Proton's Future SUV Makes Appearance At Historic Signing
Pic: Carlist.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The basis for Proton's first sports utility vehicle (SUV) made its maiden appearance in Malaysia today following the official signing of an agreement between Proton and Geely.
It will be the first new Proton to be sold following the collaboration with the Chinese automaker.
The model on display is the Geely Boyue, an SUV already in production and being sold in China.
Sold in China with a choice of either a 2.4 litre naturally aspirated or 1.8 turbocharged engine, the SUV makes 162hp and 210Nm of torque with the former or 163hp and 253Nm of torque with the latter.
The new SUV comes with a comprehensive and modern equipment list which includes an eight-inch display screen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.
Pic: Carlist.my
Safety features include lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control (ACC), a common feature found in the latest Volvo cars which allows the SUV to cruise automatically on the highway with the use of radars.
In terms of dimensions, the Boyue is a medium sized five seater SUV, at 4519mm it is approximately the length of Honda's latest CRV (4584mm) and shorter than the Nissan X-trail, at 4,640mm.
The vehicle on display is powered by the range-topping 1.8-litre TGDI turbocharged petrol engine generating 181hp and 250Nm. Whilst all-wheel drive is available as an option, the vehicle shown exclusively drives its front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
There were also four cameras mounted in the usual positions at the front, tailgate, and side mirrors to support a 360-degree camera system.
The Boyue also adopts certain Volvo technology such as auto air-conditioning with Air Quality System (AQS). The seven-inch LCD display found in the Boyue also borrows heavily from Volvo’s parts catalog. The instrument cluster is heavily reminiscent of those seen in recent Volvo vehicles.
A highlight of the Boyue, also highlighted by DRB-Hicom Group MD, Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, is the SUV’s infotainment suite. The top-of-the-range Geely G-Netlink as it’s called – features Android Auto and Apple Car Play, in-car Wifi, 3G connectivity and a voice interaction and command system that controls in car function such as climate-control.
Proton has not stated when the Proton SUV of the Boyue will be launched but explain the model still has to undergo the major homologation process to right-hand drive, as the Boyue is only offered as a left-hand drive in its domestic market.
Pic: Carlist.my
There have been no indications on pricing in Malaysia, but the base model manual transmission was reported to be priced at 98,800 Chinese Yuan (RM62,000) at time of launch in China.
- NST
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