Proton X70 Archives

‘Hi Proton’ in Malaysia becomes ‘Hi Alice’ in Russia for Geely’s SUV

Geely Auto’s global flagship SUV, the Bo Yue, has already drawn over 750,000 users in China alone since its launch in 2016. It has also found great success in Malaysia as the X70 sold by Proton which is Geely’s affiliate.

In Russia, the Geely brand is also growing fast and has the Bo Yue as its flagship SUV – but sold with the name of Atlas. As in Malaysia, the SUV is presented as a smart SUV with Yandex Auto functionality. This gives new intelligent mobility experience to Russian speaking markets through a smart cockpit system jointly developed by Geely’s strategically invested technology company, ECARX and Russian internet giant, Yandex.

*The Geely Bo Yue is sold as a Proton X70 in Malaysia where it has been very successful. Drivers activate the intelligent digital voice assistant by saying ‘Hi Proton’.*

Produced in Geely Auto’s plant in Minsk for the Russian and Belarus market, the model’s interface has been specially developed for Russian-speaking users based on the GKUI Geely Smart Ecosystem. The GKUI was developed by ECARX and first launched on the Geely Bo Yue in China. It is now installed in over 22 Geely Auto vehicles. In the newly formed partnership, Yandex is responsible for software development and application localization with ECARX providing the platform.

‘Hi Alice’
To meet the demands of Russia users for localized digital services, ECARX has modified the GKUI in the locally produced Atlas with Yandex Auto and Russian digital voice assistant ‘Alice’ (in the Malaysia X70, the command is ‘Hi Proton‘). Users can utilize the intelligent voice assistant for navigation, search, and entertainment needs as well as control more functions of the Atlas in Russian.

Through the partnership, the two sides will be able to give full play to ECARX’s experience in intelligent connectivity and Yandex’s Russian digital services infrastructure. The strategic cooperation with Yandex marks the beginning of ECARX’s entry into the European market.

With the addition of the new dedicated E-series chips, the updated GKUI19 adds greater AI capabilities to the system. In the latest platform, the GKUI cloud has been upgraded to an AI cloud, GKUI mobile phone inspired desktop has been upgraded to a smart desktop which utilizes AI to intuitively configure itself depending on the user’s needs, GKUI One-ID has been upgraded to all-round ID with support for different application ecosystems from GKUI’s eco-partners, and GKUI ecosystem has been upgraded with a developer platform allowing greater integration across the internet. GKUI is now able to connect seamlessly with Xiaomi smart devices, Baidu smart devices, JD.com smart devices and other smart devices allowing users to control their home or office appliances from their car.

Click here for other news and articles about Geely in PISTON.MY

Proton organises marketing competition for university students

Most of us feel that some of the best times of our lives were spent during our years in universities, colleges, and other educational institutions around the world. With so many eager minds bursting with inspirations, Proton decided to tap into the pool of creativity by organising a marketing competition in the hopes to lead their marketing campaign for their Proton X70 SUV. (more…)

Updated Proton Iriz and Persona set to take the fight to Perodua!

The Proton Iriz and the Persona have always only enjoyed some success in the Malaysian B-segment. Not a lot as the competition in that segment is intense and the Myvi really is king of the hill. But that much desired segment success that Proton has longed for could just be around the corner.

To achieve this, Proton has updated the Iriz and Persona for 2019, and both now offer first in-class technology features.

For starters, the cars now feature intelligent infotainment systems accessed via a 7-inch touchscreen function. What this means is that both the Iriz and Persona use an embedded eSim card that connects the car to the internet.

Through this system, the car offers applications for music streaming and online navigation. And through the eSim, the system will also receive Over The Air (OTA) updates with new apps added to the system when they become available.

It also has 16GB of internal memory and features a mirroring function for Android smart phones.

And for those who were impressed with the voice recognition which made its debut in the X70, the Iriz and the Persona too offer the same voice recognition app with the now famous catchphrase ‘Hi Proton’!

An updated car usually features aesthetic updates as well, and both the Iriz and the Persona too feature an extensive exterior redesign.

The Proton ‘Ethereal Bow’ grille design which debuted on the X70 now sets the new Iriz apart from the old. And this is completed by a new set of front and rear bumpers, a black rear garnish, new rims, as well as a shark fin antenna.

As for the Persona, Proton says it has been restyled more conservatively but also features the Ethereal Bow as well as the Infinite Weave pattern which is now a styling trademark for Proton.

The restyled Persona is topped off by a new boot spoiler, updated bumpers and new rims.

The prices of both cars have also been revised with prices for the Iriz starting from RM36,700 for the standard 1.3 up to RM50,700 for the top of the line 1.6 CVT.

The Persona on the other hand is priced at RM42,600 for the standard 1.6 manual, and up to RM54,600 for the 1.6 CVT. These prices are for Peninsular Malaysia, our readers from East Malaysia will have to pay RM2,000 more across the board and can refer to the price table below.

