Proton’s return to South Africa last year caused an unexpected surprise for several reasons.
First era
To put it bluntly, the Malaysian carmaker, despite being a long-time owner of Lotus, hasn’t really covered its glory when it left South Africa more than a decade ago.
From the odd-looking Savvy, the dull Gen.2 and its sedan sibling Persona, to the sporty-looking Satria Neo, the bland Saga and the versatile but dated Arena half-ton bakkie, the brand has never threatened to become a major market player. only changed 5 295 vehicles between 2005 and 2012.
Also read: Ambitious Proton returns with a point to prove
That’s not the main reason to frown when Proton returns. Owned by Geely since 2017, and therefore part of the same stable as Volvo, the completely reimagined marque has set itself the goal of taking on Mazda and Volkswagen instead of being seen as an alternative to Haval and Chery.
On its own, it might seem ambitious for a brand that is largely unknown and doesn’t have the same reputation as those from Hiroshima or Wolfsburg.
Tomorrow
As a statement of belief, having ambition is one thing, to live up to it is another and has secured the backing of Combined Motor Holdings to distribute products in South Africa, it must be said that the drive to succeed will definitely win.
And after seven regular days behind the wheel of the top-spec X50 Premium, the initial thought that Proton might just pull back is worth taking notice.
For starters, the X50, which slot-below the X70 flagship as the first of the five vehicles Proton will bring to South Africa, not only looks stylish and well presented, but they are Chery, a world away from the previous product line- up.
Made by Geely
A spin-off from Geely Binyue that debuted in China five years ago, before becoming Proton in 2020, the X50, although a Chinese car, is built at Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, which received a massive investment of $500 million- million Geely when it took over to become one of the most advanced technology facilities in the Asian continent.
At first glance, Geely’s attempt to transform the Binyue into the X50 has been successful as the newcomers go some way to achieving the marketing slogan of “affordable luxury”.
Although the choice of Snow White paint is anything but the best of the six X50 colors can be determined, as mentioned during the drive preview last year, it looks stylish, aggressive and definitely sportier than Haval Jolion and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.
Being a Premium model, the 18-inch alloy wheels add to the appeal of the X50 which, from certain angles, has undertones of the last generation Nissan Qashqai when viewed in profile.
Enter!
Any inherent Nissan-ness when opening the door is not found though as the layout of the cabin is clean and minimalist, resplendent with fetching dual tone red-black finish, giving an undoubted hint of where Proton’s racy intentions come from.
Besides the leatherette seats and two-tone dash, the ergonomics of the cabin are easy to fathom and the heavy center console buttons are not a problem even if it seems at first glance.
In addition to the grippy steering wheel apparently sourced from Skoda, most materials feel good with the stubby gear lever for the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox especially well placed. A more important touch is the pull out shower door and grab handle on the passenger side.
As for specifications, Proton has provided the X50 Premium with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, climate control with rear vents, six-speaker sound system, LED lights, push button start, rain sensor wipers, keyless entry and roof rails.
Items on the safety side include tire pressure monitor, Autonomous Emergency Braking, 360-degree surround-view camera system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control, Park Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Lane Departure Warning.
It’s impossible to call it half-stock, some issues with the interior remain, the main one being the fake brushed aluminum dashboard that becomes an eyesore, literally, when exposed to sunlight.
As standard, the X50 Premium gets a taller panoramic sunroof, taller rear passengers won’t be too happy to rob headroom. The flip side is the center armrest but the flat cushion is not to everyone’s liking.
At 330 litres, the X50’s boot looks smaller than Proton claims and although the 60/40 split rear end can be folded down to unlock more, the exact amount is unknown.
Another annoyance is the lack of illumination around the crafter gear lever which is nice. While a display is provided in the instrument cluster that shows the selected gear, the habit of looking at the lever when selecting and not finding the requested symbol backlight takes time to get used to.
The last foble X50 is the 10.25-inch infotainment system that takes some time to understand and looks spartan in functionality compared to most current systems.
That said, the lack of sub-menus and infinite scrolling will be welcomed by some buyers, especially since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included.
For all its interior hits, the X50 delivers the biggest smile when you fire up the engine, select Drive and go.
Drive, drive, go
Unlike the X70, which rides on the same platform as the Volvo XC40, the X50 is installed on a specific architecture Geely calls B-segment Modular Architecture or BMA Proton says it has no link with Volvo.
Regardless, the quality that Lotus is known for as the X50 not only handles well, but is also relatable to this type of vehicle. At the same time, the suspension does an accomplished job of ironing out imperfections while providing a decent ride.
Although light, the electric power steering feels over-supported but lives, unlike Lane Departure Warning and Steering Assist, which are both overeager to react and cannot be turned off.
Just as overeager, but in a better way, is the 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine under the bonnet. The biggest link to the XC40, the unit, only on the X50 Premium, carries the T-GDI designation that uses 130kW/255Nm.
Backing up 20kW / 29Nm from the smaller X50 model, the blown three-pot delivers its punch subtly in a linear manner, before exploding into an intense relentless wave in Sport mode not normally associated with compact SUVs.
Due to its relatively light weight of 1 370 kg, its fast performance and delivery rate are understandable.
Despite the lack of paddle shifters, the dual-clutch ‘box works smoothly and without the low-speed shudder often associated with dual-clutch transmissions.
The X50’s unintended area is fuel consumption, which is a good 8.8 L/100 km.
Conclusion
For fear of better closures, Proton’s ambitions are high and at R579 900, the X50 Premium risks being called “overpriced” and “not in the same value-for-money league” as the newer, more substantial ones. modern offerings from Chery and Haval.
The desire of the brand to take on Mazda and Volkswagen is also controversial because the hope, now it must be said, will not happen in the long run, unless something unexpected happens.
Returning to South Africa is a mixed bag as the competence of the newly discovered vehicle, especially the X50, is overshadowed by the price tag, buyers will not want to pay compared to the Jolion sticker or the Tiggo 7 Pro.
It’s a real shame because the X50 is the most dynamic and best driving option with reasonable specs and technology, but it’s overpriced when value for money is key.