Last week, we brought you a gallery of the naturally-aspirated version of the Proton S70 in its base Lite variant, which is expected to retail for between RM55,000 and RM59,000. Now, here are photos of the range-topping Prime variant that will reportedly go for RM10,000 more at between RM65,000 and RM69,000.
So, what do you get for paying the extra? Well, the Prime comes with automatic LED headlamps, auto-folding side mirrors, silver trim for the front bumper corner “inlets”, 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, leatherette seat upholstery and steering wheel, front parking sensors as well as and automatic air-conditioning.
These are upgrades over the Lite, which makes do with halogen headlamps, black trim for said front “inlets,” 16-inch turbine-style alloys, fabric seats, manual air-conditioning, a urethane steering wheel, no auto-folding side mirrors and just rear parking sensors.
The Lite and Prime largely mirror the Executive turbo variant by having analogue gauges and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, although the latter is with the latest Saga’s operating system that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Other improvements over the existing Executive include the standard fitment of a reverse camera and auto up/down windows (Executive is auto down only). As for the rest of the kit list, the Executive’s keyless entry with remote engine start, push-button start, fixed rear headrests and rear reverse sensors are all standard with the NA variants.
On the safety front, the Lite and Prime come with six airbags, stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning, a door opening warning and a rear seat reminder.
However, just like the Executive (and Premium for that matter), driver assists like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are not available with the NA variants. Mind you, the Saga in its top-spec Premium variant does come with AEB for just RM49,990.
You’ll be able to spot the NA variants of the S70 by their black grille that is without silver trim and lack of a full light bar at the back, although the original, pre-MC1 LED indicators are applied to the upcoming offerings.
Under the bonnet, the S70 NA is powered by the 1.5 litre i-GT NA inline-four petrol engine that is also used by the Saga. The BHE15-CFN port-injected mill makes 120 PS and 150 Nm of torque, which is 61 PS and 140 Nm less than the turbocharged S70 but 11 PS more than the outgoing Persona’s 1.6 litre CamPro VVT – the S70 serves as an indirect successor to the latter.
No sound-insulating engine cover in sight for the Lite and Prime, so you get to see the engine in full with all its wiring. Sending drive to the front wheels is a new CVT that’s different from the Saga’s Punch unit, as it looks set to feature a torque converter for smoother step-off acceleration.
Pending the official launch where we hope to get more details, the CVT is likely a Wanliyang (WLY) unit found in the Chinese-market fourth-generation Geely Emgrand, with other countries getting a six-speed automatic paired with a direct-injected engine. The transmission appears to come with the Chinese model’s simulated eight-speed mode, which is absent for the Saga’s CVT.
As we pointed out before, the S70 NA will use the turbo car’s electronic gear selector instead of the Emgrand’s conventional mechanical gear lever with an up-down sequential gate. Drivers will therefore have to toggle the shifter twice to select reverse or drive and flick it left or right to row through the “gears” manually.
Both the Lite and Prime are part of the S70 MC2 update, although only the turbo variants are expected to receive the full, in-house-designed facelift, including new head- and taillights, bumpers and even the X50‘s quad tailpipes. An overhauled interior, something the X50 got when it was facelifted, could also be on the cards along with a revised kit list.
The order books for the S70 Lite and Prime have been open since September 7, with the estimated starting price being below RM60,000. Six colours – Quartz Black, Space Grey, Snow White (no seven dwarves included), Marine Blue and Armour Silver – are offered. For context, the turbocharged S70 MC1 currently ranges from RM68,800 to RM89,800 with the RM5,000 rebate listed on the carmaker’s website.
2026 Proton S70 Prime MC2 in Malaysia
The post 2026 Proton S70 Prime MC2 in Malaysia – top NA variant with LED lights, 17” wheels, leatherette; under RM70k? appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
