Let’s rewind for a second to 2020. Do not forget that surreal yr? Do not forget that unsure, existential way of thinking led to by the pandemic, job insecurities and stunning native political developments? Bear in mind the way you felt having completely no concept what tomorrow was going to be like, each single day?
I might be fallacious, however I feel most of us Malaysians are lucky sufficient to not have skilled wartime (and I’m not downplaying any battle in human historical past within the slightest). So I put to you that 2020 was the closest we’d ever gotten to such a state of affairs for the reason that nation’s independence – the despair, the melancholy, the discomfort, the despondence.
So that you’d be pardoned should you forgot that 2020 was the yr the Proton X50 was born. Huge deal? Sure, and all of the extra so in hindsight, for the X50 is by far probably the most profitable little one of the Proton-Geely marriage.
It took the market by storm virtually instantly, turning into, at varied factors all through its life, the nation’s best-selling B-segment SUV and even SUV usually. By variations like 2023’s R3, 2024’s RC and the run-out Sport Version that turned up on the Malaysia Autoshow solely half a yr in the past, over 130,000 X50s have discovered Malaysian houses to this point, making it second solely to the Saga in Proton’s gross sales books at current.
Now there’s an “all-new” one. We’ll depart it to you to evaluate if Proton’s use of the time period in inverted commas is justified, however we’re going to name it the X50 facelift, based mostly on the knowledge we’re going to share right here. We are going to admit, nonetheless, that so far as facelifts go, this can be a fairly main one.
Now, we solely had a couple of hours with the Premium and Flagship variants (now we have not seen the bottom Govt variant), and most of it was static, with the dynamic bits restricted to a straight-line century dash, an auto-parking demonstration and one or two laps of Proton’s semi-high velocity take a look at oval. A extra in-depth exploration of the way it drives in the actual world must wait till we will correctly get our arms on the automotive. With all of the caveats out of the best way, let’s start.
Engine: From three cylinders to 4 – energy, effectivity up
Identical to what first occurred with the 2022 Binyue Cool facelift, the X50 swaps out the 1,477 cc three-cylinder engine (JLH-3G15T PFI is the port-injected model; JLH-3G15TD is the stronger Flagship-exclusive direct-injected TGDi model) for the 1,499 cc BHE15TD four-cylinder engine. Nonetheless turbocharged, nonetheless 1.5 litres and nonetheless mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch auto.
Developed by Geely-owned Swedish-Chinese language agency Aurobay (which is now a part of Horse Powertrain, equally owned by Geely and Renault), the brand new engine has been given the advertising and marketing identify i-GT 1.5TD by Proton, i-GT apparently standing for intelligent-Inexperienced Expertise.
Now, two issues are vital right here: firstly, all X50 variants will use this one engine (that means direct injection for all; none of that port injection for lesser variants like earlier than), and secondly, this engine will finally energy all of Proton’s Geely-based ICE fashions (X70, S70, X90).
In the meantime, the Saga will get a non-turbo port-injected BHE15PFI model of the engine. It’s been a very long time for the reason that Saga had a 1.5 litre engine – Sungai Choh, time to attempt to shoehorn your 1.5 into the Bezza?
I jest and I digress. For the X50 facelift, the four-potter makes 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque between 2,000 and three,500 rpm. That’s stronger than the outgoing direct-injected three-banger’s 177 PS/255 Nm, and it blows the port-injected model’s 150 PS/226 Nm into the weeds. So-engined, Proton says the X50 is now a 3rd of a second quicker to 100 km/h (than the TGDi model) at 7.6 seconds.
The carmaker additionally says the brand new engine is 4.7% extra frugal. Now, the outgoing automotive’s official effectivity figures had been 6.4-6.5 litres per 100 km, so we’re one thing like 6.1 for the brand new automotive. A consumption discount is kind of an achievement, given that you simply now have another cylinder, extra energy and extra torque. The engine additionally makes use of a timing chain as an alternative of a belt – cheaper to keep up in the long term.
