We’ve seen spyshots of the car since 2023 and have seen it uncovered and up close for the better part of two months now. Now, finally, the facelifted Proton X50 has been launched in Malaysia, and with that comes the final piece of the puzzle to be revealed – the pricing.
Base price now RM3,500 higher, but there’s much more standard kit
So let’s lead with that. Available in three variants – Executive, Premium and Flagship, the base Standard having been dropped – the new X50 is priced as follows:
- Proton X50 1.5TD Executive – RM89,800
- Proton X50 1.5TD Premium – RM101,800
- Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship – RM113,300
That means the X50’s base price has crept up by RM3,500 over the outgoing RC, but do remember that the range now starts with the Executive model with more kit. Vis-à-vis the old Executive, this new base trim is RM3,500 cheaper; the Premium and Flagship variants cost the same as before. On top of this is a RM4,000 rebate for the first 10,000 customers, bringing the prices down to:
- Proton X50 1.5TD Executive – RM85,800
- Proton X50 1.5TD Premium – RM97,800
- Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship – RM109,300
All figures are on-the-road without insurance and include a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and six times free labour for scheduled servicing. Then there are the launch packages also for the first 10,000 buyers, such as a data upgrade to 2 GB per month for the first five years, up to RM2,000 in trade-in overtrade support and special financing with interest rates of 2.35% per annum over five years and 2.38% per annum over seven years.
Those early-bird buyers also get an upgraded Proton Insurance Programme for the first year that includes special perils coverage, up to RM500 in child seat support and personal accident coverage of up to RM15,000 per passenger.
All-new 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder, more power, lower fuel consumption
It’s been nearly five years since the X50 was launched, and while the basic body structure and many components of the original have been retained, this major revamp brings with it some serious, far-reaching upgrades. And the biggest talking point of all has to be the all-new 1.5 litre BHE15TD turbocharged and direct injected (TD, which does not stand for turbodiesel) engine.
Still with the same nominal swept capacity, this mill brings the much-vaunted switch from three cylinders to four, accompanied by new Intelligent Green Technology (i-GT) branding. Proton has previously said that the Global Engine Petrol 3 (GEP3) three-pot would form the building blocks for its future engines, but it looks like the new BHE15 will fill that role instead.
Aside from the TD mill that powers this car, the forthcoming Saga MC3 will use a naturally-aspirated derivative of this engine. That will most likely be the BHE15PFI port-injected version also found in the plug-in hybrid Geely Galaxy Starship 7/Starray EM-i, which is set to become the Proton eMas 7 PHEV.
Anyway, back to the BHE15TD, which produces 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm – increases 4 PS and 35 Nm over the outgoing TGDi engine. That doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough for it to get from zero to 100 km/h three tenths of a second faster at 7.6 seconds, despite using the same seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and front-drive layout.
More importantly, this TD engine is fitted as standard across the range, meaning that the lesser variants get a massive 31 PS/64 Nm bump over the old PFI three-pot, so they should now be a damn sight faster. The four-pot is also more frugal, with fuel consumption down to the tune of 4.7%, as well as requiring less maintenance thanks to the adoption of a timing chain in place of a traditional belt.
The X50 continues to feature Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes, but there’s now a new Adaptive mode that automatically adapts to prevalent driving conditions and the way you drive.
Brand-new look from Geely Binyue L with gaping front grille
Aside from the new engine, the significant redesign is the other highlight. Both the engine and new look were taken from China’s Geely Binyue L, the latest version of the X50’s donor car launched just last November. By the way, the four-pot was first seen in the Binyue powering the L’s predecessor, the Binyue Cool, which has been discontinued.
The X50’s 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” that is as always said to be inspired by songket patterns. The headlights and grille continue to be tied together by a frame, now finished in satin rather than gloss silver. A reshaped bonnet has been added as well, now with fake vents on the outer edges.
Further back, the aforementioned A-pillar extension has led to the previously full-chrome window line to be split into two. The lower trim continues to feature the reflective finish, but the upper trim is now plain plastic. This may seem like a downgrade, but when combined with the Flagship’s exclusive black roof (regardless of body colour), it leads to a cleaner look. Down below, the black plastic body cladding has been redesigned, now with fake vents aft of the front wheels.
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).
The wheels measure 17 inches in diameter on the Executive – now a two-tone turbine design that looks much more upmarket than the old silver rollers – while the Premium and Flagship gain new 18s with a rather classy “knurled” finish on the five spokes. Finally, the Flagship model at last receives the Binyue’s massive “Batmobile” rear wing to go with the black roof; other models retain the old split spoiler.
In-house interior with larger screens, more standard kit
But the standout new feature is the new interior that, despite what the China-centric look suggests, is actually an in-house design not shared with other Geely models. The cabin on the Flagship model continues to be two-tone (it’s all black on the others) 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).
