Proton X70: Five Years On, Is It Still Relevant?

The first Proton X70 was released in 2018 and since then, Proton has only provided updates to the X70: changing the gearbox from a 8-speed to 7-speed, providing a 1.5L turbocharged option, and providing options for a sunroof.

In the proceeding years, Proton has released the popular X50, the biggest of the range, X90, and even a new sedan the S70.

Given this landscape, how many more years does the Proton X70 have on our shores and is it time for a new version of the X70?

Cars' Look and Feel

For the review, I got the 2022 1.8 TGDi Premium 2WD version with panoramic sunroof. In terms of looks, its the same old story, but with better rims.

At this point, the dashboard and instrument cluster looked dated. Paired with the low-res displays and some cheap plastics, it reminded me of expensive cars from the 90s.

The brown leather seats though, are still plush and comfortable, but the cabin looks tired.

To its benefit, all of the cars functions are still tied to physical buttons. Unlike the S70 which has hidden the sunroof function in the touch screen. I like clicky buttons and I think no car manufacturer has provided good UI/UX design for their screens.

Lastly, no, there's still no Apple Carplay nor Android Auto. The onboard navigation is simply not as good as Google Maps or Waze so you'll end up mounting your phone to navigate.

Somehow in 2024, it doesn't make sense to pay above RM100k and still mount your phone to your dashboard to navigate on your phone. To be fair, other car manufacturers are also omitting Apple Carplay and Android Auto from their systems, but that doesn't make it right.

What is it like to drive?

For 10 years I drove a Saga FLX 1.6 SE, it sucked, I hated it. It was rubbish in almost every way, except its handling so I was excited to see if the Proton X70 lived up to Proton's roots and prowess in ride and handling.

Hitting the gas for the first time and feeling the acceleration of the 1.8L turbocharged engine, I knew this was a whole new territory for Proton.

I had heard about the quantum leap in performance in comfort in the first half-China, half-Malaysia made car but I still had my doubts. Driving off the showroom and speeding (reasonably) down the highway, the X70 proved that Proton had truly redefined ride and comfort in the X generation of cars.

The SUV was steady, confident, and almost completely silent, a feat that even the Tiguan failed to achieve. NVH was actually impressive for once and considering you get the same comfort even at the starting range of RM98,800, the price to comfort ratio of the X70 is great.

You simply won't get this refinement in other cars in this price range.

That said, is the drive as engaging and lively as a Tiguan? Unfortunately, no. Driver feel is hard to convey, but good cars help you feel connected to the road during acceleration, braking, and cornering. With the X70, you'll certainly feel planted, but you won't feel excited.

Steering feel is a nebulous concept that's hard to convey. You feel it in a Honda Civic, but not in a City. You'll feel it more in a Mazda 3 and even more in a BMW 3 Series. In most SUVs, you don't feel this feedback, but it may be more numb here than other SUVs.

It's really only a thing you feel if you drive a lot of cars back to back. For regular folk buying this car, or thinking about it, the car responds to your inputs and its a comfortable time. Good for the average consumer, a downer for car enthusiasts.

One major downside

I get that SUVs are heavy. I get that a 1.8 litre engine consumes a lot of fuel. But just over 300km in a full tank? That's heavy fuel consumption no matter how you slice it.

Granted, my 1.6L Saga also tops out at 300+km per fuel up, and that's a much smaller car—but also, that Saga sucked and it never really got anything right.

For reference, I drove the X70 like I normally would, that is to say, to and from work, picking up the children, and waiting for a while in traffic. I didn't siphon any petrol out of the car and I was assured that I got a full tank when I took it out for review.

A full tank of petrol is 60 litres, so if we assume the reseve tank is 10 litres, you need to fill 50 litres at least at a time at RM102 each time. That's a heavy price to pay.

Is it still relevant in 2024?

If we're going solely on the drive alone, the X70 still serves its function as a decent-sized car at an affordable price. In terms of safety features, the car still doesn't lack, except for maybe low speed follow functionality and other autnomous features.

I'm not convinced we should rely on autonomous technologies yet, especially not from Proton, but I'd be willing to see it being developed.

Sadly, the cabin is really showing its age and for its size and price, the fuel consumption is disproportionately high.

The X70 delivered on a promise of a new and improved Proton in 2018 and I look forward to how it will redefine what we can expect from a Proton again in the coming years. As for right now, maybe wait a little longer for another update to the X70 before calling your dealer.