Exterior: Gaping mouth, cleaner rear finish
Geely followers would take a split-second’s take a look at this automotive and say, “2024 Binyue L”, they usually’d be completely proper. Save for a child’s handful of things, the looks is taken just about wholesale from the Binyue L – the third Binyue facelift – which solely debuted in China in November 2024.
So there are new LED reflector headlamps (sure, projectors beforehand) with three-dash DRL eyebrows and ‘PROTON Full LED Expertise’ lettering. There’s additionally a brand new bonnet with faux vent inserts (I don’t wish to say ‘Ah Beng’, however…) and creases nearer to the perimeters (the creases had been beforehand nearer to the centre of the bonnet, and the bonnet itself had a slight upward curve above the Proton emblem, now it’s flat).
Taking centrestage is a large, gaping, horizontally-slatted mouth for a decrease grille. Maybe you’ll be able to’t see it a lot in footage, however in actual life it makes the automotive seem so over-chinned that the remainder of the physique appears small as compared, like a Coulthard caricature. And sure, no extra entrance fog lamps.
New eyes, new mouth and new bonnet imply a brand new higher grille, and right here Proton’s model has some differentiation – a songket sample replaces the Geely’s plainer thatched affair, and the Proton emblem is cupped by the purple Ethereal Bow, as is de rigueur. A word concerning the silver trim items that underline the headlamps, higher grille and decrease grille – they’re completed in plain satin, in contrast to the outgoing automotive’s posher-looking shiny bits.
Have a look at it from the facet and also you’ll see that the roof, mirrors, doorways and rear quarter panels are carry-overs from the pre-facelift X50, however the place that automotive had chrome alongside the highest of the home windows, the brand new automotive’s is simply plain black. Underlining the home windows remains to be chrome, although, and there’s a slight extension forwards on the A-pillar base for some visible curiosity. Additionally new are the entrance fenders and facet skirts (which have ‘vents’), though the gloss black B- and C-pillars stay. All in all, it’s plenty of new sheet steel for a facelift.
The again can also be completely Binyue L – this implies slimmer hind lights bridged by a full-width rear LED mild bar, a brand new rear bumper with L-shaped reflector-hugging parts, a less complicated diffuser insert that also comprises quad tailpipes and a slimmer rear fog lamp, plus both the outgoing automotive’s M-shaped roof spoiler (body-coloured) or a black (no matter physique color) Batmobile-style rear wing with carbon-fibre-look motifs and purple ‘S’ badges on the ‘winglets’, that are built-in very nicely into the roofline. This elaborate wing is a Flagship-only merchandise.
The tailgate is new – the LED mild bar and the PROTON lettering beneath it sit inside a chamfered recess that wasn’t there earlier than. The quantity plate, reverse digicam and boot launch button have moved down right into a shallow trapezoidal ‘cave’ on the foot of the tailgate. By the best way, the rear indicators are LEDs (beforehand bulbs) and non-sequential, and the reversing lamps are LEDs as nicely.
Magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, and in contrast to the state of affairs up entrance, I want the brand new tail – I feel it appears extra cohesive. In an excellent world, I’d have the outdated face and the brand new tail, however this isn’t an excellent world.
Truly, the 2022 Binyue Cool (the second facelift, the place the engine change occurred) already obtained these new headlamps, bonnet, Batmobile wing, slim hind lights, full-width LED rear mild bar and quantity plate ‘cave’ on the tailgate, however its entrance bumper was an evolution of the primary facelift’s (the 2021 Binyue Professional), being an aggressive X-shaped sea of mesh.
Inside: Not like any Binyue – distinctive to X50?
You’d count on the Binyue L’s cabin, proper? Nicely, that is the X50 facelift’s greatest shock, as a result of the inside appears in contrast to that of any Binyue we all know.
Sure, the steering wheel and seats are the identical because the pre-facelift X50’s, however though the 14.6-inch touch-screen, 8.88-inch instrument panel, frameless rear-view mirror and ‘see-through’ solar visors are Binyue L gadgets, just about every thing else is exclusive (even the door playing cards); to not point out worlds aside from the outgoing X50.
