Should The Proton S70 Get A Hatchback Twin?

Our favourite automotive render artist Chin Swee Heo @ Theottle is at it again. This time, Chin shared with us his vision of a possible hatchback version of the upcoming new Geely Emgrand-based Proton S70.

As reported, the Proton S70 is set to enter the C-segment sedans space, promising B-segment prices too. Spiritually, the S70 succeeds both the Preve and Inspira, with the former being a unique model fully developed in-house by Proton, whilst the latter was a rebadged ninth-gen Mitsubishi Lancer.

Revealed recently, the Geely Emgrand-based Proton S70 sees the national carmaker re-entering the C-segment sedans space with the promise of B-segment prices.

Spiritually, the S70 replaces both the Preve (discontinued in 2018) and the Mitsubishi Lancer-based Inspira (discontinued in 2015).

Though Proton never rebadged the hatch-bodied version of the ninth-gen Lancer, it did develop a de-booted version of the Preve called the Suprima S. Introduced in 2013, the controversially named Suprima S divided opinions, but did garner a handful of fans before it was axed in 2019.

Since then, the national carmaker hasn’t returned in the C-segment hatchback space, focusing its efforts instead on developing the Iriz hatch further for the hotly contested B-segment. The latter’s healthier sales figures perhaps fuelled its longer existence compared to the Suprima S.

Introduced in 2013, the Suprima S was positioned as a sportier de-booted twin to the Preve. Despite winning over a handful of fans, the model was discontinued in 2019.

Though a longshot, a successor to the Suprima S doesn’t seem like a bad proposition indeed. And though the fourth-gen Geely Emgrand base car doesn’t have a hatchback offshoot, the resources and know-how to develop one arguably exists on both sides of the Proton-Geely joint-venture.

Chin’s vision gives us a glimpse of how an S70-based Suprima S successor could look like. Like most of his renders, this latest one does look very convincing too, with Chin even retaining the snazzy LED taillight bar primed in in higher-end guises of the S70 to give it a very upmarket look.

For his latest work, Chin (Theottle) opted to give us a vision of the Suprima S's successor based on the upcoming S70.

As you can see, Chin opted to keep the rear end clean by opting out of the original sedan's faux rear diffuser element but retaining its snazzy LED taillight bar.

Chin also opted to give this S70 hatchback concept render’s rear end a much cleaner look by ditching the sedan’s faux diffuser element for a more minimalist black cladding motif. You can also see how he convincingly grafted the Suprima S’s liftback hatch here and giving it quite a new rear stance.

Clearly, the virtual de-booting effort by Chin is mostly concentrated with the S70’s rear quarter, thus explaining why much other front-end right up to the mid-section appears business as usual. Overall though, Chin’s vision looks both convincing and attractive, even against today’s contemporaries.

Beyond the re-profiled rear end, Chin opted to keep the rest of the S70 as is, namely its front-end and mid-section.

We obviously dig Chin’s vision of the S70 hatch as a replacement for the Suprima S. How about you lot? Would you fancy the S70 in hatchback form should Proton decide to pursue the idea?

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