Clearly, Proton has taken inspiration from its Chinese partner, particularly evident in the “floating” centre console that houses twin phone holders (the driver’s side incorporates a Qi wireless charger, again a Flagship-exclusive feature), 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, now standard. The interface is ostensibly similar to the Flyme Auto system in the eMas 7 but gains features yet to be offered on that car, including wireless Apple CarPlay (only recently added to the EV) and Android Auto and a Bahasa Malaysia voice control function named Aisyah.
Proton claims the BM system can understand four dialects – including Kelantanese – and required 336,000 man hours of development on its own. You still of course get access to the latest Proton Link 2.0 app with the usual remote vehicle functions.
Elsewhere, the 8.88-inch digital instrument display is 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 left stalk now combines the functions of the headlights and wipers). The three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel, however, remains the same.
Other new features include a 72-colour ambient lighting system (with the X70’s “rhythmic” function) 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.
A curious new item is a metallic disc with a Torx bolt pattern below the driver’s side air vent, next to the repositioned engine start button. Officially, this hides a mounting point, but no details have been provided. It’s likely that this is a similar mount found on some Chinese cars, most notably the Xiaomi SU7. If so, the disc should unscrew to reveal a tripod-style 1/4-inch threaded interface that will allow users to affix phone holders and other accessories more securely than the usual suction mounts.
The rest of the cabin looks identical to before, including the seats that still come with power adjustment for the driver on the Premium variant onwards. Meanwhile, the Flagship version retains its panoramic glass sunroof and adds the Binyue L’s cool half-transparent sun visors that provide some additional forward visibility while still keeping glare to a minimum.
Standard kit includes remote engine start, auto lights and wipers, single-zone auto air-con, fabric upholstery and a reverse camera (the Executive’s lens-like front nub is just a dummy cover). The Premium adds red brake callipers, faux leather upholstery, the aforementioned ambient lighting, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a powered tailgate and a 360-degree camera system with a new transparency function, while the Flagship throws on the exclusive features listed earlier.
ADAS now on more models, but still not standard
Last but not least are the driver assistance systems. New rear side radar sensors are now fitted as standard, bringing features such as blind spot monitoring and the new rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and door opening warning to the entire lineup.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to step up to at least the Premium (previously Flagship only) to get the rest of the ADAS suite – yes, even autonomous emergency braking. This is enabled through a new camera array at the top of the windscreen, which is claimed to offer improved functionality for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centring assist.
Other features included in the package are traffic sign recognition and auto high beam, with the Flagship throwing on an improved park assist system. Six airbags are now standard-fit.
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive
Gets as standard:
Mechanicals
- 1.5 litre DOHC i-GT TD engine
- 1,499 cc turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder petrol
- 181 PS at 5,500 rpm, 290 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,500 rpm
- 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission
- Eco, Comfort, Sport and Adaptive drive modes
- Front-wheel drive
- MacPherson strut suspension (front), torsion beam (rear)
- Ventilated disc brakes (front), solid disc (rear)
- 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds
Exterior
- LED auto headlights
- LED daytime running lights
- LED full-width taillights
- Red grille outline
- Silver bumper trim
- Quad exhaust pipes
- 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 R17 tyres
Interior
- Keyless entry with remote start
- Proximity auto locking/unlocking
- Push-button start
- Black interior with grey stitching
- Grey headliner
- Single-zone auto climate control with rear vents
- Auto wipers
- Cruise control with speed limiter
- Manual seats
- Fabric upholstery
- Multi-function steering wheel
- 8.88-inch digital instrument display
- 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- “Hi Proton” voice control with Bahasa Malaysia option
- Two front USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
- Two rear USB ports (USB-A and USB-C)
- Electronic parking brake with auto brake hold
- Proton Link 2.0 app connectivity (vehicle status, remote control, navigation)
- 330 litres boot space
Safety
- Six airbags (front, side, curtain)
- ABS with EBD and brake assist
- Traction control and stability control
- Hill start assist and hill descent control
- Blind spot monitoring
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Rear collision warning
- Door opening warning
- Reverse camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Premium
Adds on:
Exterior
- Silver roof rails
- Red brake callipers
- 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 215/55 R18 tyres
Interior
- Six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Faux leather upholstery
- 72-colour ambient lighting with “rhythmic” mode
- Six speakers
- Powered tailgate
Safety
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
- Lane centring assist
- Lane keeping assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Auto high beam
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- 360-degree camera with transparency
2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship
Adds on:
Exterior
- Rear spoiler with fake carbon fibre print
- Black roof and door mirrors
Interior
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Black and red interior with red stitching
- Black headliner
- Semi-transparent sun visors
- Panoramic glass sunroof with powered sunshade
- Qi wireless charger (driver’s side)
Safety
Proton says the facelifted X50 features 245 new parts (claimed to add RM15,000 in value) and has undergone 412,000 R&D man-hours and 4.3 million km of testing. You can get the car 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. What do you think of the new X50 and the pricing? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
GALLERY: 2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Executive facelift
GALLERY: 2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Premium facelift
GALLERY: 2025 Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship facelift
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