gear. You additionally get the same old X70 strengths, which embody a commanding driving place, glorious rear legroom and a decently sized – if barely shallow – boot.
One main disappointment is that superior driver help methods (ADAS) stay the protect of the Premium variants. Proton’s (or maybe Geely’s) all-or-nothing strategy is especially galling contemplating that the much-cheaper Perodua Ativa comes with autonomous emergency braking on the naked minimal.
The suite of lively security options is unchanged and consists of AEB (crucially, with out pedestrian detection), adaptive cruise management (with no stop-and-go perform), lane departure warning (no steering intervention) and blind spot monitoring. As such, the X70 continues to fall behind the inexpensive X50, which presents Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capabilities akin to lane centring help.
Same refined driving expertise, solely not fairly as easy
First, a proviso. We have been solely handled to a brief preview take a look at drive, masking the fifty or so kilometres from the Centre of Excellence showroom to Kundang in Rawang. A full assessment will comply with as soon as we’re ready to take the automotive out for an extended interval, however this taster is sufficient for us to put the brand new engine via its paces.
The excellent news is that on first blush the three-pot hasn’t compromised the X70’s well-mannered nature. The stage of sound isolation constructed into the automotive retains noise ranges low – so low, in truth, that more often than not you received’t hear the engine. Coupled with the outstanding lack of vibration and the result’s that in on a regular basis driving the brand new X70 is nigh-on indistinguishable from the outgoing mannequin.
It’s solely while you apply a bit extra throttle that you simply begin to hear the mill. The engine word is somewhat louder than earlier than and also you’ll find a way to distinguish the trademark three-cylinder rumble – regardless that it’s much less distinct than the racket made by just a few different triples – over the four-pot’s characterless hum. But it’s not precisely disagreeable and the X70 remains to be markedly quieter at full pelt than a lot of its rivals.
You’ll have to hear the engine extra, nevertheless, as a result of the shortfall in torque does make itself identified everytime you want extra oomph, akin to when overtaking. Whereas in the outdated automotive you’d be completely happy to surf the wave of low-end pull, the brand new mannequin takes a good bit extra effort to stand up to velocity – you’ll have to dig deeper to entry the latent efficiency.
This isn’t helped by the marginally lazy gearbox, which shows traits which might be the alternative to most DCTs, slurring shifts and taking its candy time to reply to prods of the throttle. That wasn’t such a foul factor with the torquey 1.8 litre engine (in truth, it truly suited the mill’s easygoing nature), however the 1.5 litre unit’s relative lack of twist exposes the transmission’s shortcomings extra clearly.
I’m nitpicking right here, clearly – that is nonetheless an agreeable engine and gearbox mixture, and the X70 remains to be not precisely sluggish. I ought to level out that the aforementioned sluggishness is simply noticeable if you happen to’ve spent plenty of time with the outdated automotive, as I’ve.
You see, I even have one in the family – my mom took supply of a 1.8 Premium in earlier this 12 months after I really useful her to purchase one. That’s as a result of the X70’s remarkably pliant journey and nearly complete absence of street, wind and powertrain noise genuinely set it aside from the competitors, and people attributes have been on full show even throughout this transient encounter.
So too was the automotive’s protected, competent however in the end anodyne dealing with, the appreciable physique roll and numb steering actively discouraging any type of spirited driving. Enthusiasts who miss Proton’s legendary journey and dealing with prowess is likely to be turned off by this, however the relaxed manner is solely in retaining with the SUV’s remit of soothing nerves and absorbing freeway miles.
Verdict: As succesful as ever, however wants greater updates elsewhere
There’s little question that the X70 will stay in excessive demand, particularly for these in search of a premium automotive expertise on a budget (regardless that costs have gone up fairly a bit). Crucially, the change in engine hasn’t come on the expense of the massive SUV’s likeable traits, and the improved gas effectivity will solely assist its recognition amongst urbanites and high-mileage drivers alike.
But there’s additionally additionally an inescapable feeling that Proton may’ve gone additional with this refresh, even by the requirements of the corporate’s usually delicate MC workout routines. Four years is sort of a very long time in automotive circles, so the truth that the corporate seems content material with merely making use of black paint to random physique panels and calling it a day looks as if a missed alternative. The aforementioned components shortages may also give patrons pause, though Proton is working harder than ever to resolve the scenario.
Be in little question, nevertheless – facelift or not, the X70 continues to be one of many strongest choices in its worth vary, and you are able to do a lot worse than to put it in your shortlist.
The 2022 Proton X70 is now on sale in Malaysia, with pricing beginning at RM93,900 for the 1.5 TGDi Standard and topping out at RM121,800 for the 1.8 TGDi Premium.
GALLERY: 2022 Proton X70 1.5 TGDi Premium
GALLERY: 2022 Proton X70 1.5 TGDi Executive AWD
