There is no rest for the wicked and puckish Proton is rising early on 2026 with the launch of the new 2026 Proton X70 on 8 January, a mere 17 months following the previous facelift. The new C-segment SUV will arrive with a new powerplant packing an extra cylinder, the very same unit in the
News of the imminent launch was all but confirmed in a social media posting from the carmaker. First made available in the X50 during its refresh last year, the 1.5-litre BHE15-EFZ turbocharged inline-four produces 181 PS and 290 Nm of torque. In comparison, the outgoing inline-three GEP3 in the current X70 makes 177 PS and 255 Nm. The new figures are closer to the initial 1.8-litre engine when the X70 was first launched.
However, expect the new engine to crank up the efficiency, especially given that it sports the Intelligent Green Technology (i-GT) emblem. Paired with the existing seven-speed wet-clutch DCT, it will all be channelled to the front wheels.
Apart from the new mill, do not expect any other significant upgrades apart from cosmetic enhancements and perhaps a new shade or two on the colour swatch. At the most, Proton will likely see some of the more premium features such as driver assist systems trickle down to the lower variants in the range.