PROTON X70 CKD Coming “Very Soon,” X50 Due Before Year-End

At a luncheon event with the media today, CEO of Proton Cars Dr. Li Chunrong said that while 2019 has been an excellent year for the national flagbearer, the company has no intentions of slowing down.

Remarking that the company has successfully sold in excess of 100,000 cars in 2019 (an increase of over 55% over the preceding year), Dr. Li says the company is targeting a number over 130,000 this year, in an attempt to push its marketshare even further. PROTON successfully claimed the #2 spot in overall passenger car sales last year, and this year Dr. Li is insistent that they do even better.

To do this, Dr. Li says that the locally-assembled version of the highly-successful X70 will be coming “very soon,” packing updated and refreshed features better suited to the local market. These are, according to sources, inclusive of features like updated upholstery options, ventilated seats, and a power boot. There is also some talk of improved ADAS systems, though this remains speculative.

What is more concrete is the updated powertrain, with the 1.8 TGDI engine massaged to produce more power and torque, sent to the wheels via a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. That should see improvements in fuel economy, a major issue with the current car, of up to 15%.

Another contributor to PROTON’s bold sales figures is the long-awaited introduction of the X50 compact SUV, which will arrive in our market packing a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, the same 7-speed DCT, and full local assembly.

Between these two models and the continued improvement of PROTON’s perception in the eyes of the buying public, the company is well on its way to improving its overall marketshare here. But one of the big factors in PROTON’s overall growth through 2020 will be its export activities, with Dr. Li hoping that the company will export to “more than 10 countries” by the end of the year.

PROTON appears to finally be on the right track with Geely, with our talented team of local engineers, supported by its vendors and suppliers, finally able to produce globally-competitive vehicles. Should they be able to maintain the momentum, it would not be without reason to believe that the Tiger will roar louder soon than it has ever been.