Proton X50

The new X50 gets a horizontally symmetrical and tiered dashboard, linked to a wide-high-rising-floating centre console (phone holder, wireless charger – Flagship, interior setting buttons, armrest, gear lever-omitted).

Soft-/hard-touched (dash, steering wheel, centre console, doors), it sees two colour schemes (single-tone: Black – Executive, Premium/dual-tone: Black-Mulberry Maroon – Flagship) with contrast trims (Satin Silver).

Equipped are floating driver/central displays (instrument cluster, infotainment), air-conditioning vents (rectangular), an ambient light system (LED: rhythmic, 72-colour – Premium, Flagship) and sun visors (driver-semi-transparent – Flagship).

Inclusively, the layout is simple and straight-forward with accessibilities ergonomically arranged (driver-centric, passenger-oriented). 

Installed is an 8.88-Inch TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) fully digital floating driver display (instrument cluster).

Features are vehicle telematics, media, Bluetooth and navigation.

The interior sees fabric (Executive) and leatherette (Premium, Flagship) upholsteries in two colour schemes (single-tone: Black – Executive, Premium/dual-tone: Black-Mulberry Maroon – Flagship) with contrast stitching (Grey: Executive, Premium – Red: Flagship).

The front gets manual-operated (driver/passenger: Executive – passenger: Premium, Flagship) and electric-powered (driver: Premium, Flagship) bolstered seats. The rear gets a manual-operated (60:40 split-fold: Executive, Premium, Flagship) bolstered bench (three-seater).

Included are headrests (front, rear), armrests (front – centre console, rear – centre seat fold-out), a panoramic glass sunroof (Flagship: electric – open/close, tilt/slide) and headliner (fabric: Grey – Executive, Premium/Black – Flagship).

A five-seater (compact crossover SUV), the cabin offers generous space, providing comfortable seatings with ample interior mobility for the occupants (front, rear).

Sufficient head, shoulder and leg rooms.

Mounted is a three-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in leather (single-tone: Black) with contrast trims (Satin Silver).

Features are multi-switches (Bluetooth, media, MID, voice command, Cruise Control, vehicle telematics), column adjustments (tilt, telescopic), column gear lever (right stalk shifter) and Steering Mode Select (NORMAL, COMFORT, SPORT).

Drive is aided by an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system (turning radius: 5.3 M).

Practical storage spaces. E.g., glove box, partitioned/caverned/under-stowage centre console compartments and seat back/side door pockets.

Provided are four cup holders (two – front, rear) and four bottle holders (one – side doors).

Equipped are four USB ports (two – front, rear), one 12 V socket (front) and one wireless charger (front – Flagship).

Accessing its manual-operated (Executive) and electric-powered (Premium, Flagship) tailgate (handsfree: remote/key fob, tailgate button), opens to 330-Litres (rear seats up) of load capacity.

Weighing in at 1,351 KG (Executive), 1,360 KG (Premium) and 1,378 KG (Flagship), the new X50 stands at 4,380 MM long, 1,795 MM wide, 1,609 MM tall and with a wheelbase spanning 2,600 MM.

Solidly sporty and rugged, it exudes a sharply smooth sculpted exterior, emphasised by roundly angular and cleanly cut contours.

The front-end sees a formed bonnet (upper-corner vents), raised quarter panels (flared fenders) and a sculpted bumper (upper/lower grilles: Proton ‘Infinite Weave’/full-span horizontal slat – bottom vents: central, corners).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills), body trims (Black: grille inserts, vents, window surround – Auburn Red: Proton ‘Ethereal Bow’ grille strip insert – Satin Silver: slit V-shape upper grille frame, slit L-shape lower grille frame – Chrome: side window surrounds, Proton emblem), side mirrors (Black-body-colour: Executive, Premium – Black: Flagship) and roof rails (Satin Silver: Premium, Flagship).

Athletically solid, it continues the sharply smooth sculpted exterior, emphasised by horizontally symmetrical and angularly shaped creases.

The rear-end sees a mildly dipped roofline (roof-edge spoiler: standard – Executive, Premium/sporty – Flagship), raised quarter panels (flared fenders), a tapered tailgate (Proton script, X50 emblem) and a sculpted bumper (diffuser: quad corner exhausts).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills), body trims (Black: diffuser, window surround – Satin Silver: slit L-shape corner bumper frame – Chrome: side window surrounds, Proton script, X50 emblem, exhausts tips), roof-edge spoiler (body-colour: Executive, Premium – Black: Flagship) and roof rails (Satin Silver: Premium, Flagship).

Boxy and angular, the headlamps are housed inward tilted with sharp pointed edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off/follow-me-home, automatic high-/low-beam (Intelligent High Beam Control – IHBC), triple-section Daytime Running Lights (DRL – LED), cornering/welcome lights (Premium, Flagship) and sequential turn signals (LED).

Angular and mildly protruding, the tail lamps are framed slim, full width (lightbar) with pointed wraparound edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off and sequential turn signals (LED). Included is a high-mounted stop light (spoiler integrated).

The side mirrors (dual-tone: Black-body-colour – Executive, Premium/single-tone: Black – Flagship) are electric-powered (auto-fold, adjust) with turn signals (LED) and blind-spot indicators (Blind Spot Monitor – BSM).

