Proton bought a complete of 39,150 models within the first quarter of 2024, together with home and export shipments. Primarily based on Malaysia’s estimated complete business quantity (TIV) of 202,492 models for the primary three months of the 12 months, Proton’s market share is estimated at 19.3%, which is a 5.1% progress and good for second place general behind Perodua.
On this interval, Proton shifted 5,828 models of the brand new S70, together with 2,072 models in March. “Whereas manufacturing quantity continues to be catching as much as demand as shut consideration is being paid to product high quality, the C-segment sedan class chief is now the second finest promoting mannequin within the Proton vary,” the corporate mentioned in an announcement.
“Manufacturing will not be gradual, however what we’re sustaining is making certain the standard, as a result of this can be a new mannequin for us, and we have now to make sure components high quality maturity, in addition to our course of – meeting maturity. The inventory is being produced, however we’re checking completely to make sure that we don’t face the same issues as after we had been so desirous to ship the automotive to the market,” Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah mentioned earlier this 12 months.
“We had a superb lesson discovered up to now and we gained’t make the identical mistake, however we’re growing deliveries beginning this month,” he added, with out naming the earlier mannequin.
Proton’s declare of the S70 being the best-selling C-segment sedan in Malaysia isn’t a shock, because the plan was to supply a ‘C-segment sedan’ (’70’ title as a substitute of ’50’ to align it with the X70) on the worth of B-segment incumbents Honda Metropolis and Toyota Vios.
The section of the S70 has been a topic of debate. It’s based mostly on the Geely Emgrand, which sits on the X50’s BMA platform, and the automotive has a 1.5 litre NA engine/CVT combo elsewhere – 1.5L CVT is in fact the ASEAN B-segment default set by the Vios and Metropolis. The pricing of the S70 can be squarely inside the Metropolis-Vios area, and the 2 class stalwarts had been chosen as rivals within the media preview.
Nevertheless, Proton has plonked in a 1.5-litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox instead of the 1.5L NA CVT that powers the Emgrand in China and the Philippines. Suppose 1.5T, assume Civic, however Honda’s C-segment flag-bearer has one-cylinder, 32 PS and 14 Nm greater than the S70’s 150 PS/226 Nm 1.5L port-injected three-cylinder engine that powers the X50 Commonplace to Premium (the X50 Flagship and X70 MC will get a 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi unit).
As for dimensions, the Civic is 76 mm longer than the S70, and the Honda’s 2,735 mm wheelbase is a whopping 108 mm longer. In truth, going by the numbers, the S70 is definitely nearer to the Metropolis than the Civic in measurement. And all the Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are additionally decrease slung than the S70, giving them sportier proportions which are extra inline with the C-segment. We’ll go away it as much as you to position the S70, because it’s a little bit of a mishmash.
Try our complete assessment of the Proton S70 within the video above.
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Flagship X
Seeking to promote your automotive? Promote it with Carro.
