Malaysian auto giant Proton has collaborated with Al-Haj — the makers of FAW automobiles in Pakistan — to launch its crossover SUV X70 by December along with a sedan named Saga.
According to reports, the said cars, that are actually Chinese manufacturer Geely’s vehicles directly imported and licensed by Proton for the Malaysian market, will be offered in completely built-up (CBU) form in Pakistan.
The company will start assembling the cars locally in the year 2021.
X70 is powered by a 1.8 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 182 horsepower, 285 newton/meters of torque, and comes mated to a 6-speed automatic or a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The vehicle will be available in both Front-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel-Drive forms.
The car is loaded with features such as an air purifier system, rear air vents, automatic dual-zone climate control, steering wheel switches, tilt, and telescopic adjustment, advanced gauge cluster with an LCD information screen, central door locking with auto-lock, a push-start button and a myriad of other modern features. Given that the X70 is a compact crossover SUV, it will go up against the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson.
The X70, back in December 2019, was gifted to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad.
The other car, Saga, is a compact sedan that has recently entered its 4th generation. Saga features a 1.3 liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 94 horsepower, 120 newton/meters of torque and is mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed CVT automatic transmission.
The vehicles will be launched at a relatively lower price for success in the Pakistani market.
