At long last, Proton has previewed the facelifted X50 (although the company calls this an “all-new” model), some five years after the original was introduced – and just a year after the mild RC update. Making up for its tardy timing, the B-segment SUV has been comprehensively redesigned inside and out and, remarkably, sports an all-new engine.
That engine is the i-GT 1.5 litre TD (turbo direct injection, not turbodiesel). Proton has not specifically said exactly what kind of mill it is, but it did reveal the outputs – 181 PS and 290 Nm of torque, increases of 4 PS and 35 Nm over the previous car. Crucially, those figures are exactly the same as the Binyue L sold in China, meaning that the X50 has almost certainly inherited that car’s latest four-cylinder powertrain.
Many people would consider this an upgrade over the existing locally-produced three-cylinder, and the performance figures speak for themselves. Still paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive, the new mill propels the car from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second quicker at 7.6 seconds – and yet Proton also claims a 4.7% improvement in fuel efficiency. As yet, there is no mention of a lower-powered version to replace the 150 PS/226 Nm port-injected PFI three-pot on lesser variants.
Not only is the engine from the Binyue L, but so is the entire exterior styling it seems, Proton gaining the newest design that was launched in China in November 2024 (the previous Binyue Cool, which earlier test prototypes were based on, has apparently been discontinued).
The entire front clip is new, sporting reflector LED headlights (no more projectors, unfortunately, but with triple daytime running light “eyebrows” à la the S70), a massive full-width slatted lower grille with silver L-shaped corners, and even new fenders to house S70-style chrome A-pillar extensions. The grille is also new and unique to Proton, reintroducing the red “Ethereal Bow” strip and adding alternating vertical “pins”. A reshaped bonnet has been added as well, now with fake vents.
At the back you’ll find another wholesale redesign, with full-width taillights and a new tailgate that pushes the number plate recess lower down. The bumper gains more L-shaped corners but retains the old car’s large diffuser and quad tailpipes (finally, the X50 gets one pipe per cylinder).
Last but not least, the Flagship model shown here receives the “Batmobile” rear wing as previously reported – an option hitherto exclusive to the Binyue that was recently reinstated on the Binyue L on a crass new Beyond Edition. It also rides on new 18-inch turbine-style two-tone alloys with a rather classy “knurled” finish on the five spokes, shod with the same Continental UltraContact UC6 tyres as before.
But by far the biggest new feature is the all-new interior which, to our knowledge, is not shared with any other Geely model – despite what its China-centric design suggests. The cabin continues to be two-tone but with the colour scheme inverted – a black upper dash and a red lower, instead of the other way around (presumably to reduce reflections on the windscreen).
Everything appears to be designed in-house, including the “floating” centre console that houses twin phone holders (the driver’s side incorporates a Qi wireless charger), two cupholders arranged side-by-side and a row of four buttons for air-con on and off, auto climate control, the front demister and the hazard lights.
The rest of the air-con controls have been moved into the much larger 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. The interface looks ostensibly similar to the Flyme Auto system in the eMas 7 EV but gains features yet to be offered on that car, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bahasa Malaysia voice control. You still of course get access to the latest Proton Link 2.0 app with the usual remote vehicle functions.
Elsewhere, the instrument display also looks considerably larger than the outgoing model’s seven-inch unit, while the gear selector has been moved from the centre console to the steering column, freeing up more storage. The three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel, however, remains the same.
Other new features include a 72-colour ambient lighting system visible in the door pulls and a distinctive “looping” light band design ahead of the front passenger; this motif is mirrored in the also-new door cards. Curiously, there appears to be a large “Allen bolt head” below the driver’s side air vent, next to the repositioned engine start button.
The rest of the cabin looks identical to before, including the seats wrapped in the same black-and-red faux leather upholstery and still coming with power adjustment for the driver. It’s also clear that at least the Flagship model will retain its panoramic glass sunroof. One change not mentioned in the press release but visible in the official photos is the Binyue L’s cool half-transparent sun visors that provide some additional forward visibility while still keeping glare to a minimum.
Last but not least is the driver assistance systems, which has been upgraded through a new camera array at the top of the windscreen and rear side radar sensors that should provide improvements to the car’s Level 2 semi-autonomous driving functionality and the blind spot monitoring (perhaps with collision avoidance?). There’s also improved park assist, while the 360-degree camera system gains a transparency function. It’s currently unclear if the ADAS systems will continue to be offered only on the Flagship model.
“By offering customers a comprehensive technology and performance upgrade together with luxurious features and combining it with exciting and sporty new exterior styling, we think Proton’s latest offering will resonate with customers from all walks of life, [resetting] the benchmark in the B-segment SUV class,” said Proton Edar deputy CEO Zhang Qiang.
The facelifted Proton X50 will be offered in Executive, Premium and Flagship variants (ditching the base Standard model) and come in five colours – Snow White, Passion Red, Jet Grey, Armour Silver and the new Teal Bayou Green from the S70, the latter replacing Ocean Blue. Registrations of interest are now open on the official Proton website. What do you think of the new X50 and especially that new engine? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
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