But it doesn’t just end there. Proton is spicing up the package even further and gives you an even better reason to buy these two cars.

Proton is offering:

1. Free two-year road tax for cars booked prior to the launch date
2. Free two-year road tax for the first 1,000 units registered
3. Free 5-year internet data with 12GB/year
4. Interest rates starting from just 2.93%
5. Free labour for 3 scheduled service appointments up until 20,000km
6. Insurance coverage package which the table below simplifies for you.

With these updates, especially with the new intelligent infotainment system, Proton is set to continue its march to the top of the market.

The company has enjoyed huge success with the X70 garnering a very healthy 25,000 bookings with 11,000 units delivered.

Proton X70 Amazing Trip to China – COMPLETE!

Remember the group of Proton X70 owners who set out on an adventure of a lifetime a few weeks back? Well, the Proton X70 Amazing Trip participants have completed their 13,000km drive through four countries and 13 cities where they finally reached the home of Proton’s joint venture partner, Geely! (more…)

8,500 Proton X70 delivered in the first 100 days!

It has been just over 100 day since the exciting launch of the highly-regarded Proton X70 here in Malaysia and for the record, PROTON has successfully delivered 8,500 units of their first premium SUV!

The 8,500th unit of the Proton X70 was delivered to Malaysian law firm Lee Allen Hishammuddin & Gledhill (LHAG). (more…)

Proton X70 owners taking “the road less travelled” – From Malaysia to China!

A group of Proton X70 owners here in Malaysia has decided to go on a trip of a lifetime to China which involves no other mode of transportation apart from their Malaysia’s first premium SUV. Dubbed the Malaysia-China Amazing Trip organised by the Borneo Leisure Touring Team, participants of the amazing trip will be going a 13,000km adventure for 33 days across 4 countries; Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and finally, China.

The first leg of the journey which already took place earlier covered a distance of 540km where the Proton X70 owners drove from Malaysia to Hatyai, Thailand. The journey which took only 12 hours had a few stops in between including a visit to the PROTON Juru Auto-City and dinner with the folks from PROTON Motors Thailand.

The Borneo Leisure Touring Team are posing for a group photo before departing for Chiang Khong

Day 2 went on without a hitch as the convoy made their way through the longest legs of the trip from Hatyai all the way to Hua Hin. The journey which covered a massive distance of 720km was long and challenging but cruising in the new Proton X70 made the experience much more pleasant than initially anticipated during long-distance driving.

Upon reaching Hua Hin filled with amazing street life, awe-inspiring relics and magnificent beaches, all participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves even after half a day’s journey in the Proton X70. Cruising roughly between 90-120km/h in a comfortable cabin equipped with all the bells and whistles including an air ionizer that kept everyone nice and fresh.

The Borneo Leisure Touring Team departs Hatyai as they prepare for the longest legs of their trip to Hua Hin

Day 3 saw the Proton X70 owners travelling from Hua Hin all the way to the Tak Province which was about 619km away. It was clearly no issues for both owners and vehicles as they go through the entire powerband produced by its 1.8-liter TGDI engine through many small yet scenic towns of Thailand.

The Proton X-70 Fleet reaches the border crossing at the Yunnan Province, China

Day 4 and 5 were probably two of the biggest challenges of the currently ongoing trip so far as the “road less travelled” has presented to them. It was also filled with many wonderful experiences in between Tak to Chiang Khong and Mengla before crossing over into China. They even made it to the infamous Magic Hill on Highway 105 were by the power of physics and gravity-defying landscape, the Proton X70 set in neutral seemed to roll uphill for about 10 meters!

Members of The Borneo Leisure Touring Team poses for a photo while taking a break from the road

A week has gone by and were pretty sure that there will be more to come from the participants of the Malaysia-China Amazing Trip. Where is the next stop of the Proton X70 convoy? Stay tuned to find out more!

Proton Hits 3 Record Highs In January 2019, February Promo Announced [+Video]

PROTON has kicked-off 2019 on a high note as total registrations climbed to 7,007 units for January 2019. The 3 highs include:

– Sales growth rate highest among Top-3 automotive brands
– Proton X70 breaks single month registration record for C-segment SUVs
– 74 3S/4S outlets now open to support SSI and CSI targets

The estimated market share is 14.5%, though the final figure will only be confirmed following the publication of industry sales data by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

Following its launch on 12 December 2018, deliveries of the Proton X70 have gathered pace as more units of PROTON’s first SUV become available. Having set a Malaysia market record for most registrations by an SUV in its launch month, the trend continued in the new year with 2,777 units registered in January 2019. The amount means the Proton X70 has set a new record for the most C-segment SUV registrations in a single calendar month.

