The new Proton B-segment SUV has been teased for almost a year now, and it was officially introduced at their Tanjung Malim plant.
Here's what you need to know about the Proton X50:
#1 It will officially be called the Proton X50
Prior to this, there was intense speculation about what Proton will name their new B-segment SUV.
There were rumours that the SUV will be named the SX11 (after the Geely Binyue's codename in China), while a majority of car enthusiasts are confident that it will be named the Proton X50.
At the media preview, Proton has confirmed that it will be named the Proton X50.
According to Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton, they've decided to follow the naming convention of the Proton X70.
#2 There will be four variants of the car
During the media preview, Proton has revealed that the Proton X50 will come in four variants: Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship.
The Standard will be getting the most basic specs, like four SRS Airbags, full LED headlamps, fabric seats, eight-inch infotainment head unit, and the Executive variant gets six SRS Airbags, leather wrap steering wheel, auto headlamps and leatherette seats.
The Premium range, meanwhile, gets the more fancy stuff, like the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, 18-inch alloy wheels, Driver Power Seat, 360 camera and a bigger infotainment head unit at 10 inches.
The Flagship variant adds a 1.5 TGDi engine with a higher power output and a panaromic sunroof.
Here's a picture of the breakdown, so that it's easier for you to check out the specs:
Like you would expect, the Proton X50 is powered by a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, which is derived from the same engine that the Volvo XC40 uses.
#3 Six colours will be offered
If you're one of those who love choices, you'll get the Proton X50 will come in six different colours.
On top the passion red and jet grey that were teased by Proton last week, you'll also get the ocean blue, citric orange, armour silver and snow white.
Only the Flagship variant will sport the dual tone exterior.
#4 Malaysia-specific features
There's a reason why the Proton X50 is one of this year's most anticipated car models. If we get the same specs that the Geely Binyue has in China, then we'll be getting high tech specs with an affordable price tag.
Sadly, we will not be getting some of the specs that the Geely Binyue have, but we will be getting some very Malaysia-specific features.
For example, all variants of the Proton X50 boast two rear air conditioning vents with two USB charging ports and a reverse camera.
If you go for the Flagship variant, you'll be getting an Advance Driver Assistance System (ADAS) 2.0 feature.
On top of that, your personal Proton assistant in the car will be the voice of a woman, instead of a man in the Proton X70.
Speaking of the Proton assistant...
#5 The GKUI gets an upgrade, Proton app is more powerful
For the Proton X50, you will be getting an 8-inch or 10-inch infotainment heads up unit, and Proton has updated the GKUI to make it faster and more efficient.The infotainment system is now powered by the new E01 Quad-core chip, which Proton says is five times faster in computing performance, 33 per cent faster in boot up speed and a whopping 67 per cent faster in navigation app loading time.
To take advantage of the new GKUI, Proton has also upgraded the Proton Link app, letting you connect your smartphone to your new Proton X50 to perform several cool functions.
For example, Proton demonstrated during the media preview event that the Proton Link app can be used to start the car and turn on its air-conditioning system.
This is especially useful in Malaysia, as you can now make sure that the car is cool enough for you when you step into it.
You will be able to book the Proton X50 beginning 16 September for a booking fee of RM500.