Proton Holdings has announced that, along with the launch of X90, it will also launch a Corolla and Civic competitor in Malaysia this year.
Although the exact details are unknown, Paul Tan, a popular Malaysian Automotive whizz, reckons that the car in question will be a Geely Emgrand-based Proton S50.
Offered in China as Geely Emgrand, the compact sedan rivals Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and other C-segment sedans in the country.
In China, Emgrand has a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that sends 114 horsepower (hp) and 147 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque to the front wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox.
For Malaysia, Proton CEO Roslan Abdullah stated last year that a high-end variant will have a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine that produces 150 hp and 226 Nm of torque, which will also send its power to the front wheels via a DCT automatic transmission.
The sedan sits on Geely’s BMA platform, which also underpins the Proton X50 SUV. Details of the S50’s launch date and price are unknown but reports and photos of its testing suggest that it will launch in Malaysia soon.