Here’s our video of the new Proton X70 during the official media drive:

The large number of SUVs registered were instrumental in PROTON posting impressive sales growth figures. Compared to the previous month sales increased by 33.6% while year-on-year, the figure represents a 46.5% growth over January 2018, easily making PROTON the market leader in growth rate for the Top-3 automotive brands.

Another area where the Company leads the industry is in the number of 3S/4S facilities in its network. There are currently 74 PROTON 3S/4S outlets and dealers in operation as at the end of the month with more set to open throughout the year. Together they will assist PROTON in achieving their Sales Service Index (SSI) and Customer Service Index (CSI) target scores.

“PROTON is thankful to be able to start 2019 on a positive note. We already knew we would end the month with the most 3S/4S outlets in the industry but the market leading sales growth rate figure and the record setting number of SUV registrations is due to the humbling support we have received from Malaysian car buyers. There is still a long way to go for the brand to fully recover but we will strive to continue to deliver a premium experience at our outlets while improving our model offerings,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON (above).

For the month of February, PROTON is looking to maintain its sales momentum by running an Ang Pow promotion. Buyers of Proton vehicles are eligible for savings worth up to RM4,000 dependant on the model they choose.

“In conjunction with Chinese New Year, PROTON would like to continue to reward its customers with extra incentives for buying a brand new Proton car. The Company would also like to wish all Malaysians a Happy Chinese New Year and remind them to drive safely during the festive period,” added Dr Li.

Lebih 1,000 unit Proton X70 dihantar sempena Tahun Baru Cina!

Pada 2 Februari 2019 lepas, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd telah mengadakan rumah terbuka Tahun Baru Cina 2019 kepada semua pelanggan mereka. Sebanyak 74 pusat 3S dan 4S Proton telah mengambil bahagian dalam rumah terbuka besar-besaran ini dimana lebih dari 1,000 unit Proton X70 berjaya dihantar kepada para pelanggan. (more…)

FEATURE: Why The New X70 SUV Is The BEST Proton Yet!

“Others (carmakers) can afford to fail, Proton can’t afford to fail” said the Proton rep in all sincerity, during one of the many conversations we had during the official media drive of the new X70 SUV. Most of it was light-hearted banter, but there was always an underlying seriousness as to just how important this first vehicle from the Proton / Geely alliance is to everyone involved…

“We’ve had too many chances, and we’ve let too many down in the past, we can’t afford to do that anymore”. These are serious words indeed. Truth be told, I am one of the many of whom Proton has let down in the past, having owned my fair share of Proton cars over the years – eight at last count – and having even been part of a select few summoned by the (then) CEO of Proton many moons ago to meet with his production team and vendors to tell them exactly what was wrong with the (then) new Waja.

So this X70 media drive was something I’d been looking forward to for a very long time. Yes, it was overdue, normally the media test drive is done before the official launch so that our stories, articles, reviews, videos, etc. can appear just after the public launch, but I wasn’t complaining, because to me, this wasn’t the test of a car per se, it was a test of an entire carmaker, and that was worth waiting for.

So there it is folks, the latest from Proton. Based on the comments being posted below the videos it’s quite apparent that many really like the new X70, and bookings have apparently surpassed 16,000 already. I’m looking forward to the individual test drives that will be happening in the near future, so stay tuned as we delve even deeper into why this is the best Proton ever. – Chris Wee.

Piston.my

Proton X70

‘Hi Proton’ in Malaysia becomes ‘Hi Alice’ in Russia for Geely’s SUV

Proton organises marketing competition for university students

Updated Proton Iriz and Persona set to take the fight to Perodua!

Proton X70 Amazing Trip to China – COMPLETE!

8,500 Proton X70 delivered in the first 100 days!

Proton X70 owners taking “the road less travelled” – From Malaysia to China!

Proton Hits 3 Record Highs In January 2019, February Promo Announced [+Video]

Lebih 1,000 unit Proton X70 dihantar sempena Tahun Baru Cina!

FEATURE: Why The New X70 SUV Is The BEST Proton Yet!

VIDEO: 2019 Proton X70 – Official Media Drive @ Langkawi: Part 2!

‘Hi Proton’ in Malaysia becomes ‘Hi Alice’ in Russia for Geely’s SUV

Proton organises marketing competition for university students

Updated Proton Iriz and Persona set to take the fight to Perodua!

Proton X70 Amazing Trip to China – COMPLETE!

8,500 Proton X70 delivered in the first 100 days!

Proton X70 owners taking “the road less travelled” – From Malaysia to China!

Proton Hits 3 Record Highs In January 2019, February Promo Announced [+Video]

Lebih 1,000 unit Proton X70 dihantar sempena Tahun Baru Cina!

FEATURE: Why The New X70 SUV Is The BEST Proton Yet!

VIDEO: 2019 Proton X70 – Official Media Drive @ Langkawi: Part 2!

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