Geely is set to re-enter the Indonesian market, with the launch of the Proton eMAS 7’s cousin to happen later this month in the Archipelago. While the company has recently reiterated its commitment to Proton, the launch of the Geely EX5 in Indonesia will certainly throw a spanner in the works for our national carmaker’s global expansion plans.
With the largest automotive market in ASEAN now a no-go for Proton, it seems that the target of becoming the third-largest marque in the region could now be under serious threat – especially when Geely is also reportedly mulling local assembly works (CKD) in Indonesia itself, instead of utilising the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim as its right-hand drive hub as previously planned.
The upcoming Indonesia launch of the Geely EX5 follows the recent debut of the fully electric SUV model in Thailand, another major right-hand drive market in ASEAN. At the global debut of the EX5 in Europe, Geely also mentioned Australia as well as other European markets amongst its destination.
It has been reported that the global Geely EX5 model will feature a different suspension setup as compared to the Chinese-market Galaxy E5, developed in part by Proton.
As for Proton, it has previously been confirmed that the eMAS 7 will be exported to Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, and Nepal – although the exact timeframe has not been announced yet.
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Detailed specifications for the Geely EX5 in Indonesia will have to wait until its official debut on the 22nd of January, although we expect it to remain roughly identical to the model’s global specifications, which are also mirrored on the Proton eMAS 7.
Here in Malaysia, the Proton eMAS 7 is available in two different variants, all powered by the same electric powertrain consisting of a single motor on the front axle making 218 hp (160 kW) and 320 Nm of torque, translating to a century sprint of roughly 6.9 seconds.
Two battery options are available for the model, both utilising Geely’s Aegis short blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology. The base model features a 49.5 kWh pack for a 345 km (WLTP) driving range, while the more expensive variant packs a 60.22 kWh unit that delivers 410 km (WLTP) of range on a single charge.
The Proton eMAS 7 is priced at RM109,800 and RM123,800 for the two variants respectively, on-the-road and without insurance, although a launch promotion is currently still valid, offering RM4,000 of cash rebate to early-bird buyers.
READ MORE: 2024 Proton eMAS 7 launched in Malaysia – First national EV, 2 variants from RM110k!
