The Proton X70 seems to be off to a decent start in Pakistan. Proton is Malaysia's national automobile manufacturer. It has previously produced rebadged Suzuki and also Honda models, as well as some Mitsubishi models with the Proton badge. Proton began production with their first car, a Mitsubishi Lancer, almost 36 years ago. Lotus cars were once owned by the Proton Holding firm. Geely, a Chinese automaker that also owns Volvo in Sweden, currently owns 49 percent of Proton. Proton has formed a joint venture with the Al-Haj group to build a car assembly line in Karachi for CKD manufacturing.

X70 – SUV:

The X70 is a C-segment SUV that is essentially a rebadged Geely vehicle known as the "Geely Boyue." Based on the market, it is known by a variety of other names. It was first launched in China in 2016. In China, it was given a makeover on the interior as well as the exterior. The Proton X70 is essentially the same Geely product with slight external improvements and right-hand drive rather than left-hand drive. In early 2019, it was launched in Malaysia. Proton recently began local assembly in Malaysia for local distribution. In Pakistan, the X70 will contend against the KIA Sportage and its non-identical sibling, the Hyundai Tucson, as well as the MG HS.

Proton has sold about 28,000 units of its first SUV model so far, and its assertion that the X70 was the best-selling vehicle (regardless of body type) priced over RM100,000 in Malaysia in 2019 is perhaps even more telling (and seventh-best overall for the year). About half of all X70, consumers choose the Premium model, indicating that people are once again able to spend money on a Proton.

Interior of Proton X70:

The details on the steering wheel are almost as clumsy. It's coated in bright chrome, which contrasts sharply with the cabin's mainly black and satin silver finish. A little more continuity would indeed have improved here.  Another change that comes along with the new transmission is the electronic shift-by-wire gear lever. This is similar to what carmakers such as BMW have been using for quite a while now – a joystick that can be rocked back and forth to select the desired drive modes, which goes back to its original position once released.

Since the XC70 is a CBU, it will have the majority of the features and options seen in Malaysian vehicles. There is a possibility that the CBU will vary from the overseas model because it will be made exclusively for Pakistan. But, at launch, expect it to be similar to the overseas model. Leather can be found on all three CBU variants for PK. Even Nappa leather will be used in the Premium edition.

On all trims, a digital LCD dashboard cluster will be standard. Also available are steering wheel controls, push-button start and welcome lights, power-folding mirrors, and a day-night rearview mirror. Power windows, power driver-adjustable seating, and ventilated seats are all standard. Both trims come standard with dual-zone temperature control and rear ventilation, as well as an air purification system.

Engine and Performance:

In Malaysia, the X70 is available with a 1.8L Turbo Petrol Direct Injection engine that produces about 184hp and 300Nm of torque. It has a 7-speed DCT transmission. Greely / Volvo built both the transmissions and the engine. In the case of Pakistan, there is some unexpected news.

Even if the 2020 X70's engine outputs remain relatively unchanged at 181 horsepower and 300 Nm (up 15 Nm, more on that later), the car essentially gains a considerable performance improvement – potentially 171 horsepower and 284 Nm on the wheel, up 11 horsepower and 35 Nm compared to the CBU model's dyno figures. These aren't just claims, either: the X70's 0-100 km/h time has been reduced from 10.5 seconds in 2018/2019 to 9.5 seconds in 2020. Every way you look at it, a whole second faster is a big difference.

Even the best dual-clutch transmissions have a distinct behavior: rough when accelerating from a stop, but super smooth with lightning-quick, near-imperceptible gear changes after that. The 7DCT of the X70, on the other hand, exhibits polar opposite traits.

This engine complies with Euro 6 standards and is one of the finest in the industry. This is supported by the fact that Volvo, a luxury brand, uses the same engine in one of its European models. In Malaysia, Proton does not sell the 1.5T for the X70. It is mostly for export-oriented areas.

Protons' engineers also gathered driving data for the venture. The engine will be tuned for local fuel conditions, and the exhaust system will be altered as well. There's a chance, but it's not proven, that Proton needs" "Premium fuel." This also applies to the MG HS. It starts with a smooth and gentle crawl, similar to a conventional torque converter automatic, but as the speeds increase, you can feel the gear changes – minor lapses and delays in power transmission as the cogs shift.

Fuel Consumption:

According to Proton, the 2020 X70's fuel consumption has increased by 13% over its predecessor and is now measured at 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers or 13.2 km/l. Even if you round down the reported increase to 10%, 11 km/l for a big and heavy SUV doesn't sound bad at all. My own 2018 X70 6AT has averaged about 10 km/l over 16,000 km of mainly city traffic, but even if you round down the claimed improvement to 10%, 11 km/l for a big and heavy SUV doesn't sound bad at all.