There’s an eMas 7-style column gear selector, liberating up area for a sloped bi-level centre console containing, from high to backside, twin air-con vents, twin cellphone trays with driver’s facet wi-fi charging (you would direct the vents downwards to chill your cellphone), a row of buttons (on/off AC, auto AC, entrance demister, hazard lights) and twin cupholders. Underneath the ‘bridge’ are 10 litres of storage, a 12V socket, a USB-A port and a USB-C port.
It’s a pleasant place to be, if a tad generic in comparison with the outgoing automotive’s cockpit (that ambient lighting graphic on the passenger-side dashboard is cool, although), however minimalism is in. The carried-over steering wheel appears a bit anachronistic amidst the brand new sprint (the Binyue’s extra modern-looking merchandise would have seemed higher), however I suppose it pays to have extra shared elements with the S70.
You sadly do want to make use of the display to regulate air-con blower and temperature, and regardless of left and proper temps displayed (like a dual-zone system), as earlier than, the X50 facelift solely comes with single-zone air-con, so the temps are all the time in sync. You additionally want to make use of the display to function the lights, although with auto lights, this isn’t actually an issue.
The 2-tone inside was once purple for the higher sprint and black for the decrease, and supplied on Premium and Flagship variants. Now solely the Flagship will get it (all-black for Govt and Premium), and the colors are reversed, which can scale back reflections on heavily-tinted windscreens.
Now that the right-hand steering wheel stalk is the gear selector, the left-hand stalk turns into a Mercedes-style all-in-one contraption – flick up or down to point (stalk returns to the center, old-ish BMW-style), twist for wipers, pull in the direction of you to flash the excessive beams and push away from you to toggle auto excessive beams. All no totally different from the eMas 7.
A couple of extra notes earlier than we step into the again – as with many Chinese language automobiles, as a result of the instrument panel should be seen by means of the steering wheel, it needs to be made small, and since it has to accommodate a lot info, even one thing as vital as velocity is relegated to the left-third of the display. And the textual content and numbers are really miniscule.
I do know my eyes will not be a younger man’s anymore, however strive as we did, we couldn’t discover a method to customise the instrument panel to point out simply the essential stuff within the hope that it might be simpler to learn – we’ll strive once more once we get the automotive.
To the fitting of the steering wheel is the beginning/cease button and a cellphone mounting level (you’ll need to buy the accent individually); beneath these are the headlamp peak scroll wheel and the parking brake change.
The door playing cards are new, eschewing the outdated automotive’s seize handles and L-shaped door handles (which will be inclined of breaking, if social media is to be believed). The identical graphic you noticed on the passenger-side dashboard options right here, although the graphic itself shouldn’t be illuminated (the ambient lighting illuminates the insides of the door pulls). The window switches have an aluminium-like end and sit inside a piano black tray, in distinction to the outdated automotive’s plain black tray and aluminium trim solely on switches’ backside edges.
Climb into the again and also you’ll see that the one modifications are the aforementioned door playing cards and the again of the centre console – the place the outdated automotive had two USB-A ports above and air-con vents beneath, the brand new automotive reverses their positions and surrounds the air-con vents with satin trim for a extra premium look. Additionally, it’s now one USB-A and one USB-C. No modifications to the boot (besides that it’s now white LED-illuminated) and space-saver spare tyre.
Expertise: Qualitative and quantitative quantum leaps
The X50 facelift’s Degree 2 ADAS makes use of a 170-metre monocular digicam up entrance and an 80-metre millimetre-wave radar out again. The entrance digicam makes potential the identical capabilities as earlier than (AEB, ACC, ICC, lane-centring and so on), however that is the primary time the X50 is getting capabilities for the rear, which Proton bundles below the time period ‘Rear Facet Radar System’ (RSRS).
