We finally have a confirmed launch date for the Proton X50.
It's going to be a virtual launch
Ever since a media preview for the Proton X50 happened more than a month ago, there's been no new updates about arguably the most highly-anticipated SUV of the year.
That could be attributed to several factors, including the recent news that 50 of its staff at the Shah Alam office tested positive for COVID-19.
But the show must go on, hence Proton has just announced the launch date of the highly-anticipated SUV.
According to a posting made on their Facebook post on Thursday (22 October), the carmaker will be launching the X50 via a virtual event on 27 October at 10.50am:
The good news is, unlike the previous Proton X50 events which were limited to just the media, the virtual launch event is open to the public, so if you want to check out the launch, just save the date and head over to Proton's official Facebook page on the day itself.
Proton will very likely reveal the price of the Proton X50 during the launch event, which has become the subject of intense speculation for Malaysians.
To jog your memory, the Proton X50 comes in four variants - Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship - and two engine options.
As always, the base model is the X50 1.5T Standard, and then progresses to the 1.5T Executive, 1.5T Premium and tops out with the 1.5 TGDI Flagship.
The Standard trim packs quite an impressive list of kit. You’ll get a 1.5-litre turbo inline-three engine mated to the new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Output is 148hp and 226Nm of torque.
Completing the kit count are four airbags, full LED headlights, 17-inch wheels, full fabric seats, rear air-conditioning vents, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit and a reverse camera.
Step up to the Executive and the extras include six airbags, a leather wrapped steering wheel, auto headlights, front fog lights and leatherette seats.
If that doesn’t cut it for you, the Premium throws a tyre-pressure monitoring system, power-adjustable driver’s seat, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit and a 360-degree view camera system into the mix.
Sitting atop the X5 food-chain is the 1.5 TGDI Flagship. The engine powering this is still a 1.5-litre turbo inline-three but with direct-injection that brings more ponies to the table.
Here, you’ll get 175hp and 255Nm of torque. Apart from that, you’ll finally find the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS 2.0) that now adds human detection to complement the object detection.
Last but certainly not the least in Proton's flagship trim style, there’s a panoramic sunroof.