The S70 becomes the latest in Proton’s lineup to receive the new boosted four-pot transplant.
Having spent the past few years championing how good its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo is, Proton nevertheless seems to be wasting no time in slotting its newer four-cylinder engine into just about every model in its range. Such is as not long after debuting in the X50 last year and subsequently the X70 last month, this boosted four-pot has now since also found its way under the bonnet of the S70.
Yes, the S70 is the latest Proton to receive the turbocharged four-cylinder treatment. Recently introduced as part of its first minor change since its 2023 launch, the update also brings along a handful of small cosmetic and equipment revisions.
But first, the bigger picture. The updated S70 continues to be offered in four trim levels: Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X. Pricing is as follows:
- Executive: RM 68,800
- Premium: RM 74,800
- Flagship: RM 84,800
- Flagship X: RM 89,800
And for those keeping track here, these prices are actually identical to its prior three-cylinder predecessor. Though it should be noted that for those who act fast, there is also currently a RM 5,000 early bird rebate on the prices stated above.
Touching now on the biggest change to the S70, it comes as no surprise that this new four-cylinder is essentially the same unit seen in the X50 and X70. The direct-injected 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder produces 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm, representing a healthy 31 PS and 64 Nm increase over the old three-cylinder.
Paired to the same seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, the significant power bump sees the 0-100 km/h sprint drop from 9.6 seconds previously to just 7.5 seconds. Despite the increase in output too, claimed fuel consumption has also somehow improved to 17.5 km/l, marking an 8.1% efficiency gain.
Moving on to the other changes, the exterior receives subtle revisions. There are new LED headlights, though interestingly these are now a little less flashy, as the dramatic start-up light sequence has been deleted, and LED turn signals have been replaced with bulb units.
The Flagship X gains a new black bodykit, while the Flagship variant gets revised 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, though one would have to be a real anorak to spot the difference at a glance. Anoraks will also likely be the only ones who will notice the only real change within, which is a black headliner for the Flagship X (the rest of the range still retains a beige finish).
Equipment levels remain largely unchanged from before. The Executive comes with halogen headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, an 8.0-inch infotainment head unit, five USB ports, rear parking sensors, six airbags and a basic ADAS suite that includes lane change assist, door opening warning, rear collision warning and rear cross traffic alert. Step up to the Premium meanwhile and you gain automatic LED headlamps, a full-width rear tail light bar, leatherette seats and steering wheel, automatic air-conditioning, front parking sensors and a reverse camera.
The Flagship is where most of the toys reside. It adds 17-inch wheels, a 10.25-inch TFT instrument display, wireless mobile charger, 360-degree HD camera with 3D view, six-way powered driver’s seat, security window film, and an expanded ADAS suite that includes adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist and autonomous emergency braking. Perhaps most crucially for many buyers though, the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen now supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Finally, for colours, available shades on the newly updated S70 are Quartz Black, Snow White, Space Grey, Marine Blue and Ruby Red, the latter replacing Passion Red. Teal Bayou Green has been dropped from the palette.
With the S70 now updated with the four-cylinder engine, only the X90 remains as the last holdout. Having already been spotted running around in camouflage, it likely won’t be long before Proton completes the rollout across its lineup.
