2026 Proton S70 MC1 Driven On Track – P1’s Reborn Drivers' Choice!

The 2026 Proton S70 MC1 certainly got sportier in terms of styling, especially in range-topping Flagship X guise pictured featuring an exclusive new aerokit.

Wow, It Certainly Looks ‘Sporty’!

Agreed, especially when kitted out with the new aerokit that’s finished in gloss black, though this is reserved solely for the range-topping Flagship X guise. The fact it was styled by local Malaysian developers to suit ‘local tastes’ is a huge plus point too.

Otherwise, the kit’s added aggression, especially at the rear where you’ll find angrier new faux rear diffuser element in the rear bumper, hides ‘modest’ changes to the base design that’s shared across all four variants available.

Brimmed in the Flagship X guise, the new locally designed aerokit includes an angrier-looking faux rear diffuser element. Notable here too is the snazzier new 17-inch alloy wheels for the two Flagship guises.

Also exclusive to the Flagship range-toppers though are snazzier new 17-inch rolling stock that now bear blade-like spokes. Nevertheless, the smaller 16-inch types primed in the lower two guises aren’t too shabby either, absent aerokit notwithstanding.

Simply put, if you liked how the S70 looked before, we reckon you’ll certainly like it even more now. Perhaps there’s enough visual appeal here now to woo prospects away better form rivalling Japanese B- and C-segment offerings, but only time will tell…

Old on to your hats because we can confirm that the upgraded S70 is properly quick now!

It Doesn’t Just ‘Look Faster’ Now Too, Right?

Thankfully, yes! This isn’t a mere mid-cycle styling refresh as Proton also performed a full powertrain swap to see the S70 now share the same new i-GT 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol mill as the face-lifted X50 and re-specced X70 crossovers.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we’ll again highlight just how much more refined this mill is versus the three-banger it replaces. Not only smoother, quieter and way more efficient, this four-banger comes with the bonus of added pep too.

Yes, the new 1.5-litre i-GT 4-cyl turbo petrol mill is much peppier than the 3-cyl unit it succeeds, and it effortlessly propels the S70 from standstill to 100 km/h in just 7.5 secs.

Certainly, in both the stilted and perhaps heavier two crossovers mentioned, the added pep is somewhat dulled or softened. That’s not the case in the new S70, and you need not place it in ‘Sport’ drive mode to feel this – it's punchy from the get go.

Peak torque – 290 Nm – now comes earlier and quicker from 2,000 RPM onwards, making light of this saloon's claimed 1,330 KG (Flagship X) kerb heft. Coupled with the increased peak power of 181 PS, this ought to explain the improved century sprint time of 7.5 secs too.

The only thing missing here are steering-mounted paddle-shifters. Nevertheless, 'Sport' and manual override modes are still available via the shift lever for avid spirited drivers to toggle.

Having unleashed this mill’s full potential on track, let’s just say that there’s certainly enough here to impress not just the spirited driving crowd, but those who aren’t. Our only gripe stems from the continued absence of steering-mounted paddle-shifters.

Despite so, we’ll note that the  ratios of the recalibrated 7-speed DCT box felt well-tailored. We’ll also point out that the shifter knob still offers both ‘Sport’ and manual override modes for when you need it. Overall? Not bad indeed if you asked us…

With the powertrain swap comes a better honed chassis to match, and we dare say Proton has perhaps rebooted a "drivers' choice" from its line-up in its Geely partnership era.

Does It Still Handle Well?

Without a doubt. A trait we highlighted and endlessly praised in the S70 prior, things remain as good as it was before, perhaps better now with the added pep and speed from the new 4-cyl heart mentioned.

Speaking with the model’s developers, both the suspension and electric power steering (EPS) modules were recalibrated for the new powertrain’s weight and performance levels.  With the former, things still felt sublime and well balanced so to speak.

Even when thrown in and out of Sepang most technical bits, the S70 remained composed and highly balanced. The only let down here were the sub-par grip levels of the stock tyres.

And the results were telling, especially when the S70 is thrown in and out of the technical bits of Sepang International Circuit (SIC) during our drive. Simply put, the S70’s chassis took them all in stride, never losing stability and composure.

The only Achilles Heel – figuratively and literally – are the stock GitiComfort F22 tyres wrapping the 17-inch rollers of the Flagship guises. We reckon a swap for better – read: grippier – UHP or entry-level sport tyres would’ve sweeten things.

Overall? Absent paddle-shifters and less-than-ideal stock tyres don't hide the S70's sporty driving credentials.

As for the EPS module, it remains feather-light with lightning quick response and high accuracy as before. Just don’t mind its muted feedback – a typical quip with any electric system as such that’s common is most other cars too.

Minor quirks aside, there really isn’t much for us to nitpick on this front. One could even argue Proton has finally rebooted a "drivers' choice" in this upgraded S70, and the news gets better even for those seated in the passenger seats.

One surprise bit we experienced too despite caning the S70 on track was its newfound refined ride.

Better Passenger Experience? Explain…

Perhaps the last thing anyone would’ve managed to soak up and experience through spirited laps around a racing circuit is on-road refinement. However, said qualities in the uprated S70 also shined during our session, and it’s worth highlighting.

Firstly, this is where the new 4-cyl mill’s status as smoother and quieter operator versus the previous 3-cyl unit becomes apparent. Simply put, you won’t feel nor hear said older mill’s imbalanced rattling and vibrations with this new heart.

Besides the high-count of creature comforts on board, comfort levels are reassured too by the sublime suspension tuning, not forgetting adequate levels of NVH suppression lining the cabin too.

Secondly, the sublime suspension tuning noted earlier also shined well here, and we’ll add that there’s sufficient damping dialled into both the springs and absorbers to keep perhaps the fussiest of Passenger Princesses comfy for the most parts.

However, considering we only drove on smooth asphalt that only a racing circuit can provide, we’ll reserve further judgement on ride quality pending a proper road test – whenever that may be. Until then, as far as first impressions go, the new S70 doesn’t disappoint here.

Want wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Sorry, you'll have to shell out more Ringgits for either the Flagship or Flagship X for which...

What Else Should I Know?

Enhanced performance and drive aside, what we reckon will be welcomed warmly by many prospects is the upgraded 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, which brings both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – finally!

However, the big caveat to which are their exclusive availability in both the top-tier Flagship guises only. You’ll get a smaller and familiar 8-inch touchscreen unit without said smartphone connectivity suites instead in the two lower guises.

As far as sporty driving chops go, you're certainly getting a whole lot of which from the S70 for way less money versus any budding and typical Japanese B- and C-segment rivals.

In other words, the added sporty styling and coveted convenient tech will cost you more, but we’ll argue the premiums commanded by said range-toppers are worth meeting, more so when you consider that alternatives all cost well over RM100,000.

Speaking of price, it’s perhaps worth mentioning that Proton is currently offering a RM5,000 rebate for early adopters of the upgraded S70. Certainly, this ought to help make it just a little more accessible to most prospects too.

Despite only experiencing on track, we reckon the S70 still won't disappoint as a total package.

Again, being given just a few spirited laps around SIC, this is as much as we’ll divulge about the upgraded S70. From what we’ve experienced in the previous version though, we reckon this sportier new redux shouldn’t disappoint.

In fact, we reckon the merits stemming from the enhanced performance and drive dynamics detailed, not to mention the new powertrain’s highly improved efficiency, should already convince most prospects. We certainly are…

SPECIFICATIONS

2026 PROTON S70 MC1