The 2025 Proton X70 facelift has been fully unveiled, featuring a completely redesigned front end, a distinctive rear bumper, and a larger screen with AACP.

Here it is—the Proton X70 facelift. You’ve seen the initial official images yesterday, and now we’re presenting the complete reveal of the first major update for Proton’s inaugural model from the Geely partnership, which debuted in December 2018. Since its launch, this C-segment SUV has transitioned to CKD (completely knocked down) production and received several updates, but this facelift marks a significant change. What are your thoughts on the new look?

First and foremost, let’s discuss aesthetics. The X70 had started to look a bit dated—not a critique of the Boyue-based SUV, but it’s been around for over five and a half years with the same design, especially with so many new competitors entering the SUV market. Some of these competitors have directly targeted the X70, and Proton has felt the pressure.

That’s why this major facelift is a welcome change, significantly transforming the X70’s appearance. It’s so extensive that updating an older model with these new features would be quite costly. The most striking change is the large, bold grille featuring Proton’s Infinite Weave design and songket diamond pins. Accompanying it are new, much slimmer full-LED reflector headlights.

These updates, including the redesigned front bumper, ensure that the new X70 facelift is easily distinguishable from its predecessor. Remember that “susah to DIY” aspect? If you’re considering updating an older model, you’ll need new headlamps, and don’t forget that the front fenders and bonnet are also redesigned to match the new lights and grille. The newly sculpted hood now features two distinct ridges running down the center.

This is the look of the facelifted 2022 Geely Boyue, but interestingly, the rear bumper has been redesigned with horizontal (as opposed to vertical) reflectors and fake corner air outlets. This appears to be a Proton in-house designed unit and isn’t shared with any Geely model. This supposedly gives the X70 the impression of a wider stance. No changes to the tail lamps, though.

The X70 facelift gets new wheels to complete the exterior changes – 19-inch two-tone units for the Premium and Premium X, and 18-inch two-tone for the Executive.

Inside the X70 facelift, the most noticeable update is the new dashboard decor panel, which appears to be unique to Proton. The gloss black insert on the passenger side features 72-color ambient lighting with a ‘rhythmic’ mode that adjusts colors based on the music playing. Complementing this is a larger 12.3-inch ‘floating’ infotainment touchscreen, powered by Atlas 2.0, which introduces Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Proton for the first time.

It’s worth noting that AACP (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) won’t be available at launch, but the X70 facelift is equipped to support it, with owners receiving a free OTA update to enable these features later. The infotainment hardware has been upgraded with dual quad-core processors, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.

Additionally, the tech upgrades include a switch to USB-C ports in the center console side compartments (curiously, only on the passenger side; the driver’s side retains a USB-A port), while the rear now features one USB-A and one USB-C port. The dash cam USB port has also been repositioned from the headliner to the right side of the windscreen’s ADAS camera module for easier access.

Proton hasn’t announced any changes to the sound system, but we’ve observed a few updates: the Kenwood branding is no longer present, and the subwoofer mounted over the spare tire has been removed. However, new tweeters have been added to the A-pillars.

In other updates, the X70 now features Proton’s latest three-spoke steering wheel, similar to those found in the X50 and S70, and Stone Grey Nappa leather upholstery with a new criss-cross stitching pattern on the door panels, replacing the previous brown theme. The 7.0-inch digital instrument panel remains the same size but now has updated graphics from the X90/S70 for a more modern appearance. The fuel and temperature gauges on either side of the screen have also been redesigned.

For added convenience, the X70 now includes proximity locking/unlocking (walk-away auto lock) and a Nearby Auto Open hands-free tailgate, making it easier when your hands are full at the grocery store. This feature automatically opens the hatch when it detects the key, eliminating the need for a kick sensor. Additionally, there are updates to the gear lever design: while the protrusion remains, the park button has been repositioned, and the shift pattern has been revised.

The X70 facelift now includes Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features to align with the X50 and S70. This suite of features comprises stop-and-go functionality, lane centering assist integrated with adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.

The comprehensive ADAS package also includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, Lane Centering Control, Lane Change Assist (blind spot monitoring), Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Door Opening Warning, and Intelligent High Beam Control. Note that these advanced driver assistance systems are available only on the high-end Premium and Premium X variants, as is typical for Proton.

Under the updated hood, the X70 continues with the 1.5-liter turbocharged TGDi three-cylinder engine from the previous model, delivering 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels (with no AWD option available, it’s 2WD across the range) through a revised seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. Proton claims a fuel economy of 7.3 liters per 100 km, a 4% improvement over the 2022 model, achieved through enhanced combustion efficiency, better thermal management, and reduced friction. This also contributes to reduced noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) at low speeds.

The X70 facelift will be offered in four variants: Standard, Executive, Premium, and Premium X. The “X” variant is essentially the Premium model with the added feature of a panoramic sunroof. We’ve included a detailed spec breakdown below so you can see what each variant offers. The color palette now includes a new Marine Blue, alongside Ruby Red, Snow White, Armour Silver, and Jet Grey.

Proton has highlighted that the latest X70 includes 360 new parts, and the development process took 290,000 man-hours. The SUV underwent rigorous testing, covering 4.2 million km. Pricing details have not yet been announced, so stay tuned for this crucial information. For reference, the outgoing model is priced as follows: RM98,800 for the Standard, RM110,800 for the Executive, RM116,800 for the Executive AWD, RM123,800 for the Premium, and RM126,800 for the Premium X.