No AWD and only 3 cylinders? No problem for the 2025 Proton X70
We’ve all been here before, right? Let me paint a picture here. The year is 2018, 2019 is just around the corner and national carmaker Proton releases its first SUV, the Proton X70, fast forward to 2024 and now instead of reserving the 1.8-litre engine for the top spec only, Proton removes the option entirely. Cue the chaos, the cries of agony and it is all unnecessary.
To put it bluntly, technology has come a long way since 1957 and lower displacement is now no longer a guarantee that your car will have no power. Despite it only being a 3-cylinder engine, Proton’s turbocharged 1.5-litre unit in the 2025 Proton X70 is more than powerful enough to handle Malaysian roads, even the steep inclines and challenging terrains of Sabah.
Moreover, what exactly are the people complaining or wondering if the 1.5-litre engine in the 2025 Proton X70 can manage a Genting climb really expecting here? If you want a blisteringly fast car that corners like a dream and accelerates faster than a jealous ex, then why look at a family SUV in the first place?
I mean, the Proton X70 does everything one would expect of a family SUV so well, that I wager it could probably be the only car a family owns and still put a smile on dad’s face when driving alone. The engine is more than powerful enough to overtake anything on the road and even fly up Genting at ridiculous speeds, so there’s really nothing to be worried about.
On top of that, the convoy was able to safely and swiftly drive around wherever we went because the NVH inside has been improved while the entire car was so much more stable and planted than before. I did not feel a remarkable difference but it was definitely improved. This inspired even more confidence in me to really take the corners in the 2025 Proton X70.
So in conclusion, if you are worried that the 2025 Proton X70 is underpowered, your fears are simply untrue. The 2025 Proton X70 engine is more than powerful enough to belong on the right lane on the highway (if anything the car accelerates so fast and maintains speeds so well it may be overqualified), and even go up Genting with no struggle at all.
So to recap, the 2025 Proton X70 features small changes here and there and despite the brand calling this iteration of Malaysia’s best selling SUV, the difference one feels while inside are anything but minor. Do head over to your nearest Proton showroom to test drive one of these if you are on the market for a family SUV.
