Affordable Luxury from Malaysia to South Africa: Proton is Back
Proton enters the South African vehicle market again with a whole new lineup
Over ten years ago Malaysian car manufacturer Proton left the shores of South Africa despite having great success with their Savvy, Gen 2, and Arena.
CMH Holdings had a vision to bring affordable luxury to their customers and their vision was realised last year, 2022, when they launched the Proton X50 and Proton X70 to the South African market.
This year saw the introduction of the Proton Saga and their flagship vehicle, the Proton X90 was launched at the Festival of Motoring.
Over the last few weeks we have had the opportunity to test the full line up, to better understand what Proton has to offer for South Africans.
We started the testing process with the Proton X50, which makes sense as this was the first car to make an appearance as the re-introduction of the brand to local consumers.
With the plethora of Asian manufactured vehicles on the streets of South Africa recently one would think where would Proton fit in, but the Proton X50 actually stands out of the crowd. Most of the new Chinese automakers have similar designs and tech in their vehicles, so much so that if you debadged them you might not be able to tell the difference at a quick glance.
The Proton X50 however has a strikingly unique sporty design for the subcompact crossover SUV, that wherever I drove or even parked people would be peering out their window or walking around the car just to see what car it is. With its mean front-grille, the famous Malaysian Tiger carved out in chrome, and the only vehicle in its category to have four tail pipes, it's pretty hard not to give the Proton X50 a second look.
What stood out for me about the Proton X50 was the performance. The 1.5TGDI in the Premium spec produces 130kW of power with 255Nm of torque, which you really feel when the vehicle is in Sport mode. The spacious cabin, safety features, and tech give Proton a real edge in the affordable luxury vehicle market with the Proton X50.
The Proton X50 pricing starts from R449 900 with a 5 year/ unlimited kilometres warranty and a 5 year roadside assistance plan.
The next in the fleet to test was the Proton Saga. While this was not my favourite in the line-up, it definitely has its place in the e-hailing service market.
The Proton Saga is a Proton Saga, what you see is what you get. A very basic design in comparison to most of the current vehicles on our roads, but an almost nostalgic look of the sedans of the nineties. Inside is also a minimal design, but with that said the vehicle has a Bluetooth radio, and two extra USB ports in the rear which makes sense if the vehicle was intended for the purposes of being used as an e-hailing passenger carrier.
The Proton Saga pricing starts from R209 900 with a 5 year/ 150 000km warranty and a 5 year road assistance plan.
The Proton X70 was the third of the range which graced our garage. This is definitely the older brother of the Proton X50, which mentioned earlier in this article was introduced at the same time as the Proton X50 last year.
The look and feel of the two vehicles are similar with a slightly more mature ambience to the Proton X70. One of the features which stood out is every time you locked the vehicle from the outside all doors would lock, the side mirrors would fold in, and then the windows will open slightly which really helps in the Summer months to keep the car cool.
What was also surprising is how well the 1.5TGDi engine performed in the Proton X70, which we saw in the Proton X50.
The Proton X70 pricing starts from R529 900 with a 5 year/ unlimited kilometres warranty and a 5 year roadside assistance plan.
Last, but by far not anywhere near least on the line-up, was the Proton X90.
This is probably my favourite of all the Proton's, with a very close second position which is the Proton X50.
Again, the 1.5TGDi engine is used in this 4.8m long vehicle, but has been tuned accordingly to have a maximum power output of 140kW and maximum torque of 300Nm. This is the first mild-hybrid in South Africa that can fit seven adults comfortably. The vehicle is equipped with a 48V Electric Motor Synergy System.
I am pleased to know that the fuel tank capacity has increased from the 45L in the Proton X50 to 60L in the Proton X90 - the longer I can drive without refuelling is always a bonus for me.
The stand out feature of the Proton X90 is definitely the captain's seat in the second row, which also creates more room to freely move around the second and third row of the vehicle.
The Proton X90 pricing starts from R559 900 5 year/ unlimited kilometres warranty and a 5 year roadside assistance plan.
For assistance with purchasing a Proton vehicle and/or for a test drive, visit Jesse Steven and his team at CMH Proton Midrand.
Ziyaad Plaatjes is the Co-Founder of iloveza.com & Let's Torque ZA, the Founder of the After Fajr Grind Academy, a Radio Host for the longest running award-winning Motoring show in South Africa - Bumper2Bumper on Cii Radio, and a Brand South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador, who was named one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans in the Arts, Entertainment, Film & Media Category.
He is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours graduate and has been running businesses since the age of 13. Ziyaad is a social media fundi and content creator, but has taken on many roles in various industries over the years. With his entrepreneurial skills and vast knowledge he assists individuals and businesses to grow and achieve their goals.
Find him at: Instagram: @ziyaad_86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii X: @ziyaad86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii Facebook: iloveza.com / Let's Torque ZA LinkedIn: Ziyaad Plaatjes / iloveza.com YouTube: iloveza.com SoundCloud: iloveza.com TikTok: @ilovezacom / @b2bcii Threads: @ilovezacom iono.fm: Bumper2Bumper Hashtags: #AfterFajrGrind #iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #LetsTorqueZA #B2BCii #WheresDaddyZA E-mail: ziyaad@iloveza.com
