When the first indication of specifications for the Proton S70 emerged at the start of November, the new sedan was shown to be offered across four variants – 1.5T Executive, 1.5T Premium, 1.5T Flagship and the 1.5T Flagship X; or, three-and-a-bit, given the distinguishing factors between the Flagship and Flagship X are a sunroof and an exclusive paint option (Quartz Black).
The unveiling of this specifications list also revealed that the suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is reserved for the Flagship and Flagship X variants, which led us to ask; why has Proton limited its availability on the S70 to the top two variants, while its two main rivals, the Honda City and Toyota Vios have ADAS fitted across all their variants as standard?
The 2023 Honda City facelift brought the Honda Sensing ADAS suite for all variants, while the fourth-generation Toyota Vios also brought ADAS features to both variants from launch.
“When we were deciding on pricing [for the S70], we were considering different groups of customers. Even for us, based on the models that we are selling now, although there are some older variants that do not come with [the most complete] specifications, there are customers going for it because of the models’ affordability,” said Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah.
“If you want ADAS, choose the variant that comes with ADAS. There are some customers who buy [vehicles equipped with] ADAS, but are afraid of using the ADAS features,” Roslan continued, adding that the offering of ADAS on the top variants is in order for the S70’s pricing to be within the desired range, and to “give the right perspective on the pricing of our products.”
Notably, even A-segment models in Malaysia come equipped with ADAS, namely the 2023 Perodua Axia Advance with its Advanced Safety Assist (ASA 3.0) sutie that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and front departure warning, which alerts you when the front car has moved.
Ahead of the official launch for the Proton S70, we’ve learnt more about the national carmaker’s latest sedan, along with early impressions of the car. The Proton S70 is a C-segment-sized model aimed at the B-segment competition, and it is powered by the 1.5-litre port-injected three-cylinder engine from the Proton X50 (Standard to Premium variants), matching the SUV’s outputs of 150 PS and 226 Nm.
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