When thinking about the award for vehicle design, we had quite a tough choice to make. Design has always been a subjective matter. We had to look for one vehicle that was aesthetically striking. In the past, Mazda, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have all impressed us enough for a design award. This year, we decided to streamline Interior and Exterior Design into one overall design category.
And the Proton X70 was the perfect fit. Nothing else in the market has leaped forward in terms of design in the last year. But the X70 also stood out because it looked more expensive and premium than SUVs nearing twice its price. Its other selling points were arguably more difficult to justify. But design alone was something all judges could agree upon.
“But Proton did nothing!”
Yes, that was something we discussed as well. We would counter argue three points.
- Does the X70 look worse than the Geely Boyue? No. Some might say it even looks better
- Is there anything else in the segment that looks as good as it?
- Proton’s Design team were amongst the first to form a working relationship with Geely. Every little change made by Malaysians was hard fought and had to undergo countless trials for structural, aero and safety reasons.
If anything, design is the most important thing Proton changed with the X70 and we look forward to seeing what else they can do to Geely donor vehicles.
Proton X70 Specifications
Engine: Petrol Turbocharged Direct Injection
Capacity: 1799cc
Power: 184bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque: 285Nm @ 1700-4400rpm
Transmission: 6-speed with manual mode
Top speed: 180km/h
Price: RM123,800.00
How VOTY Winners are selected.
Our process is simple and clean.
All cars launched in Malaysia within 13 months of 2019 are eligible for entry. We contact all car brands operating in the country and ask to test these cars. There are no participation fees, no buying of tables at the event, no charge whatsoever. All that’s needed is a fresh enough car, and a willingness to give our judges a test drive.
About a month before the event, the four judges from dsf.my and gohedgostan.com (Daniel Sherman Fernandes, Ross Hadi, Amirul Mukminin and Subhash Nair) convene to discuss which vehicles impressed us in each category. The judges can only vote on cars that they’ve driven. A simple majority is all it takes for a car to win in a category.
Our title sponsor Allianz recognises the integrity of our team and all players involved in deciding on winners and leaves all decisions to us regarding the winners. We hope our readers appreciate the efforts of all parties involved and provide us with feedback on how we can further improve on this.
