PROTON Holdings Bhd's new model launches since the beginning of its partnership with China's Geely have been sport utility vehicles (SUVs) .
There were updates to its compact sedans but nothing in the way of a new product since the Persona in August 2016.
Thus, the S70, which is the first Proton sedan model to be jointly developed with Geely, has been a long time coming for the national carmaker.
GOING GRAND
Made to compete in the B-segment market while bringing along C-segment offerings, the S70 is very much based on Geely's Emgrand mode,l albeit with its own characteristics.
The S70, which has undergone 75,000 man hours of testing as well as 1.2 million kilometres of road testing, offers heavy localisation in parts, features and tuning.
At the time of its launch, 55 per cent of its parts were locally sourced, with the goal of hitting 75 per cent.
One unique quality is the sole powertrain setup that is shared by the four available variants: Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X.
The 1.5-litre turbocharged
engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to deliver 150PS and 226Nm of torque. The car has access to three selectable drive modes: Eco, Sport and Comfort.
For comparison, Geely's Emgrand is fitted with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated inline-four engine that delivers 115PS and at least 145Nm of torque.
The Executive variant comes with. among others, six SRS airbags, lane change assist, electric parking brake, 16-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats and an eight-inch infotainment head unit.
Boot capacity is at 500 litres.
The Premium variant adds on LED headlamps, rear tail light bar, leatherette seats and a reverse camera.
The Flagship variants come with the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), a tyre pressure monitoring system, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10.3-inch LCD meter combination, driver power seat, 12.3-inch infotainment head unit, wireless charger, and a 360-degree camera with 3D display.
Currently, Android Auto and Apple Carplay compatibility is absent from the infotainment loadout but Proton will make it available at a later date through an update.
Extra to the Flagship X variant is the inclusion of a sunroof and an extra Quartz Black colour scheme, although it does lose the Space Grey and Passion Red options.
The other colour options for the S70 are Snow White, Armour Silver, Marine Blue, Quartz Black, and Teal Bayou Green.
The car has a length of 4,602mm, width of 1,809mm and height of 1,466mm with a wheelbase of 2,627mm.
The Executive variant is priced at RM73,800, the Premium at RM79,800, Flagship at RM89,800 and Flagship X at RM94,800.
Prices also include a "standard package" for the S70, which consists of a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, a five-year data package with 1GB per month available only for the Flagship and Flagship X variants, six times free labour service and financing rates from 2.34 per cent.
B-SEGMENT BREAKER
Proton courted a bit of controversy with its initial showcase of the model.
It was selling a B-segment sedan that had C-segment offerings, but was essentially a B-segment sedan at the end of the day.
This duality would eventually land it a more fitting B+/plus-segment rating. But because of its positioning and tone, there were still those who found it difficult to assess the model.
How would you review this car and yet give it a fair shake?
If you were to compare it to a C-segment car, then the S70's performance is on the low side and the most you could say that is on equal terms are its features, interior furnishing and build quality, but even then you're stretching it.
Against another B-segment model, however, the S70 is almost unrivalled, especially with the Flagship variants.
The interior's premium sensibilities are at the top of the segment for being one of the best and most complete. The same goes for its infotainment system, which despite the lack of Android Auto and Apple Play compatibility, is one of the more comprehensive in terms of option settings for a B-segment vehicle.
The exterior design has a good thematic balance of executive and sportiness. Personally, this writer feels that Proton did the right thing by putting its own spin on the design to make it more contemporary and more inline with its X series SUVs.
Those with a keen eye for details will see the silhouette of the discontinued Preve and Inspira , most prominent from the side.
Intentional or not, it is a nice way to honour the popular B and C-segment cars, granted the S70 being a spiritual replacement for the Preve.
Performance is the main highlight of the S70. While steering control and suspension are finely tuned, it is the engine that steals the show.
For a 1.5-litre turbo engine in a B-segment sedan costing below RM100,000, it packs quite the power, even beating out some popular rivals in a century sprint comparison race.
One startling, though random, occurrence from the setup is how the driver could accidentally trigger a wheel spin if they accelerated too hard from a standstill. It can be quite the shock for those unprepared or unaware of this and it is noticeable because of a minor lag in the initial acceleration.
VERDICT
The S70 is one of the better deals in the industry and as there are nothing like it in the current market, one could easily label it the best in the segment.
The sleek design doesn't come off as too strong while the comfort and premium touchpoints are up there with the best.
As a replacement to the discontinued Preve, the S70 delivers and is at least two steps above in the premium department.
The car is also the closest to a C-segment vehicle that you can get below RM100,000 and there is no denying the value it delivers.
It is also a very fun car to drive, which adds to its overall appeal. In fact, the S70 is like a B-segment car that comes with a big bonus.
On paper the S70 may be positioned as a B+ segment car, but on the scorecard, it is certainly an "A" at the minimum.