These comprise lane change help (regardless of the identify, that is blind spot monitoring and never auto lane change), rear collision warning, rear cross site visitors alert and door opening warning – all of which the eMas 7 already has. The 360 digicam has been augmented with 180-degree clear view (helps you to see ‘beneath’ the automotive) and auto-parking is now a one-touch affair (you not must press and maintain the button for the car to maneuver).
Proton says the 14.6-inch touch-screen is the phase’s greatest. The 16:9-aspect ratio unit is Android 10-powered, has a full-HD 1920×1080 decision and has a quad-core processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM. And – get this – there will likely be wi-fi Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (AACP) immediately from launch! The room truly broke into thunderous applause when this was introduced. At the moment, solely the X70 has AACP (and it obtained it solely fairly just lately); even the eMas 7 doesn’t have AACP but.
‘Hello Proton’ now recognises Bahasa Malaysia instructions (first within the nation), and now you can ask it to do a number of issues at one go fairly than one after the other – for instance, “Hello Proton, shut the home windows, activate the air-con, play music and navigate to KLCC,” or the national-language equal.
You are able to do numerous issues with the Proton Hyperlink 2.0 cellphone app together with function the home windows and air-con, begin the engine, monitor the automotive’s location, and entry the proprietor’s handbook and repair data. Lastly, an Adaptive mode – which mechanically adapts the car to your driving fashion – joins the present Regular, Eco and Sport drive modes. Nonetheless, there’s no extra bodily drive mode buttons; that you must use the display.
Additionally new are walk-away auto locking, a key fob that’s now black as an alternative of silver, and pre-installed RFID to get you thru tolls – if it’s your fortunate day.
Very transient driving impressions
To display the X50 facelift’s further grunt, Proton lined it up in opposition to a Honda HR-V Turbo (similar 181 PS however 50 Nm much less torque at 240 Nm) in a straight-line dash. The Japanese automotive is meant to do 0-100 km/h in 8.7-8.8 seconds, and the Malaysian automotive 7.6 seconds, however as a result of circumstances had been moist, each automobiles may solely handle instances north of 10 seconds. Nonetheless, the X50 was constantly quicker than the HR-V by a few third to a half of a second.
Cruising round Proton’s semi-high velocity take a look at oval revealed that wind noise has been significantly diminished in comparison with the outgoing automotive, with engine refinement a robust level. ADAS-wise, the ICC and lane-centring function much more easily on the entire, particularly when the automotive encounters one other car in entrance – it reduces velocity extra naturally than earlier than.
Some low-speed clunks can happen, the gearbox being a twin-clutcher, however that is simply circumvented by addressing the throttle a bit extra gingerly earlier than giving it your full command. Its operation is in any other case silky clean. Not a lot will be stated concerning the steering or trip and dealing with at this level (at the least not earlier than we check it out in the actual world), however as Proton didn’t point out something regarding these areas, it’s prone to be established order right here.
Variants and tools: Elevating the bottom; perhaps not the bar
The X50 facelift will likely be supplied in Govt, Premium and Flagship variants. The departure of the four-airbag Customary variant is nice information, as a result of it now signifies that all variants get six airbags.
Nonetheless, ADAS is just on the highest two variants; the Govt’s RSRS is strictly only a rear warning system, with no rear AEB. When the eMas 7 was launched with ADAS throughout the board, we had been hoping that it might herald a brand new ‘max security for all’ period for Proton, however not but, it appears. Nonetheless, two out of three ain’t dangerous.
Having the Govt as the brand new entry-level X50 signifies that the bottom is now greater than earlier than – you already get auto lights and wipers, six audio system and auto air-con. Nonetheless, it does need to make do with material handbook seats, a handbook tailgate and 17-inch alloys.
One step up is the Premium, which will get full ADAS, TPMS, 18-inch alloys, purple brake callipers, an influence tailgate, roof rails, entrance welcome lamps, 72-colour ambient lighting, leatherette seats, a six-way powered driver’s seat, plus the 360 digicam with 180-degree clear view.
