2024 Proton X50 facelift to be based on latest Binyue Cool with new interior? LHD R&D car spotted again

Here’s another sighting of what appears to be a taped-up Proton X50 roaming the streets of KL, taken by Noor Syazwan Sajali. The location looks like the Medan Pasar area in KL to me, and behind the camouflaged car is a regular X50. It should be the same mule as the one spotted on the highway, shared yesterday, with the same trade plate number.

Noor Syazwan’s pictures are clear and from all angles, plus bonus shots of the mule’s interior. It’s now pretty clear that this left-hand-drive car R&D car is a Geely Binyue Cool, the heavily facelifted latest version of the original Binyue – the Geely donor car for our Proton X50 – and the Binyue Pro from 2021.

The Binyue Cool surfaced last year in China with a large black portion on the fascia, with a honeycomb mesh pattern throughout. Slimmer and sharper headlamps pierce deep into the front wing, compared to the abrupt chop of old. The curved bonnet edge has been replaced by a straight line.

There are also new LED daytime running lights on the Cool, red pinstripe accents on the border of the upper grille – which itself is slimmer than before, following the headlamps – and on the front lip. This super aggressive look is bolstered by what appears to be vents on the bonnet. There’s also a small “tail” for the chrome underline of the glasshouse, where the A pillars are. The Geely Emgrand/Proton S70 also has the latter.

The biggest change is at the back. The complete revamp sees a sharp look replacing the original car’s flowing lines. The lights are very slim now and they’re connected to be full-width. Looks very Hyundai Elantra to these eyes. The aggressive rear spoiler and quad-tailpipe layout aren’t new.

Our inquisitive snapper managed to get some shots of the interior from afar, which shows that this is a LHD unit. The pics also show an all-new dashboard featuring two joined screens, with a ‘step’ between the digital instrument panel and the infotainment screen. If you squint hard enough, you’ll be able to see a fully digital meter panel that’s similar to that on the X90. It’s an upgrade from the current X50’s part-digital cluster.

Below the centre screen, you’ll see AC vents and piano-key style controls that are different from what we have in the X50. So, is this the first hint of an upcoming Proton X50 facelift based on the Geely Binyue Cool?

If so, it could be the first major facelift of a Geely-based Proton, as the X70 MC from June 2022 wasn’t much of a change in terms of looks. That is if a big facelift of the X70 doesn’t come out first – camouflaged units of the C-segment SUV are already roaming the streets.

Back to the Binyue. The Cool’s top engine is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 181 hp/280 Nm, which is one-cylinder, four horsepower and 25 Nm up on the X50 Flagship’s TGDi engine. Check out the Binyue Cool and share what you think of this new look on a familiar car.

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