SPYSHOTS: Proton X50 spotted road-testing again


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It appears that Proton’s forthcoming B-segment SUV – dubbed the X50 – has been spotted road-testing once again, this time on the MRR2 highway courtesy of paultan.org reader Eirik. Where before the Binyue development vehicle could not be clearly determined to be left- or right-hand drive, here we can just about make out a right-hand-drive windscreen wiper configuration.

Firstly, this B-segment entry that is based on the Geely Binyue won’t be making its Malaysian debut quite so soon, as its larger sibling the Proton X70 is rumoured to launch as a locally-assembled CKD model in January. That will have to arrive first before attention is turned to the ‘X50’, therefore the launch of this smaller model in Malaysia will be some way off.

What we can see from the images here of the X50’s front end reveals a front radar panel which is left uncovered, which could mean that the crossover’s active driver assistance systems are also being evaluated as part of its local testing. In other markets where the Binyue is on sale, its Level 2 active assistance systems are more advanced than what the larger X70 gets, including active lane keep assist compared to the X70’s lane departure warning without steering intervention.

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At its launch in China, the Binyue – on which the X50 is based – includes Intelligent Cruise Control and Automated Parking Assist, and its aforementioned ability to change lanes autonomously. Two pure petrol powertrains and one PHEV version is available in its home market, where prices range from RM48k for the 134 hp/205 Nm 1.0 litre three-pot up to RM72k for the 174 hp/255 Nm 1.5 litre three-cylinder version.

Given its B-segment SUV positioning and with the active driver assistance systems we think are going to be included, the latter should be a more representative price point for the ‘Proton X50’ that is being prepared for our market. What do you folks? Does a sub-RM100k B-segment SUV contender to the Honda HR-V sound promising, with a turbocharged powertrain and Level 2 driver assistance systems?

-paultan

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