Owner Review: Met Some Problems with My 2020 Proton X70 Premium X. Do I Regret Buying It?

Shopping For the Car I Need

12th February 2020 was a historical date for Malaysian to witness the launching of Proton X70 CKD. Before decision was made and due to competition of SUV market, I did step my foot on Mazda CX5, Peugeot 3008, Honda CRV 1.5T and Nissan X-Trail Hybrid. Based on my personal opinion, there are pros and cons for every model, and it does suits different individual needs and wants. As the phrase goes by, we can't please everyone.

I had narrowed down the list to Peugeot 3008 and Proton X70. After comparing the pros and cons for the both models, I was leaning toward the Proton X70, Space Grey. Booking was made on 17th February 2020. Promised delivery date was approximately 2 months from the booking date.

Unfortunately, we faced the worst pandemic outbreak in the world right after I booked the vehicle. Malaysia announced movement control order (MCO) on 18th March 2020 which further prolonged to 12th May 2020. Patiently waited with an excitement for approximately 3.5 months, I was told the vehicle had arrived at the dealership and pushed it to register the vehicle on 28th May 2020 with a big crowd at JPJ Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

With mixed feeling of pleasant and enjoyment soon after I reached the dealer to collect the vehicle, I experienced an unforgettable experience when I get my finger cut when opening the driver door due to a sharp paint defect near the door handle, however, I do appreciate on the swift response rendered by the dealer to look into the matter seriously.

User Experience

The day after, I drove the X70 all the way from Seremban to Puchong for the installation of side step, tint film, headlamp tint and body coating (legally crossing inter-state). It was an extremely comfortable ride (thanks to the Nappa leather seats and lumbar support that provide great support to my thigh and back) and the NVH is superb which coupled with a fine tune of suspension by Proton.

Many owners claimed that X70 facing poor fuel consumption. I somehow managed to get averagely between 500 plus – 600 plus km of range. However, you may refer to the layman photo attachment as below for easier understanding (even though it's not an actual fact and figure) My explanation is simple, I had travelled for 333 km and there's 567 km remaining to go with a dropped of 2 bars of petrol.

Fuel consumption of this car is acceptable since the car has more power. I do feel like this car is on sport mode all the time due to the quick reaction of the new 7 speed DCT gearbox. It does come with Eco Mode, Normal Mode, and Sport Mode, however.

Paint Defect Solution

On the ninth day as the proud owner of X70, Proton is still unable to give me a solution on the sharp paint defect at the door handle which cut my finger on the first day I collected the vehicle and the Proton Link is not functioning well during lock and unlock the door.

To my greatest unexpected surprise, on 4th June 2020, government announced 100% tax exemption for CKD models where I got slightly annoyed, but I will try to appeal to Proton on this issue as the duration of the car been registered up to the announcement made by government was within a short period of time (8 days).

The Pros:

1. Superb Ride and Handling With Great Stability at High Speed.

With Proton's signature ride and handling, the car handles in an agile manner and it is very fun to drive in the city and on the highway. As the car is stable and the steering is not shaky at high speed, it gives the driver the confidence to drive fast.

2. Comfy Nappa Leather Seats With Great Thigh and Back Support.

Personally, I find these seats very comfortable for long distance travel as they support my back and thigh very well and it does have seat ventilation for both front seats as well.

3. Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel

The leather wrapped steering wheel feels premium and good to hold.

4. "Hi Proton" Infotainment 

The Hi Proton infotainment is high tech, non-laggy and it even could command opening the sunroof. It has HD screen, 4G internet connectivity, 5 GB free data every month and recently updated the GKUI to the latest version with JOOX online music streaming service which has a bigger song database. I often use JOOX to play music directly through the infotainment and use voice command to control the volume of music without the need to press the button on the steering wheel. I am quite surprised by how well the voice command works in most scenarios, even when the music is loud.

5. Great Design Language

The Proton X70 2020 CKD version is equipped with power tailgate and rear seat could be adjust to lower the seat height. Also, the wheels look elegant thanks to the “fan” rim design coupled with 19-inch Continental tyres. The instrument cluster looks pretty with its neat font and HD TFT display. It is easy to read and it displays the relevant information that the driver needs to know.

6. Active and Passive Safety Features

Personally, I felt safe in this car as it has all the basic safety systems that a driver needs like 6 airbags, hill start assists, ABS, EBD, BA, Traction control, ESC, ADAS, Auto-Hold, hill start assist, hill descent control and 360-degree camera. ADAS did alerted me in an incident where a vehicle suddenly steered into my lane when cruising on highway.

7. Engine and NVH

Engine is quieter and NVH is improved

8. After Sales Service 

The dealer had been very supportive from the first day and continuously trying their best to liaise with Proton on the paint defect and Proton Link issue, whilst frequent follow up to ensure I fully understand to experience the full potential of the new 2020 Proton X70 Premium X . Keep the momentum flowing. Good job.

The Cons:

1. QC issues on paint defect.
2. Side mirror could block your view when driving out from road junction.

Rating

Total Score: 4/5

Performance: 3/5

Quality & Features: 4/5

Space: 4/5

Ride Comfort: 5/5

Fuel Economy: 3/5

Price & Cost: 3/5

Conclusion

In short, considering the 2020 Proton X70 Premium X's price and specs, I don't regret buying this car because the advantages outweighs the disadvantages and I am able to accept the shortcomings of this car. Most of the shortcomings of the car become acceptable after looking at the price of only RM123k. I do believe that Proton will excel in the future and will be able to compete in the international market if they keep improving. Hopefully I could bring this car for a relaxing cruise down south to Singapore after Covid-19 is over. I still have a long journey to go with this car and do hope it can serve me well for the years to come.