Ladies and gentlemen, this is it! The hotly anticipated Proton eMAS7 (stylised as e.MAS 7) is now officially open for booking here in Malaysia. The national carmaker’s first-ever fully electric (EV) model will be offered in two variants, namely the Prime and Premium, with pricing estimated to start from RM120,000.
As announced in June this year, the Proton eMAS7 will be officially launched in Malaysia before the end of 2024. No official dates have been confirmed yet, but we’re definitely inching closer and closer to the day!
The Proton eMAS7 is a C-segment EV SUV based on the Geely Galaxy E5. In terms of dimensions, the eMAS7 measures 4,615 mm in length, 1,901 mm in width, and 1,670 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, putting it right in the neighbourhood of the Honda CR-V, and slightly bigger than the Proton X70.
Compared to other EVs, the Proton eMAS7 comes in bigger than most of its segment competitors, including the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and Neta X. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 does come close, but is 65 mm shorter in height.
Both variants are powered by the same single-motor front-wheel drive setup, with 218 hp (160 kW) and 320 Nm on offer. That translates to a 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds, and a rated top speed of 175 km/h.
Where the two variant differs is their battery size. While both feature Geely’s Aegis Short Blade battery technology, the Prime gets a smaller unit at 49.5 kWh, translating to a range of 345 km (WLTP), while the Premium features a larger 60.2 kWh unit for a range of 410 km (WLTP).
RELATED: 30 Proton e.MAS dealerships targeted by 2025, PRO-NET on the hunt for new dealers
The Premium also gets faster DC fast charging support at up to 100 kW (80 kW on Prime), although due to their differences in battery sizes, charging time remains the same at 20 minutes for a 30-80% charge.
AC charging is standard across both variants at 11 kW, requiring 4.9 hours of charging on the prime (30-80%), and 6.1 hours on the Premium. Vehicle-to-load functionality is also available on both variants, but Proton did not reveal any output specifications.
The national carmaker is proud to highlight that the eMAS7 was actually co-developed between Proton and Geely concurrently with the Galaxy E5, and involved some 230 Proton engineers and designers, and over 10 million km worth of testing – some 130,000 km or so done right here on Malaysian soil.
Overall, Proton has made over 49 changes on the eMAS7 to cater the car to the specific Malaysian requirements, including a unique suspension tuning, and a deeper wading depth at 400 mm.
READ MORE: Proton eMAS7 undergoes local testing – Malaysia-specific 400mm water-wading depth!
Otherwise, equipment across both variants of the Proton eMAS7 are also roughly similar. On the outside, both variants come as standard with automatic LED headlights and tail lights, automatic wipers, and retracting door handles.
The Premium, as its name suggests, does come with a few extra niceties, including the active grille shutter to improve aerodynamics, as well as the 19-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear tyres, as opposed to 18-inch and Giti tyres on the Prime.
Inside, the Premium stands out with its additional panoramic glass roof with a powered sunshade, powered tailgate, ambient lighting, head-up display, a 16-speaker Flyme sound surroud sound system (with headrest speakers), auto dimming rearview mirror, powered seat for the front passenger (four-way adjustments), additional memory function for the driver seat, and front ventilated seats.
Otherwise, the 15.4-inch 2.5K resolution touchscreen infotainment display, 10.2-inch letterbox-style instrument cluster, dark grey leatherette upholstery, powered driver seat (six-way), wireless charging pad, automatic climate control system (with N95 filter) are all standard across both variants.
Proton says that the 7nm “automotive-grade” SoC processor promises smooth operation on its large infotainment display, which you will need to access basically all features within the eMAS7. If you’re curious, the Flyme Auto operating system running on the screens is provided by Meizu, a Chinese smartphone maker that was recently acquired by Geely.
Safety kit is also largely identical across both variants, and includes six airbags and an extensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which includes features such as:
- intelligent cruise control
- autonomous emergency braking with rear cross traffic braking
- lane keeping assist and lane departure prevention assist
- lane change assist
- rear cross traffic alert
- blind spot monitor
- traffic sign identification
- door open warning
The Premium variant of the Proton eMAS7 does get additional front parking sensors, but the rear sensors and 360-degree surround view monitor is standard across the range.
RELATED: Geely Galaxy E5 launched in China – from approx. RM70k for Proton e.MAS7’s twin
Again, the Proton eMAS7 is now available for booking, with prices estimated to start from RM120,000 here in Malaysia. Unsurprising, the pricing significantly undercuts many, if not most of its segment competitors like the BYD Atto 3 (RM150k) – and is roughly price competitive with the Neta X (from RM120k) and GAC Aion Y Plus (from RM120k), but the eMAS7 is the biggest, and potentially most well-equipped of the bunch.
To sweeten the deal, Proton is also 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.
GALLERY