Fitted are ventilated (front) and solid (rear) disc brakes, featuring coloured (Red) callipers (Premium, Flagship).

Drive is aided by an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold (ABH) system.

Sportily designed, fitted are sets of 17-inch (Executive) and 18-Inch (Premium, Flagship) five-star-spoke (‘Turbine’ design: dual-tone – Black-Silver) alloy rims.

The sets are wrapped in 215/60 R17 (front, rear) GitiComfort F50 (Executive) and 215/55 R18 (front, rear) Continental UltraContact UC6 (Premium, Flagship) tyres.

The new X50 features variant-specific suites of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Variant-specific (Premium, Flagship) systems: Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop/Go (ACC-S/G), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Lane Centring Control (LCC), Traffic Sign Information (TSI), Front Departure Alert (FDA), Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC), Surround View Camera (SVC: 360-degree, 180-degree transparent view), Auto Park Assist (APA – Flagship) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Standard (Executive, Premium, Flagship) systems: Lane Change Assist (LCA: Blind Spot Monitor – BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW) and Door Opening Warning (DOW).

Other systems (Executive, Premium, Flagship): Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Auto Brake Hold (ABH), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Hold Assist (HHA) and Hill Decent Control (HDC).

Passive safety includes six airbags (driver-passenger, front-sides, front-rear curtains), seat belts (reminders, pre-tensioners, anchors), ISOFIX (two – rear-outer-seat), Cruise Control with Speed Limiter (CC-SL – Executive), parking sensors (two/six-front: Executive, Premium/Flagship – four/six-rear: Executive, Premium/Flagship), parking cameras (multi-angle reverse: Executive – 360-degree, 180-degree transparent view: Premium, Flagship), side mirrors (BSM), rear-view mirror (interior: automatic-dimming – Flagship), sun visors (driver-semi-transparent – Flagship), impact beams, door ajar warning, automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-auto-lock), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold (ABH) system and anti-theft system (security alarm, immobiliser).

Four (SPORT, COMFORT, ECO, ADAPTIVE) drive modes enabled (Executive, Premium, Flagship).

Included is Steering Mode Select (NORMAL, COMFORT, SPORT).

Entertainment is channelled via a standard audio system (six speakers).

The new X50 (Executive, Premium, Flagship) comes with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powertrain.

Nestled is a (BHE15TD: Intelligent Green Technology – i-GT) 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder 12-valve, turbocharged direct injection (TGDi) DOHC with VVT petrol engine (179 HP/133 KW, 290 NM).

Mated to the setup is a seven-speed automatic Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) with manual mode.

Power is transmitted to the front (Executive, Premium, Flagship) wheels, via a Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) system.

Fuel tank capacity is at 45-Litres (Executive, Premium, Flagship). Fuel consumption reads at 6.1 L/100 KM (Executive, Premium, Flagship).

The new X50 features these conveniences.

E.g., Intelligent Entry System (keyless entry, engine Start/Stop button, remote engine ignition: key fob, phone app), remote cabin cooling (key fob, phone app), electric-powered (handsfree: remote/key fob, tailgate button) tailgate (Premium, Flagship), single-zone automatic air-conditioning system (rear-vents, Proton Intelligent Air Purifier System – PIAPS: N95 filter), electric-powered (driver: Premium, Flagship) bolstered seats, headrests (front, rear), armrests (front – centre console, rear – centre seat fold-out), panoramic glass sunroof (Flagship: electric – open/close, tilt/slide), partitioned/caverned/under-stowage centre console compartments, steering wheel (multi-switches, column adjustments, column gear shifter, Steering Mode Select, EPS), interior illumination (cabin/boot/ambient), infotainment (voice command: Hi Proton, Proton Link App: phone app control – vehicle status, functions, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto – wireless, navigation, Bluetooth), charging ports (USB, power sockets, wireless charger), parking sensors (two/six-front: Executive, Premium/Flagship – four/six-rear: Executive, Premium/Flagship), parking cameras (multi-angle reverse: Executive – 360-degree, 180-degree transparent view: Premium, Flagship), side mirrors (BSM), rear-view mirror (interior: automatic-dimming – Flagship), sun visors (driver-semi-transparent – Flagship), impact beams, door ajar warning, automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-auto-lock), automatic headlamps (On/Off/low-/high-beam/cornering/welcome lights), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold (ABH) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS – premium, Flagship).

Installed is a single-zone automatic air-conditioning system (rear-vents, Proton Intelligent Air Purifier System – PIAPS: N95 filter).

A suitable daily driver, the ride comfortability feels flexible and firm at the same time, providing great power with agile handling.

Suspension fitted is a setup of Macpherson strut (front) and torsion beam (rear). Inside and out, performance- and comfort-wise, the ride quality is satisfactory.

Good sound insulation with the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) aspects accounted for. The cabin is well-designed, enhancing the in-car ambience.

Overall, the cabin can suppress unwanted noises well and make them barely noticeable, even when cruising through bumpy asphalts or at high speeds.

The new Proton X50 is built with a ruggedly sporty appeal, offering appearance, space and practicality.

Angular and smoothly sculpted, its exterior is well-designed with roundly sharp lines donating to a powerful overall character. 

Inside and out, the quality of the equipment installed is impressive with clean and minimalistic detailing.

Ultimately, the new X50 bargains more than just good looks, as it also offers plenty of other amenities at the price it comes with.