By now, I hope you’ve learn our assessment of the brand new Proton S70 sedan – in the event you haven’t, you are able to do so right here – and it’s protected to say the automobile has earned Gerard’s seal of approval. However there’s a lingering query because the nationwide carmaker continues to lean on its C-segment-sedan-at-B-segment-prices messaging, and that’s using a comparatively rudimentary torsion beam for its rear suspension.
You see, the road between the B- and C-segments is fairly blur because it stands, explicit as automobiles within the former camp develop in each measurement and class. The important thing delineation has all the time been the rear suspension, with the bigger automobile tending to utilize an impartial multilink setup – most notably the native gross sales leaders, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
So why doesn’t the so-called “C-segment” S70 have it? In response to basic supervisor of product advertising and marketing Gary Yap on the S70 media drive Q&A session, the reply is as all the time all the way down to price. “If the bottom automobile [uses a] torsion beam, and we alter it attributable to a market request, is there any further quantity or worth premium we are able to get, as a result of now we have to take a position some cash to alter the physique? Unhappy to say, that is all the time the query,” he stated.
Yap was fast to reward the corporate’s prowess in experience and dealing with tuning – this, and never the fundamental suspension format, is what he believes will make the distinction in the way in which the S70 drives. “From the parameters offered by the bottom automobile, it did meet our necessities and we didn’t see any must [change the suspension].”
Yap additionally factors to the Mazda 3 as one other exception within the C-segment that makes use of torsion beam rear suspension (to not point out base fashions of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which is in a special worth bracket fully). Many will draw parallels to the X90 SUV that makes use of a multilink setup not present in China, however Yap stated that automobile’s larger D-segment positioning made the change needed.
The S70’s pricing – which begins at underneath RM75,000 and doesn’t exceed the essential RM100,000 mark – makes it a completely completely different proposition for purchasers, and Yap stated consumers on this worth vary place much less of an significance on the suspension format. “Ask any buyer, “for this worth, beneath RM100,000, torsion beam, will you settle for it?” Nearly all of prospects really don’t actually care what the rear suspension is. Can transfer, can already.”
Deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah chimed in, saying that whereas China’s comparatively good street high quality meant the torsion beam on Geely’s X90 equal, the Haoyue, gives an appropriate experience over there, Malaysian roads include some “particular distinctive options” (suppose potholes and different floor irregularities). This, along with the X90’s larger positioning, justified the adoption of a multilink rear setup.
“However on the subject of the S70, there’s a huge query mark. What’s the distinction [in ride quality] if we alter [the suspension]? If we alter, that may contain better price, as a result of in China tak ada.”
A incontrovertible fact that most individuals don’t realise is that the Haoyue is already supplied with multilinks in markets exterior China (akin to within the Philippines), the place it’s badged because the Okavango. There’s no such choice for the S70 equal – the Emgrand – wherever on the planet, so speccing multilinks would’ve required Proton to go at it alone (and incur big growth prices within the course of). Don’t neglect, Proton already undertook the engineering activity of turbocharging the S70 and giving it ADAS options, which absolutely wasn’t low-cost.
In any case, we discovered that the S70 gives an excellent experience regardless of the torsion beam setup, one which’s greater than able to dealing with the “distinctive” challenges Malaysian roads throw at it. The shortage of sophistication means the automobile isn’t additionally in a position to ship the sporty driving really feel one would count on from a Proton, however given its supposed positioning, that’s hardly a terrific loss.
GALLERY: 2024 Proton S70 1.5T Flagship X
Seeking to promote your automobile? Promote it with myTukar.