Extroverts ought to go straight to the Flagship for its Batmobile-style rear wing, black roof, black door mirror caps and purple inside. It’s additionally the one variant with auto-parking, semi-transparent solar visors, wi-fi charging and a panoramic sunroof. In case you can reside with out the Flagship’s toys, the Premium is by far probably the most well-balanced and all-rounded variant.
You’ll be able to have your X50 facelift in Teal Bayou Inexperienced (from the S70), Jet Gray, Snow White, Armour Silver or Ardour Purple. Ocean Blue is gone, and Citric Orange left us when the 2024 X50 RC was launched.
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Govt
Will get as normal:
Mechanicals
- 1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
- 1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
- 181 PS at 5,500 rpm, 290 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,500 rpm
- 7-speed moist dual-clutch transmission
- Eco, Consolation, Sport and Adaptive drive modes
- Entrance-wheel drive
- MacPherson strut suspension (entrance), torsion beam (rear)
- Ventilated disc brakes (entrance), strong disc (rear)
- 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds
Exterior
- LED auto headlights
- LED daytime operating lights
- LED full-width taillights
- Purple grille define
- Silver bumper trim
- Quad exhaust pipes
- 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 R17 tyres
Inside
- Keyless entry with distant begin
- Proximity auto locking/unlocking
- Push-button begin
- Black inside with gray stitching
- Gray headliner
- Single-zone auto local weather management with rear vents
- Auto wipers
- Cruise management with velocity limiter
- Guide seats
- Material upholstery
- Multi-function steering wheel
- 8.88-inch digital instrument show
- 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- “Hello Proton” voice management with Bahasa Malaysia choice
- Two entrance USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
- Two rear USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
- Digital parking brake with auto brake maintain
- RFID sticker
- Proton Hyperlink 2.0 app connectivity (car standing, distant management, navigation)
- 330 litres boot area
Security
- Six airbags (entrance, facet, curtain)
- ABS with EBD and brake help
- Traction management and stability management
- Hill begin help and hill descent management
- Blind spot monitoring
- Rear cross site visitors alert
- Rear collision warning
- Door opening warning
- Reverse digicam
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Premium
Provides on:
Exterior
- Silver roof rails
- Purple brake callipers
- 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 215/55 R18 tyres
Inside
- Six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Fake leather-based upholstery
- 72-colour ambient lighting with “rhythmic” mode
- Six audio system
- Powered tailgate
Security
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise management with cease and go
- Lane centring help
- Lane holding help
- Site visitors signal recognition
- Auto excessive beam
- Tyre stress monitoring system
- 360-degree digicam with transparency
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship
Provides on:
Exterior
- Rear spoiler with faux carbon fibre print
- Black roof and door mirrors
Inside
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Black and purple inside with purple stitching
- Black headliner
- Semi-transparent solar visors
- Panoramic glass sunroof with powered sunshade
- Qi wi-fi charger (driver’s facet)
Security
Conclusion: A big step ahead
Proton says 245 new elements, 412,000 R&D man-hours and 4.3 million km of testing went into growing the X50 facelift, and even from the comparatively brief time we got with the automotive, it was evident that this was a superb automotive made higher. You get a way that Proton was totally conscious of the mannequin’s significance and the enormity of the duty at hand to replace it. Actually, extra was executed than anticipated.
Seems are subjective as all the time, however the many goal enhancements – the brand new engine, totally-new and up-to-date inside, plus hundreds extra tech together with an even bigger display, AACP from the get-go and nation-first Bahasa Malaysia voice recognition – categorically reinforce the X50’s Malaysian-market relevance. Lengthy might it reign.
All that’s left to do now, actually, is for Proton to launch the factor. The pre-facelift X50 price between RM86,300 and RM113,300, however now that the bottom Customary is gone, the entry value is bound to go up. How a lot will the brand new automotive ask for? How a lot do you suppose is honest?
2025 Proton X50 Flagship previewed in Malaysia
2025 Proton X50 Premium previewed in Malaysia
2025 Proton X50 Flagship official images
2025 Proton X50 presentation slides
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