Proton eMas 5 EV estimated pricing RM60k to RM80k – Malaysia’s cheapest EV now open for booking

The highly-anticipated Proton eMas 5 continues its slow tease ahead of its expected launch later this month, with the order books officially open for the entry-level electric vehicle. With the news comes the announcement of estimated pricing, set to make this car the cheapest EV in Malaysia thanks to Proton’s ability to dip below the RM100,000 floor price for CBU models.

Prices are expected to start from RM60,000 for the base Prime, rising up to RM80,000 longer-range Premium that has already been confirmed. This being Proton, you can expect a variety of launch promos to be offered, with those who book now from RM99 already getting an eMas-branded Touch ‘n Go NFC card with RM100 preloaded and a further RM500 off the booking fee.

Essentially a Geely Xingyuan – rumoured to enter global markets as the EX2 – with a different badge, the eMas 5 is set to be offered with the same rear-motor powertrains. The Prime should be identical to its Chinese sibling, which churns out 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque – and with a 30.12 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, it has a range of 310 km on China’s optimistic CLTC cycle. Expect somewhere in the region of 250 km on the stricter WLTP cycle.

Meanwhile, the Premium bumps outputs to 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, getting it from zero to 50 km/h (no, not 100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. This is the only model to have an official WLTP range figure thus far – a more usable 325 km thanks to a 40.16 kWh battery.

Charging from 30 to 80% using a DC fast charger takes 21 minutes on both models, with the Premium accepting up to 71 kW; it will also support up to 6.6 kW of AC charging. Thanks to its rear-drive layout, the eMas 5 uses multilink rear suspension rather than the torsion beam that is the segment norm.

From the outside and in, the eMas 5 is practically identical to the Xingyuan, although Proton has still seen fit to wrap the car in camouflage ahead of the official launch. The organic exterior design features shapely head- and taillights, a clean front end with slim air inlets and flush door handles. One difference over the Geely is the C-pillar appliqué, which dispenses with the Chinese model’s linear graphics in favour of a starry motif (presumably referencing the Geely version’s Chinese name, which roughly translates to “star wish”).

Inside, the eMas 5 retains the Xingyuan’s dual-cowl dashboard design, albeit with the steering wheel now on the right side. However, instead of the Geely’s skyline motif on the illuminated gloss black decor, the Proton gets a more subtle “shooting star” pattern.

Also retained is a two-spoke steering wheel and a slender centre console featuring a smartphone holder (no Qi wireless charger for Malaysia, unfortunately), a limited amount of air-con buttons and a stubby gear selector toggle. We’ve only seen an off-white colour scheme in person on a pre-production Premium so far, but Proton has also shown a Starry Grey option (it mostly reads as black), likely for the Prime variant.

Front and centre is a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, running on a reskinned Atlas interface (as per the X50) rather than the Xingyuan’s Flyme Auto system. That means it will come with the X50’s features such as a Bahasa Malaysia language option – even for the “Hi Proton” voice control – and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the get-go.

Features specific to the EV include an integrated live charging map, accessible through either the built-in navigation or the eMas smartphone app – similar to the eMas 7 and smart models. An 8.8-inch digital instrument display is also fitted.

Proton has only released specifications for the Premium model for now, with standard equipment including LED head- and taillights, a black roof, keyless entry and 16-inch four-spoke alloy wheels. Inside, the car gets manual seats and air-con (the Xingyuan is available with a powered driver’s seat and auto air-con), rear air vents, faux leather upholstery, six speakers and a powered tailgate.

Measuring 4,135 mm long, 1,805 mm wide and 1,580 mm tall with a 2,650 mm wheelbase, the eMas 5 is slightly smaller than the BYD Dolphin. Its rear motor frees up space for a 70 litre front boot, while the rear boot measures a decent 375 litres, expandable to 1,320 litres with the rear seats folded. Proton also claims the car has a total of 32 storage spaces throughout, including a ten-litre drawer in lieu of a conventional glove box and 28 litre cubbies under the rear seats.

In terms of driver assists, the eMas 5 will come with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, front departure alert, rear collision warning, a door opening warning and auto high beam. To keep costs low, we expect the full suite to be reserved for the Premium model, although six airbags and stability control should be standard.

The sub-RM100,000 segment is set to be teeming with electric competitors in the coming months. While the slightly larger BYD Atto 2 SUV starts at that mark, the first 800 buyers (which the car may have already reached) receive six months of instalment-free ownership that should bring the effective price closer to RM90,000. A closer rival is the Dongfeng Box, currently offered with a RM20,000 trade-in and rebate offer.

Also set to do battle with the eMas 5 is the TQ Wuling Bingo, which is expected to arrive in CKD form and be priced below RM100,000 out of the box. But the elephant of the room is of course Perodua’s first EV, which is not only the company’s first indigenously-developed car but is also slated to be offered with rental batteries to protect resale values. Which of these would you get? Let us know in the comments.

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