It appears that Proton isn’t slowing down one bit with its electrified model line-up, as spyshots of the Proton eMas 7 PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) have surfaced.
Seen here in the Proton e.Mas 7 Owners Malaysia Facebook group is a unit of what could be Proton New Energy Technology (Pro-Net)’s next electrified model.
Are you sure it’s a Proton eMas 7 PHEV?
Back in September 2024, Proton registered a number of trademarks, including eMas 3, eMas 5, and eMas 7 PHEV, hinting that the company could have plans to expand its eMas 7 line-up to include a PHEV model. At the moment, the eMas 7 is strictly a battery electric vehicle (BEV).
Read Also: 7,413 units of the Proton eMas 7 sold since launch, eMas 5 collected 10,000 bookings
What is the Proton eMas 7 PHEV?
Like the eMas 7 being based off the Geely Galaxy E5, the PHEV version is similar. The Proton eMas 7 is based on the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 (export markets get different names, like Starray EM-i), which is powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that has been redesigned to offer a thermal efficiency of 46.5% – one of the highest for an internal combustion engine.
This engine, codenamed BHE15-BFN, produces 111 PS and 136 Nm and is paired to an 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT) that combines an integrated starter-generator and drive motor, allowing for a combined system output of 218 PS and 262 Nm of torque.
Depending on market, the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 offers the choice of two Aegis Short Blade LFP battery packs:
- 8.5-kWh: CLTC EV range – 55 km
- 19.09-kWh: CLTC EV range – 120 km
Being a PHEV means that the model can be charged. The Geely Starship 7 / Starray EM-i accepts up to 30 kW of DC charging and up to 6.6 kW of AC charging.
There’s a large 51-litre fuel tank, and Geely says that the Starship 7 sips just 3.75 L/100 km, thus returning up to 1,420 km per tank. That being said, under the slightly more stringent WLTP test cycle, the AU-spec Geely Starray EM-i with its 18.4-kWh battery returns 2.4 L/100 km and up to 943 km.
The Geely Starship 7, like its Galaxy E5 sibling, is developed on the Geely Intelligent New Energy Architecture (GEA) platform.
When will Proton launch the eMas 7 PHEV here?
Hold your horses – spyshots have just begun to surface, and Proton is currently in the midst of fulfilling orders for the recently-launched Proton eMas 5.
Therefore, a 2025 launch is unlikely, suggesting that we could expect the eMas 7 PHEV some time in 2026.