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Tested: Proton S70 Flagship X – A True Bargain Hero Sedan!

Thoriq Azmi

9-8-2024

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Based off the Geely Emgrand sold in China and select markets overseas, Proton's redux of which in the S70 is arguably a tempting choice for anyone looking for a do-it-all sedan on a budget.


Bargain? Really?

Yes, but we’ll get to that later because there’s indeed much to cover to justify this argument, more so in range-topping form as tested. For now, we’ll just highlight that even if you’re NOT opting for this full-fledge Flagship X variant featured, the S70 from national automaker Proton in its other guises all offer tremendous value indeed.


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Measuring 4,602 MM long with a 2,627 MM wheelbase, 1,809 MM wide and 1,466 MM tall, the S70's footprint puts it slight larger than your typical B-segment sedan and slightly more compact than your typical C-segment sedan.


Tell Us More About This Range-Topper Then…

Aside from all the bells and whistles you’d typically expect, our S70 Flagship X tester came dressed in an optional aerokit that arguably sharpens this sedan’s stance further. Even if you peel that away, which is an arguably pricey option costing RM3,130, you’re still left with a rather handsome and muscular looking saloon.


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Posh-looking grille, as well as the tasty all-LED forward and rear lighting, the latter including a full-width taillight bar spanning across the tailgate, all make for one handsome sedan indeed.

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Both the Flagship and Flagship X variants sport tasty 17-inch rolling stock, whilst the base Executive and mid-specced Premium variants make do with smaller 16-inch units instead.
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Electric sunroof  (left) is an exclusive addition to the Flagship X variant, whereas the gloss black-finished rear bootlid spoiler comes as part of the optional aerokit available that costs RM3,130 extra.


Our favourite touches include the snazzy 17-inch wheels, up-market diamond-pin grille which Proton insists was inspired by woven Songket, full-LED headlights flanking said grille, and full-width LED taillight bar. You’ll still find much of these present in the Flagship and Premium variant slotted below, though the X does add both a sunroof and an exclusive black exterior paint option.

Certainly, Proton’s design team did well localising what is marketed in China and other select markets as the Geely Emgrand. That’s because said localisation included plenty of upgrades, especially underneath. As far as appearances go though, the S70 undeniably holds strong mass appeal.


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Style is arguably one key 'upgrade' this Proton redux boasts over its Geely Emgrand original


What Are These Upgrades You Speak Of?

We’ve covered this at length, but perhaps it’s worth reminding. The original Geely Emgrand model made do with a 1.6-litre nat-asp 4-cyl petrol and CVT automatic or 5-speed manual pairing. Proton’s redux sees the same sedan benefiting form a much peppier 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo lifted from the X50 crossover instead, along with said lifted cousin’s 7-speed DCT box.

Said powertrain is shared across all guises and offers 148 HP and 226 NM, thus granting the S70 with respectable 0-100 KM/H dashes in just 9 seconds, and an arguably more efficient 6.2 litres/100 KM fuel economy average over said Geely original. Of course, the ‘upgrades’ extend beyond the powertrain too.


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Unlike the original Geely Emgrand, Proton's redux sees the same sedan rock a peppier and more efficient 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol mill and 7-speed DCT automatic box instead.


Step into the cabin and, in both Flagship variants, you’ll be greeted with plush artificial leather covering the seats, soft-touch materials in the dash and key touch points, plus a boatload of convenient tech that ought to keep anyone – passengers included – satisfied, regardless of lifestyle and routines. In other words, Proton – and partners Geely – did their homework.

What’s worth noting too is just how respectably spacious the cabin is overall, meaning you’ll find the task of ferrying four other adults in the S70 isn’t a tough ask. As far as sedans of this size go, the S70 stands fairly respectable to say the least, and it gets better in the top two guises mentioned given the next set of facts…


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Plush artificial leather seats and upholstery, as well as powered driver seat adjustment are exclusive to the Flagship variants only. What's certain here too is that space on board in more than sufficient as far sedans of this size go.
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Also, unlike its predecessor, this Proton-badged alternative C-segment sedan alternative offers basics such as telescopic steering adjustment, as well as a boatload of tech!


