Peter Lyon
October 26, 2024
Reservations for the highly-anticipated Proton eMAS7 are now officially open. The Prime and Premium are the two versions of Proton’s first-ever fully electric (EV) model, which is expected to start from RM120,000.
Before the end of 2024, the Proton eMAS7 will launch in Malaysia, as we learned in June of this year.
Based on the Geely Galaxy E5, the Proton eMAS7 is an EV SUV in the C-segment boasting a wheelbase of 2,750 mm and dimensions of 4,615 mm x 1,901 mm x 1,670 mm, making it somewhat larger than the Proton X70 and right in the neighbourhood of the Honda CR-V.
The eMAS7 is larger than the majority of its segment rivals, such as the BYD Atto 3 and Neta X, making it roughly the same size as the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The same single-motor front-wheel drive system powers both versions, producing 218 horsepower and 320 Nm. That allows the car to jump from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 175km/h.
The battery size is where the two variations diverge. Both models use Geely’s Aegis Short Blade battery technology, although the Prime has a smaller 49.5 kWh unit with a 345 km (WLTP) range, while the Premium has a bigger 60.2 kWh unit with a 410 km (WLTP) range.
Additionally, the Premium supports quicker DC fast charging up to 100 kW, with charging time hovering around 20 minutes for a 30-80% charge. Both models come with basic 11 kW AC charging, which takes 4.9 hours for the Prime and 6.1 hours for the Premium.
The country’s flagship automaker is pleased to point out that the eMAS7 was actually co-developed by Proton and Geely along with the Galaxy E5. It involved over 230 Proton engineers and designers, and more than 10 million kilometres of testing, including about 130,000 kilometres conducted in Malaysia.
In order to meet the particular needs of Malaysia, Proton has modified the eMAS7 in more than 49 ways. These modifications include a special suspension tuning and a deeper wading depth of 400 mm.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
As the country’s first-ever fully electric EV, and co-developed by Proton, this SUV has a lot resting on its shoulders. Boasting half-decent range figures, its price starts at RM120K, but further sweeten the deal, Proton is offering a special “Pioneer Privilege Deal” for early birds who pre-book the car before its launch, which includes a RM500 rebate and a gift pack worth RM1,000.
