In Cars, Local News, Proton / By Gerard Lye / 27 October 2018 12:55 pm / 120 comments

It looks like the reception to the Proton X70 is exceeding expectations, as the national carmaker today announced it has received over 10,000 bookings for its first-ever SUV model. This comes following the start of order taking at dealerships on September 8, followed by online bookings from October 17.

Of the 10,000 bookings made, nearly 2,000 of them were made via the dedicated X70 microsite, which required customers to pay a fee of RM99. Meanwhile, the remaining bookings had customers placing a deposit of RM1,000 at official Proton dealerships across the country.

“We are thankful to all Malaysians for the support they have given to Proton since we started accepting bookings for the Proton X70. Despite our need to control the flow of information prior to its launch, the response has been very encouraging as we have received over 10,000 bookings with those placed online via our booking platform exceeding our expectations,” said Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.

“We were unsure how customers would react to this new method to book a car but its success points to how cars might be sold in the future,” he added. The Proton CEO also asked customers to be patient final preparations are being made ahead of the X70’s launch, which includes ensuring a proper sales and aftersales network to support what is undoubtedly an important product for Proton.

In that regard, the company also confirmed that it has surpassed its target to achieve 109 submission approvals for 3S/4S outlets, with 113 submissions recorded to date. Through this initiative, dealers can apply to build new 3S/4S centre, or upgrade their existing ones to meet the new standards and corporate image (CI) set by Proton.

“We are very proud of this achievement as it means the market has responded well to the Proton brand by deeming it as a good investment. I commend the efforts of our existing dealers who took the opportunity to stay invested with us as well as the new dealers for their faith and vision to see the potential for Proton in the current and future automotive market,” commented Li Chunrong.

“When JD Power released their 2018 Sales Satisfaction Index ranking (SSI) for mass market automotive brands, it showed Proton had improved to sixth in the table with a score of 782 points. While we are not satisfied, we still managed to surpass the score of some of our major rivals, which is a sign our customers have responded positively to our efforts to serve them better. I believe with a concerted effort, we can achieve our target to be ranked in the top-three by 2019,” he continued.

The X70 is being offered with a choice of four variants – Standard 2WD, Executive 2WD, Executive AWD and Premium 2WD – all of them powered by a 1.8 litre TGDi turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 181 hp and 285 Nm of torque from 1,700 to 4,400 rpm. The mill is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, with drive going to the front wheels save for the AWD model.

Features on the highest-spec variant include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, Nappa leather seats, powered front seats, a panoramic sunroof, 8.0-inch touchscreen and GKUI infotainment system. All variants come with electronic stability control (ESC) and six airbags as standard, but it is only the Premium 2WD that gets the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) – autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane departure warning (LDW, no steering), blind spot information system (BLIS) and intelligent high beam control.

Final pricing for the X70 will only be revealed when the model makes its official launch debut in November, but how much do you expect to pay for the various trim levels? Are you among those who have placed a booking?

GALLERY: Proton X70