In Malaysia, Proton conducted its own endurance experiments, covering over 100,000 kilometers in six months, including tension tests such as driving up and down Genting Highlands. It's also worth noting that this transmission uses an oil-cooled wet clutch instead of the dry DCTs that are most often troublesome. The 7DCT would not be plagued by reliability problems, according to Geely, Volvo, and, by extension, Proton.

The reason for this is simple: Proton conducted a series of surveys among current and prospective X70 customers, and the results revealed that Malaysians are still cautious when it comes to engine size. Despite the high outputs that smaller, downsized engines can now provide, it seems that we still need a larger-capacity engine for SUVs that are considered big and powerful.

Safety Measures:

When it comes to defense, X70 will be the undisputed champion. All trims come with six airbags as standard. ABS, Auto Brake Hold, Brake Assist, Hill Assist, Electronic Brake Distribution, and Traction Control will all be normal. There will also be a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) available.

The top-of-the-line model will also have an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and a suite of active safety features. This will be the first time a manufacturer has sold something similar on a brand new vehicle in this genre. Lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot tracking, auto high beam, and automatic braking will all be included.

The base model will come with a standard reverse camera, while the luxury model will come with a 360-degree camera setup. The Proton X70 has received a 5-star ranking from Asian NCAP.

We might assume that in a test comparing the locally assembled Sportage and Tucson, the X70 would be a much safer car, but the X70 is CBU at launch; we'll know the real deal on this subject once mass manufacturing of CKD begins locally. Time can say whether Al-Haj retains all of those features and equipment on the locally assembled vehicle or reduces them to compete on costs.

Latest Features:

Standard infotainment device with LCD touchscreen and mobile phone access for music listening. GKUI   [Geely Smart Ecosystem infotainment system] is the infotainment system, which is a smart voice recognition system that allows you to command the car to execute those functions. For instance, changing the temperature control settings.

It will be a 4G WIFI compatible device with a GSM SIM slot, and it will be possible to add those online features into the vehicle. The Proton Connect software can be used to monitor specific vehicle features remotely. Normal models will have eight speakers, and Premium models will have eight speakers and an amplifier and subwoofer.

All-wheel disc brakes and anti-lock brakes. The front suspension is McPherson, while the rear suspension is Multi-link. E-brake and electric power steering will be standard. For PK units, standard alloy wheels with a diameter of 225/60/18 will be used, but in Malaysia, premium models with a diameter of 1′′” will be available. I am certain that Proton would choose the appropriate size for the local road conditions. In Pakistan, Proton will sell the X70 in both AWD and FWD configurations. It's worth noting that, due to low demand in Malaysia, Proton isn't displaying any AWD variants. There will be two driving modes: Eco and Sport.

X70 – Geely NL Modular Platform:

The X70 is built on the Geely NL Modular platform, which has a scalable architecture and can be used by a variety of models depending on their intended use. X70 measures 4519mm in length, 1831mm in width, and 1694mm in height. The wheelbase is 2670 mm, and the ground clearance is unknown but seems to be about 180 mm.

The Sport age dimensions, which are 4484 mm long, 1855 mm wide, and 1635 mm high, with 172 mm of ground clearance. In terms of exterior dimensions, the X70 is significantly larger than the Spor tage. The X70 has a 60-liter fuel tank, while the Sport age has an additional 2-liter tank. The payload size of the Sport age is 466 liters, while the X70 is 512 liters.

Pricing Range:

The 1.5T engine is the first sign that Proton want will be competitively priced, at least initially with their inaugural CBU. The X70 would have features that the segment's competitors ignore. I believe Proton will price the X70 between $5 and $6 million, maybe a little more.

As compared to the Sport age AWD, KIA's top-of-the-line model, the luxury X70 will be slightly more expensive, but it will have some exclusive features. When opposed to the X70, Sportage has a global reputation and is sold in a variety of markets. Bear in mind, though, that the X70 is a Geely car with a Proton sticker.

It has a co-developed engine and transmission with Volvo that is currently in use by Volvo. The X70 has shattered all sales records in Malaysia, and Proton is having trouble filling orders. I believe it will be a great addition to the market and will give the Sport age and Tucson, as well as the forthcoming MG HS, a run for their money.

Proton can be driven and helped to prosper by its sales and marketing approach, after-sale delivery, support, customer loyalty, and warm and accepting dealer network. There is currently only a small dealership network. While little is certain at this moment, new FAW dealerships are most likely to become Proton sales and service centers.