So, is the Proton S70 a car in the B or C segment? Here is Proton's official statement, however the details are covered in the Great Debate part of our media preview report.

The Honda City, Toyota Vios, and Nissan Almera are the S70's main rivals, according to Mohd Haizam, vehicle program executive for engineering and technical, who made this announcement during the media preview. Not unexpectedly, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are the sedan's "secondary competitors."




Regarding market share, Mohd Haizam expressed his belief that, given the car's performance, it is possible for the B- and C-segment sedans to be absorbed. Deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah responded, "The B-segment duo was presented as they served as a hint of the S70's price, which will be revealed on November 28," in response to a question on why Proton did not bring the Civic and Corolla for comparison at the event.

Here we have a car that is priced to compete with B-segment sedans, yet being advertised as a C-segment vehicle. This is the same ruse employed for the X70, a competitor to the CR-V at HR-V cost. The Proton-Geely vehicles are more of an in-between product than the CR-V and Civic, of course, but salespeople will be able to employ the good value pitch of "Civic rival at City price."



Here are the numbers and information as a summary. The Geely Emgrand, which runs on the BMA platform, provides the foundation for the S70. That's the platform of the B-segment X50; in fact, until we received spyshots of the S70 badge last month, everyone believed that the SS11 would be called the S50. Wherever else in the ASEAN B-segment, the Emgrand is equipped with a 1.5-liter NA engine and CVT; the Vios/City, of course, set the default 1.5-liter CVT.

However, Proton replaced the 1.5L NA CVT with a 1.5L turbo engine and dual-clutch transmission. Imagine the 1.5T and the Honda Civic, correct? But rather than the 1.5L TGDi engine that produces 177 PS and 255 Nm in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC, this 1.5L port-injected three-cylinder engine drives the X50 Standard to Premium. Its output is 150 PS/226 Nm, which is 32 PS/14 Nm less than the 1.5L VTEC Turbo engine found in the Civic.



The Emgrand's measurements are 1,822 mm in width, 2,650 mm in length, and 1,638 mm in length. In comparison to a Honda City, that is 58 mm longer and 74 mm broader. The S70 also has a 50 mm longer wheelbase. The S70 is actually broader and longer than Proton's last two C-segment sedans, the Preve and Inspira.





However, vehicles have become larger, so a Civic from back then—FB, the year the Preve was introduced—isn't the same as a Civic from today. In light of this, the Honda's 2,735 mm wheelbase is 85 mm longer than that of the Civic FE, which is 40 mm longer than the S70. The Proton has a greater WB advantage over the City than the Civic has over the S70. In addition to having lower slung bodies than the S70, the Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda 3 also have sportier proportions.


The Proton S70's pricing is still a mystery, despite the fact that we have previously provided you with a thorough walkthrough tour, first impressions, and test drive notes. Anticipate a pricing range that falls between the existing Honda City/Toyota Vios zone of RM70+k and RM100k. Complete information available here.