From RM 79k, this is the new 2020 Proton X50 for Malaysia

Fellow Malaysians, the moment you’ve been anticipating for has arrived at long last. Proton has officially launched the hotly-anticipated (or highly overrated) Proton X50 to the general public via Facebook livestream.

The X50 will compete against its B-segment SUV rivals which include the current king, the Honda HR-V as well as the upcoming Hyundai Kona.

Price and variants

The prices for all 4 variants of the X50 are as follow (All prices exclude SST which is valid until 31-December 2020):

• 1.5T Standard - RM 79,200
• 1.5T Executive - RM 84,800
• 1.5T Premium - RM 93,200
• 1.5 TGDI Flagship - RM 103,300

Based on these prices, they are pretty close to its bigger brother, the X70 which starts from RM 94,800 without SST.

What are the differences across variants?

Just to recap, all variants but the Flagship are powered by a 1.5-litre multi-point injection (MPI) turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that produces 150 PS and 226 Nm.

Meanwhile, the Flagship is powered by a 1.5-litre direct-injection (TGDI) turbocharged 3-cylinder with a maximum output of 177 PS and 255 Nm.

Both engines are mated to a 7-speed DCT automatic transmission which is shared with its big brother, the X70.

The X50 gets a different interior depending on the variant. The Standard gets a black fabric upholstery, the Executive gets black leatherette upholstery, while the Premium and Flagship get black and red leatherette upholsteries.

Both the Standard and Executive variants only get manual air-conditioning while automatic air-conditioning is standard on the Premium and Flagship variants. All variants do come with rear air vents and N95 cabin filters as standard.

Official option include an electric tailgate as part of the accessories packages - Urban package and Utility package, priced at RM 3,500 and RM 3,300 respectively.

What are the safety features?

The X50 recently scored a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating. However, the Standard comes with 4 airbags while the rest of the variant comes equipped with 6 airbags.

Still, the Flagship variant comes with an impressive suite of ADAS for its segment including AEB with pedestrian detection, BLIS, and intelligent cruise control (essentially adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go and Lane Keep Assist). The latter is not available on the larger X70. The X70 has adaptive cruise control, but without Stop & Go and Lane Keeping Assist.

The X50 is also the cheapest car to come with self-parking (only on the Flagship) which is helpful for those who are afraid of dinging their ride when parking.

What colours are there?

There are 6 colours available on the X50 but only the Flagship comes with a two-tone paint job with a black roof.

The X50 also comes with a 5-year warranty with unlimited mileage.

With that being said, for those who are waiting for the price to be announced, now that it’s finally out, would you say yes to the X50? Check out Adrian's quick review below to see his thoughts on the X50 at Sepang.