Is It Fully Loaded?

That seems to be the case in the top two tiers at least as both boasts things like a massive fully digital LCD instrument display, larger 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment with additional connectivity-driven functions and wireless charging pad, amongst many. Even in the mid-specced Premium and base Executive guises, Proton have specced both well too.

However, in the lower two guises, you’ll find analogue instruments instead of a neater and richer digital panel, a smaller 8-inch infotainment touchscreen unit sans connectivity-driven features and no power-adjustable driver seat. Things get even more ‘basic’ in the base Executive variant as it offers manual air-conditioning and fabric seats.


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Dual-zone automatic climate control with built-in N95 filter plus wireless charging pad are Flagship variant-exclusives yet again.

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Flagship variants also benefit with this sizeable digital instrument display panel, which is similar to what's primed in the X50 and X90.


Nevertheless, Proton has covered the basics well enough elsewhere. Keyless entry and ignition is standard kit across the board, as are rear air-cond vents, electronic parking brake with auto-hold and hill-hold assist, and some basic Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features – Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane-Change Assist (LCA), and Door Opening Warning.

Choosing between which really depends on the balance of wants and needs driven by your budget. Regardless, what is evident is that there’s an S70 variant available to fit most budgets, so as long as you don’t mind one jarring absence…


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Sorry, folks. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto here, and that may be the case for the X70 for a while. Is this a deal-breaker for you?


What’s Missing?

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – arguably critical essentials, especially amongst today’s crop of car buyers. You’ll find neither primed in any variant of the S70, and there seems to be no indications as yet if this will change over time.

Perhaps an over-the-air (OTA) update to rectify this will come at some point, but we won’t hold our breathe on which just yet. For now, we know some prospects will be glad that at least both the Flagship variants see their infotainment screens offer both built-in navigation and media-streaming functions on top of the basic Bluetooth connectivity.

For those brave enough, there are plenty of fixes for this readily available from the local aftermarket space. Be warned though, this will be a warranty-voiding rabbit hole that’s hard to climb out of.


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No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is a bummer, but the good news here is that the S70 drives really good. Honest!


Bummer. Does It Drive Well At Least?

Yes! Thankfully. Perhaps this was expected of any well-built, lower and more grounded sedan offering as opposed to a stilted crossover SUV alternative. We’ll also argue that the S70’s drive dynamics puts it above plenty of similar-priced B-segment imports and pretty close to their pricier C-segment counterparts.

Predictably, the pep offered from the upgraded and blown powertrain mentioned offers enough punch. Just don’t mind the slight lack of finesse from Geely’s DCT – no slick Germanic operation here as there’s still some slight clunk and lag to deal with. Even then, this proves to be no deal-breaker for us at least.


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Yes, there's indeed enough punch delivered by the X50-derived three-banger, though we reckon the 7-speed DCT could use a little more slickness, and perhaps steering-mounted paddle-shifters.

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During our test, the S70 proved surprisingly capable when thrown round bends. It's only real limitations are its stock Goodyear tyres, but this is easily fixed through a swap for higher-end replacements.


Keep your right foot application light and speeds sane, preferably in either Eco or Normal drive modes, and you’ll find the S70's ride to be both pliant and pleasant. Adding to which is the respectable levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) suppression levels that the S70’s cabin is endowed with. For ladies, we’re certain many will laud the light electric steering weight as well.

Being lower and more grounded also entails into a much more nimble and agile thing to hustle through corners. What certainly will surprise many is just how capable this Proton sedan really is when thrown in and out of the twisties. This perhaps justifies the national carmaker’s decision to base its newest racecar on the S70.

The only real limitation here besides one’s own skills behind the wheel are the factory-fitted OEM-spec Goodyear tyres our tester was shod with. Surely, swapping for higher-end replacement would heighten this Proton sedan’s handling and agility significantly, but a swap to much quieter and comfier tyres (i.e. this or this) would make more sense instead.


