Could The Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV Get 230 KM EV Range And AWD Next? Its China Twin Says Maybe

The Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV only arrived in Malaysia earlier this year, but its Chinese twin is already preparing for an upgrade, and there are a couple of changes we'd certainly like to see here.

An updated Geely Galaxy Starship 7 has surfaced through China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), revealing not only some styling changes but also potentially significant upgrades underneath.

The highlights? A larger 40.06 kWh battery, around 230 KM of WLTP pure-electric range and an all-wheel-drive (AWD) version.

Considering the Starship 7 is closely related to Malaysia's e.MAS 7 PHEV, that's naturally going to make us wonder: could Proton eventually get some of these upgrades too?

More Battery, Much More EV Range

The biggest upgrade is the battery.

According to the Chinese filing, the updated Starship 7 is set to gain a 40.06 kWh LFP battery, with its pure-electric driving range reaching around 230 KM on the WLTP cycle.

That's particularly interesting from a Malaysian perspective.

Our current range-topping e.MAS 7 PHEV Premium Plus already gets a larger battery than the lower variants, packing a 29.8 kWh Aegis Short Blade LFP unit with a claimed 170 KM NEDC pure-electric range.

AWD Is The Other Big Upgrade

The updated Chinese model isn't just about squeezing more kilometres out of the battery.

An AWD version is also part of the updated Starship 7 line-up, giving the PHEV SUV another notable capability that isn't currently offered on Malaysia's e.MAS 7 PHEV.

That's potentially a much bigger change than the mild visual makeover, particularly if Geely eventually extends the upgraded powertrain to other markets.

It Looks A Little Different Too

The facelift also brings some visual changes, although they're considerably less dramatic than what's happening underneath.

Up front, the Starship 7 adopts a boxier-looking bumper treatment, with a new full-width U-shaped trim element framing larger main headlights and corner inlets. New wheel designs are also part of the update, while the rear appears largely familiar.

In other words, you probably won't need to stare very long to realise this is still the same basic SUV.

So, Could Proton Get The Same Upgrades?

It's certainly worth watching, but right now the answer is simply: we don't know.

The Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV is essentially the Malaysian counterpart to the Geely Starray EM-i, which is known as the Galaxy Starship 7 in China. That makes developments to the Chinese model particularly relevant to us, but it doesn't mean every upgrade introduced by Geely will automatically make its way to Proton's version.

In fact, the Malaysian e.MAS 7 PHEV already has its own market-specific specifications. The range-topping Premium Plus, for example, was launched here with a 29.8 kWh battery, larger than those fitted to the Prime and Premium variants.

So while there's currently no confirmation from Proton, a 40.06 kWh battery and AWD would represent a pretty substantial upgrade if some of the updated Starship 7's hardware eventually makes its way to Malaysia.

Read: First Drive: 2026 Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV – A Charged-Up Game Changer?