Now in its fifth year of sale, Proton has given Malaysia’s best-selling B-segment SUV a complete make-over.
Highlights of the new 2025 Proton X50 facelift include a completely revamped exterior design, redesigned cabin, as well as a brand-new 4-cylinder engine.
Overview – Trimmed variants, but all get the new engine
First things first – the new turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Codenamed BHE15, this new 4-cylinder petrol engine is a current product that’s still offered on Geely’s models, including the Geely Binyue Cool and Geely Binrui Cool.
Developed with electrification in mind, the new BHE15 engine, much like the outgoing JLH-3G15, can be adapted for HEV, PHEV, or even REEV applications. It certainly opens the doors for future Proton models to embrace electrification on a wider scale.
Read also: All-new 2025 Proton X50 facelift: Goodbye 3-cyl, hello brand-new 4-cyl BHE15 1.5L turbo
Additionally, Proton has streamlined the engine line-up for the 2025 Proton X50 – all variants get the same engine. The less-powerful MPI variants are no more.
Said engine produces 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque from 2,000 rpm to 3,500 rpm. The torque curve appears to be narrower than the earlier 3-pot engine, though it may not be noticeable for majority of owners.
Said engine, despite having one cylinder more than before, Proton claims that the new engine is 4.7% more fuel efficient than before, translating into a claimed fuel economy of roughly 6.1 L/100 km (down from 6.5 L/100 km).
Exterior – More modern than before, but there are compromises
To those expecting Proton to offer the 2025 Proton X50 facelift with the sportier Geely Binyue Cool design, sorry to disappoint, as the national carmaker opted for the more laid-back Binyue L design instead.
The older X50’s LED projector headlights now make way for a set of LED reflector units, which are now slimmer and sharper than before. That being said, the 2025 Proton X50 facelift loses out on front fog lights – something which was offered on the earlier model.
Speaking of the front, Proton has fitted faux air vents on each edge of the bonnet. Yes, the air vents are tacked on and not actually functional.
Moving towards the rear, all variants of the updated 2025 Proton X50 facelift get a full-width LED tail light. The bottom half of the rear, while still with the quad muffler layout, doesn’t look as sporty as before, due to the lack of the diffuser pieces.
All’s not doom and gloom, as Proton has finally given the 2025 Proton X50 facelift the sportier Binyue-derived rear spoiler with the S inscription – something that a lot of local X50 owners have fitted to their cars. It definitely gives the B-segment SUV a more aggressive look.
Rounding off the exterior of the updated 2025 Proton X50 facelift are a new set of 17-inch alloy wheels on the Executive variant, while the Premium and Flagship variants get revised 18-inch alloy wheels.
Interior – Good to see some homegrown effort
While the exterior of the 2025 Proton X50 facelift may be lifted wholesale from the Binyue L, the interior is unique for the X50.
This new Proton eMas 7-inspired dashboard features a massive 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display and a smaller 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster – both powered by a quad core processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, running on the Android 10 operating system.
Moreover, the 2025 Proton X50 facelift is the first Proton model to debut with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto right out of the box. No more waiting like earlier Proton models.
Read Also: All-new 2025 Proton X50 facelift: First Proton to launch with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
The revised dashboard also sees the relocation of the gear selector, which has been moved to the right side of the steering column. On the left is the stalk that controls both lighting and wipers – mirroring the eMas 7.
With the relocation of the gear selector, Proton is now able to offer a Qi wireless charging pad, located on the right side, as well as reduce the number of buttons. There are now four buttons on the centre console – AC on/off, Auto A/C, front demister, and hazard light.
Everything else is access and controlled via the touchscreen infotainment system, similar to the Proton S70.
There’s also a fancy semi-transparent sun visor, exclusive for the Flagship variant.
All variants of the 2025 Proton X50 facelift get a 6-speaker audio system (pre-updated X50 offered four speakers on the Standard and Executive trims).
Read Also: Is the 2025 Proton eMas 7 the best value EV in Malaysia right now?
Equipment – more kit across the board
In this round of update, Proton has updated the line-up to just three variants: Executive, Premium, and Flagship. The Standard variant is no more, and as such it remains to be seen if the entry price of the new 2025 Proton X50 will be maintained, or increased.
New to the all variants of the Proton X50 facelift is the Rear Side Radar System (RSRS), which adds these features:
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- Rear Collision Warning (RCW)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Door Opening Warning (DOW)
There’s also a grand total of four cameras, allowing for 360-degree view monitor, as well as 180-degree transparent view.
The Auto Park Assist (APA) feature on the X50 has also been upgraded, thanks to the new 12 parking sensors around the exterior of the X50.
In terms of variant break-down, the X50 Executive includes these features as standard:
- New 17-inch alloy wheels
- Full-width LED tail lights
- LED reflector headlights
- 14.6-inch infotainment display
- 8.88-inch instrument cluster
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 4 USB ports
- 6 speakers
- Fabric upholstery
- Automatic air-conditioning with N95 filtration
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- Rear Collision Warning (RCW)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Door Opening Warning (DOW)
- 6 airbags
- Reverse Camera
Stepping up to the Premium variant, it adds:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Power tailgate
- Roof rails
- Front welcome lights
- Red brake calipers
- 72-colour ambient lighting
- Leatherette seats
- 6-way power-adjustable driver seat
- 360-degree camera + 180-degree transparent view camera
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Departure Prevention (LDP)
- Lane Centering Control (LCC)
- Traffic Sign Information (TSI)
- Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC)
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
As for the top-spec Flagship variant, this variant adds:
- Rear spoiler with S inscription
- Dual-tone exterior colour
- Glossy black side mirrors
- Semi-transparent sun visor
- Wireless charging pad
- Panoramic sunroof
- Red-black, dual-tone interior
- Auto Park Assist (APA)
Conclusion – Complete revamped X50 is a compelling option for many
With this comprehensive upgrade in place, the 2025 Proton X50 is definitely a compelling option for many Malaysian car buyers out there.
As it is, the outgoing X50 is already Malaysia’s best-selling B-segment SUV. Now that the X50 has been comprehensively revamped, we reckon that it could be the reigning best-seller for a foreseeable future.
Stay tuned for our launch report, as well as in-depth review on our YouTube channel and website.