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Proton’s new engine plant in Tanjung Malim currently assembles the 1.5L TGDi engine that is used in the 2022 X70 MC. However, the carmaker said yesterday that the facility is also capable of making other versions of the mill, including one with port injection (PFI) that is currently imported from China for use in lesser X50 variants.
For a brief recap, the 1.5L TGDi, which is also found in the X50 Flagship, makes 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque, while the 1.5T PFI serves up 150 PS and 226 Nm in the X50 Standard, Executive and Premium.
Speaking at yesterday’s launch, Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah revealed the two 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engines will be vital to its product strategy. A slide displayed at the event depicted three new models set to be launched between 2023 and 2024, and we were told at least two of them will use a turbo three-cylinder.
Now, we already know that one of the upcoming models will be a three-row SUV (popularly referred to as the X90) based on the Geely Haoyue/Okavango. Originally set to be launched this year, the X90 has since been postponed to at least 2023 due to issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic (movement control orders, supply chain problems).
In China, the Haoyue uses the same 1.8 litre turbo four-cylinder (181 PS and 300 Nm) in the X70, which is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels. Over in the Philippines, the SUV is known as the Okavango and it gets a 1.5 litre turbo three-cylinder with a mild hybrid system for 190 PS and 300 Nm, also with the same drivetrain.
It’s possible the X90 gets the 1.5L TGDi engine without the mild hybrid system, but there’s also a likelihood that we do get the Okavango’s powertrain. Proton noted its new engine plant is designed to assemble electrified engines and it previously placed a 1.5L TGDi with a 48-volt belt-integrated starter generator (BSG) on display at its Gallery of Inspiration. If we do get the electrified powertrain, the X90 could be the first Proton model to sport a mild hybrid system.
The next model due in the coming years is rumoured to be a sedan called the S50 that replaces the C-segment Preve. Reportedly based on the fourth-generation Geely Emgrand, the S50 was recently sighted undergoing testing while wearing heavy camouflage.
The Emgrand is built on the same BMA (B-segment Modular Architecture) platform as the X50/Binyue, but unlike the SUV, the S50 could receive Proton’s own styling to distinguish itself from the car it’s based on.
It was previously reported that Proton will develop new models locally using the BMA platform, with company CEO Li Chunrong saying there will be two new models that are to be fully developed by homegrown talents in the next three to five years – this statement was made in 2020. Just how different the S50 will be compared to the Emgrand remains to be seen, if ever it becomes a reality.
In China, the Emgrand is equipped with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that serves up 114 PS (113 hp) and 147 Nm of torque, with a five-speed manual or CVT sending drive to the front wheels. The Philippines model uses the same powertrain, but its engine is detuned to make 102 PS (101 hp) and 142 Nm. Based on Roslan’s statement earlier, the S50 could come with a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine.
As for the third model, Roslan said back in May this year that the Exora would be given a more substantial facelift that potentially includes a new powertrain being introduced. The carmaker has already stopped R&D work on its CamPro engine family, with the CFE version currently used in the Exora RC likely to be phased out in favour of locally assembled 1.5 litre turbo three-cylinder engines.
A revised Exora isn’t an all-new model, so the third model shown could be the smart #1 that is due to arrive in 2023 to take advantage of EV incentives that expire at the end of next year for CBU EVs. The non-Proton model will be sold through Proton Edar and features a single rear motor that pushes out 272 PS and 368 Nm of torque, along with a 66 kWh battery that delivers a range of 535 km.
While Proton isn’t revealing what are the models it plans to launch over the next two years, it’s clear that turbo power will be prioritised. Which of the new models are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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