Proton S70 – 5 Fast Facts About Proton’s New Sedan

Say hello to the new Proton S70 sedan! Announced today too was its official tagline, "Intelligence that Evolves."

National carmaker Proton has officially announced a brand new model today and, refreshingly, it’s NOT a crossover SUV for once. Instead, Proton’s newest offering, called the S70, comes in the form of the familiar three-box sedan, and there’s indeed plenty to look forward to besides its “Intelligence that Evolves” tagline.

On that note, here are FIVE quick facts you ought to know about the upcoming new Proton S70…

This is Proton's first 'new' four-door, three-box sedan since the Preve. Underneath, the S70 is based on the fourth-gen (S11) Geely Emgrand.

1.  It’s Proton’s first ‘new’ sedan in a while

As the first properly ‘new’ four-door sedan to bear a Proton badge since the Preve – no, the 8th-gen Accord-based Perdana doesn’t exactly count – the S70 will slot above the marque’s other four-door sedan staples the Saga and Persona.

Loosely based on the fourth-gen (S11) Emgrand that Geely debuted in China back in 2021, the S70 underpins said Chinese partner’s B-segment Modular Architecture (BMA) platform that’s fitted with a torsion beam rear suspension assembly, thus making it largely similar to the X50 crossover SUV.

Despite its B-segment bones, the S70 is poised to break into the C-segment sedans market space instead where, in typical Proton fashion, it promises to be a value-for-money alternative against hot favourites like the latest-gen Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda 3.

Besides a 1.5-litre turbocharged heart, the S70 will see said mill paired with a 7-speec DCT automatic.

2. It’ll Harness A 1.5-litre Turbo Mill And DCT Box

Proton has confirmed that the S70 will employ its 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that’s paired with a dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Proton didn’t go into specifics here, but we’re certain this is the same blown 3-cyl and DCT pairing as found in the entry-level X70 variant.

With that, Proton’s new S70 stands very unique over its Geely-badged Emgrand twin sold in other markets, which gets a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cyl petrol mill instead that outputs 114 PS and 147 NM in China, or an even lower 102 PS and 142 NM in neighboring Philippines.

As a refresher, the base-spec 3-cyl X70’s powertrain package delivers a healthy 177 PS and 255 NM instead. Whether the S70 will retain these output figures remains to be seen, but it’s almost a certainty that this Proton-badged twin of said Geely model stands to be a peppier offering.

Styling remains largely unchanged from the Geely Emgrand, but there are minor tweaks to note.

3. It Has Minor Restyling By Proton

As we’ve seen in the X70, X50, and more recently the X90, little has changed in terms of styling in the S70 over the Geely Emgrand. Beside badges, a quick study of the images released by Proton does show the S70 sporting a new grille similar to the X90’s, along with a different steering wheel and shorter gear shifter.

Apart from which, the S70 remains similar in looks inside and out as the Geely Emgrand, which isn’t a bad thing entirely. Moreover, the (presumably) higher-specced variant pictured here sees notably tasty bits present too such as all-LED lighting, a sunroof, as well as 17-inch wheels with a 10-spoke design.

On board, things are largely unchanged from the Emgrand here too, but expect plenty of tech and convenience as what's seen in the X-series crossover SUVs trio.

L-R: This (presumed) top-spec variant will even sport a sunroof, and the S70's status as a sedan is amplified by the presence of a spacious back seat area.

4. Expect It To Pack Loads of Tech

Like it’s similarly-named crossover SUV twin, the upcoming Proton S70 is set to feature a bevy of tech primed on board including a full swing of active driver assist (ADAS) features. On this front specifically, we can likely expect Level 2 semi-autonomy as what’s the X70, X50 and X90 trio all offer.

That aside, we can also see the presence of a sizeable touchscreen infotainment display paired with a digital instrument panel. Proton hasn’t revealed detail on this front yet, but expect something similar as what’s primed in the X90 – 12.3-inch unit powered by the ATLAS OS developed by ACO Tech.

Other key luxuries and conveniences we can probably expect include automatic climate control, keyless entry and ignition, wireless smartphone charger, electronic parking brake, as well as power adjustable driver seat at the very least – similar to what’s seen in the X-series crossover SUVs trio, in fact.

Production has already commenced at Tanjung Malim, and bookings can now be placed with a fee of just RM500.

5. It Launches Soon, And Bookings Are Now Open!

With today’s initial teaser, an official launch is set to take place soon, likely towards the end of this month.  Ahead of which, Proton has confirmed that production for the new S70 has already commenced at its main Tanjung Malim plant, with said line-off officiated earlier this week by Secretary General of the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, (MITI), Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob.

Ahead of its launch, the S70 will be previewed to the public at select Proton outlets in major state capitals starting 11 Nov onwards. Additionally, bookings for the new Proton S70 can now be placed at Proton outlets starting today (1 Nov) with a fee of just RM500.

Typically, full specifications and prices are expected to be revealed in the weeks or days leading up to the official launch. We’ll have more on the S70 as soon as these are made available. In the meantime, what do you folks think of the S70? Could this be a hot take in the C-segment sedans space in 2024?

As always, hit the comments below – and our social spaces – with your thoughts on the matter…