Expedition proves roadworthiness of Proton X70
KUCHING: The ‘ Proton X70 Malaysia- China Amazing Trip 2019’, which covered more than 13,000km in 33 days across four countries, was completed recently with none of the nine Proton X70 units reporting any breakdown.
These nine units of Proton X70, touted as Malaysia’s first intelligent sports-utility vehicle ( SUV), departed from Proton’s Centre of Excellence ( COE) in Subang Jaya, Selangor on Feb 26 for an overland journey to China under this trip, which was organised by Borneo Automobile Leisure Touring and Kunming Scenery- Customer International Travel Co.
According to a Proton spokesperson, all nine SUVs completed the route without requiring any repair, except for scheduled servicing.
This was despite most of the driving being done over long distances in areas with nextto-nothing outside technical support.
Asked about their experience, all participants were thankful for the smooth ride, enthusiastic performance and refined cabin that could be found on all variants of the Proton X70.
These characteristics made long days behind the wheel effortless for drivers and passengers alike, allowing them to enjoy the journey even more. Those who drove the Proton X70 Premium were all praising the ‘Advanced Driver Assistance Systems’ (ADAS) and other features such as the Nappa leather seats, which boosted both safety and comfort.
“We’re already impressed by the high level of comfort and refinement that the Proton X70 has and after spending 33 days driving over 13,000km on unpredictable roads, I’m convinced that this is one of the best choices in its class,” said a participant Dato Wong Kean Hwee.
Another participant Lim Mee said choosing the wrong vehicle for the trip could make it seem like a very long and tiring journey.
“Therefore, I’m delighted with how the Proton X70 has performed. It’s reliable, comfortable and refined, which means it would be a pleasure to drive on a daily basis,” said Lim.
In view of Proton X70 having yet to be marketed outside of Malaysia, technical assistance was arranged by Proton at the dealer’s locations and service centres along the route wherever and whenever possible.
In China, the vehicle servicing and support was provided by Geely dealers, who are already familiar with the vehicles, in that they are available there as the ‘Geely Bo Yue’.
The Malaysia- China Amazing Trip event director Dr Ling Tung King said through this trip, strong bonds had been forged not only between the Proton X70 owners, but also with Proton, which really cares for its customers.
The journey passed Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, but the majority of the time was spent in China where the convoy travelled through various regions, before reaching the halfway point in Hangzhou and turning around to head back to Malaysia.
In Hangzhou, the group paid a visit to Geely’s headquarters and toured the ‘Geely Experience Centre’. This gave them a chance to learn more about Proton’s joint-venture (JV) partner and its history in producing vehicles, as well as to get a sneak peek at models that could potentially be developed together with Proton in the future.
They were also impressed in seeing how Geely had been collaborating with other automotive companies and investing in future technologies that could find their way to Malaysia and position Proton on the same level as its premium brand competitors.
According to Proton Holdings chief executive officer Li Chunrong, Proton is proud of its own capabilities and happy to share more information about its JV partner, Geely, with the participants of the Amazing Trip 2019.
“We want as many Malaysians as possible to gain an understanding of the relationship between the two companies, so that more people would understand about the exciting future for Proton,” he said.