Proton X70 P7-90A MC (2022-Present) Expert Review
23 September 2022
Overall Rating
Supremely comfortable and quiet SUV, but starting to feel its age now. Put the unchanged looks aside, and it's a superb family SUV for those prioritising comfort over handling, and refinement over performance. If that fits your bill, the X70 is easily the one to get.
Performance
It's a big and heavy car with a relatively small engine, but performance is still respectable. New 1.5L engine is 95% as strong as the older 1.8L, but with slightly better fuel economy. Definitely better than 2.0/2.5L NA rivals, but not as punchy as newer turbo SUVs.
Ride & Handling
Comfort-tuned suspension means it's soft and wallowy through the turns, but for a big SUV its body control is still decent. Steering is also a little slow and numb, but fits the X70's comfort-oriented characteristics well.
Comfort
Without a doubt the best in the class for comfort and refinement. It genuinely feels like a far more expensive car to drive and sit in compared to the competition – smooth ride, superb refinement. Premium variants with Nappa leather adds to the premium feel too.
Safety
The basics are all there, but the variant-differentiation is outdated now – active safety features are only on the top models instead of being standard across the range. Still, it feels very solid, very safe behind the wheel, more so than most class rivals.
Space
It has a touch less space than you'd expect from an SUV of this size. Overall more CX-5 than CR-V in terms of space and practicality. Still, it fits 5 large adults with ease, and the boot is sizable enough for long trips.
Value
The X70 excels in subjective aspects - ride comfort, refinement, build quality - rather than objective, on-paper numbers, features and equipment. It's not for everyone, but for those wanting comfort above all else, this is undoubtedly the best choice.