Proton South Africa
By: Bisiness Live (22/09/2022) Proton X50 vs Haval Jolion vs Chery Tiggo 7 Pro: Which one has the lowest running costs?
Proton has returned to the local market, bringing in two new SUVs, the X50 and X70, but how does the X50 compare with two key rivals from up-and-coming brands Haval and Chery?
Malaysian automaker Proton will be a familiar name to South Africans with products like the Savvy, Satria Neo and the GEN-2 having been sold locally. The company has returned to the local market in 2022 with two new SUVs, and today we will be looking at the more affordable model, the X50. The Proton certainly looks well priced, but how do its running costs compare with two value-packed Chinese contenders?
Today we will compare the mid-sped Tucson with two similarly priced rivals, namely the Haval H6 and the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro. All three models feature petrol engines and automatic gearboxes. The question today is, which has the lowest running costs?
The figures
| Proton X50 1.5T Standard | Haval Jolion 1.5T Super Luxury | Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 1.5T Executive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine size | 3-cyl, 1.5-litre petrol | 4-cyl, 1.5-litre turbo petrol | 4-cyl, 1.5-litre turbo petrol |
| Power/Torque | 110 kW/226 Nm | 105 kW/210 Nm | 108 kW/210 Nm |
| Gearbox | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Seats | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Airbags | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Kerb weight | 1 325kg | 1 370kg | 1 421kg |
| Boot capacity | 330-litres | 337-litres | 475-litres |
| Fuel capacity | 54-litres | 60-litres | 51-litres |
| Claimed consumption | 6.4 L/100 km | 7.5 L/100 km | 6.8 L/100 km |
| Service plan | 5-yr/100 000km | 5-yr /60 000km | 5-yr/60 000km |
| Price | R449 900 | R437 900 | R453 900 |
Fuel consumption
Our contenders all feature petrol engines with the Haval and Chery being four-cylinder turbocharged units and the Proton a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor. From a power and torque perspective, there is very little to choose between the trio and when weight is factored in, the Proton appears to have a slight edge. Both the Haval and Chery are quite a bit heavier on fuel than their claimed figures in real-world testing. We would have to test the Proton in the real world to determine its fuel consumption, however, on paper, it is the most efficient.
Service plans
Our trio have varying service plans and warranties, with the Haval and Chery coming with 5-year/60 000km service plans while the Proton gets a 5-year/100 000 plan. In terms of warranties, the Chery wins with an impressive 5-year/150 000km vehicle warranty and a 10-year/100 0000km engine warranty while the Haval and Proton feature 5-year/100 000km vehicle warranties.
Verdict
Having looked at the data, in the first five years of ownership, we are confident that the Proton X50 will be more affordable to run than bother the Haval H6 and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, however, our subsequent comparison will feature standard specifications and value for money where we feel the Proton will lose ground.
By: The Citizen (15/08/2022) Proton X50 and X70 features list revealed
Both models are now available for test drives before the commencing of sales next month.
Ahead of sales commencing in September, Proton has divulged full specification details of the X50 and X70 following the confirmation of pricing earlier this month.
Based on parent company Geely’s BMA platform, the X50, which debuted in Malaysia two years ago as a rebadged version of the Geely Binyue that went on sale in China two years before, serves as Proton’s entry level model until the reported arrival later this year of the recently updated Saga sedan.
Measuring 4 330mm in overall length with its wheelbase stretching 2 600 mm, the X50 has a width of 1 800 mm, height of 1 609 mm and claimed boot capacity of 330-litres with all five seats up.
ALSO READ: This is how much: Proton X50 and X70 officially pricedAs is known by now, motivation comes from the same 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine used in the Volvo XC40, but in two states of tune; 110kW/226Nm and 130kW/255Nm in models wearing the T-GDI badge.
The sole transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch with drive going to the front wheels only. Still unknown are performance and fuel consumption figures, though standard on all derivatives is a drive mode selector with three settings; Eco, Normal and Sport.
Comprising four models and trim levels, items on the entry-level X50 Standard consists of 17-inch alloy wheels, black fabric seats, projector-type LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, manual air-conditioning with rear vents, plus:
Next up, the Luxury receives auto on/off LED headlights, LED fog lamps and a leather wrapped steering wheel, as well as black leatherette seats, six airbags and front parking sensors.
Building on the Luxury is the Executive, which swaps the 17-inch wheels for 18-inch alloys and the eight-inch display for a 10.25-inch setup.
As well as a digital instrument cluster, roof rails and an electric driver’s seat, the Executive sports automatic air-conditioning, a six-speaker sound system, tyre pressure monitor and a surround-view camera system.
Completing the Proton X50 range is the Premium, which apart from being the sole model powered by the T-GDI engine, comes furnished with:
In total, six colours are available; Snow White, Jet Grey, Armour Silver, Citric Orange, Ocean Blue and Passion Red. Details surround the respective warranty and/or service plan will be announced next month.
Another example of Geely ownership is the X70, which rides on the Chinese brand’s NL platform and debuted four years ago in Malaysia as one of the first Proton badged Geely models, in this case, the Boyue that bowed in China in 2016.
Facelifted in Malaysia this year, which saw the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine making way for the T-GDI used in the X50, the Proton X70 measures 4 519 mm in overall length with its wheelbase stretching 2 670 mm, height 1 694 mm and width 1 831 mm.
Aside from the mentioned powerunit, the X70 also only has a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but the option of all-wheel-drive on the mid-range Executive with the rest being front-wheel-drive only.
As on the X50, all X70’s feature a drive mode selector with three settings; Eco, Normal and Sport
Comprising four models and three trim levels, items on the base Standard comprises 17-inch alloy wheels, auto on/off headlights, LED fog lights, a black fabric interior, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, plus the following:
Up next, the Executive receives LED headlights and daytime running diodes, as well as rain sense wipers, an electric tailgate, black faux leather seats and:
At the top of the range is the now renamed Premium X, which gets brown Nappa leather seats, a nine-speaker sound system, electric tailgate as well as:
On the colour front, the Proton X70 comes in a choice of six shades; Snow White, Space Grey, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Ruby Red and Cinnamon Brown.
As with the X50, details surrounding the X70’s warranty and service plan will only be announced either before or at the national launch in September.