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Both Flagship variants benefit with a high-count of ADAS features that enables high-degree of semi-autonomous driving - parking included. Our favourite bits are its 360-degree camera and Adaptive Cruise Control features.

What About Safety? Practicality?

Safety is paramount in both Flagship variant as they benefit with a bevy of ADAS features. In turn, this enables a high-degree of semi-autonomous driving abilities from the get go in both, but that’s not to say the lower two guises are any less safe – far from it.

The latter trait stems from the fact that Proton once again covered all the basics well across the S70’s board. All variants get no less than six airbags lining its cabin, ABS with EBD and BA braking suites, traction (TCS) and stability (ESC) control suites, are all accounted for here.

But the top two guises offer just a little more in the form of additions like a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), 360-degree surround view parking camera and, in the Flagship X specifically, a forward-facing digital video recorder (or ‘dash-cam’) all laced as standard kit.


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Forward-facing dashcam is a standard kit in the Flagship X only, but do note that all S70s offer a dedicated USB port behind the rear view mirror to power aftermarket dashcams.

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A key feature of any sedan is its boot, and the S70 offers a cavernous 500-litre space, which can be expanded thanks to split-folding rear seats. Notably, the S70 also still comes with a proper spare tyre - a rarity in this age of run-flat tyres.


As for practicality, the presence of five USB ports, which includes one dedicated output for dash-cams, is standard across the board too. The cabin’s count for cupholders, as well as the total space offered by storage bins in the armrest and central stack, are also adequate to say the least.

Of course, with any sedan, its practicality is largely driven by that third box section known as the boot, and the S70’s offer of 500 litres, and that's before folding the split-folding rear seats, is more than sufficient for anyone. Yes, it will easily swallow luggage, golf bags, groceries, perhaps small furniture even.

In short, there’s no hiding how the S70 earned maximum points for safety, and the bonus here is the immense practicality it comes paired with. Certainly, this is something that good sedans like the S70 arguably tend to do better over their lifted crossover SUV alternatives. 


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The S70 arguably a much better - if not superb - job than its predecessors the Waja, Preve and Insipira when it comes to delivering near C-segment size and perks at affordable B-segment prices.


What’s The Bottomline Then?

Well, there isn’t much to say here as the S70’s merits speak for themselves, and that’s despite some misgivings like the two missing connectivity tech we detailed prior. Overall though, it’s not hard to see the tremendous value for money it offers, more so given the next fact.

Regardless of variant, the S70 comes with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty coverage, followed by up to six times free labour service. Opt for either the Flagship guises as tested and these benefit further with a 5-year data plan (capped at 1 GB monthly) included too.


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The Flagship X variant as tested will costs RM94,800 sans options and accessories.


The only question than lingers now then is which variant your income and cash-flow realistically allows for. Obviously, the top two guises as featured are the ones to have, but the fact that you won’t break the RM100,000 mark with any makes it a worthy alternative indeed.

In fact, we’ll even argue that this Geely-based successor to things like the Waja, Preve and Inspira does a better, if not a superb job, than said trio. Certainly, the S70’s offer of near C-segment size and perks at attainable B-segment prices makes it an almost unbeatably tempting offer…


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SPECIFICATIONS

Proton S70 Flagship X
ENGINE1.5-litre 3-cyl turbocharged petrol
DRIVETRAIN7-speed DCT automatic, FWD
POWER148 HP @ 5,500 RPM
TORQUE226 NM @ 1,750 - 4,000 RPM
0-100 KM/H9 secs
V-MAXN/A
ECONOMY6.2 litres/100 KM
WEIGHT1,319 KG (kerb)
PRICE

RM94,800

(excluding options and accessories)


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Written By

Thoriq Azmi

Former DJ turned driver, rider and story-teller. I drive, I ride, and I string words together about it all. [#FuelledByThoriq] IG: https://www.instagram.com/fuelledbythoriq/

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