Proton S70 seen with Geely badging for export markets; Malaysian market facelift with NA variant this year?

Footage of a transporter trailer loaded up with units of what appears to be the Proton S70 sedan was posted to the paultan.org Automotive/Car Discussion Group on Facebook, and closer viewing reveals Geely badging on wheels of the cars, suggesting these are for export markets.

These units aboard the transporter appear not to be visually different from the latest version on sale in Malaysia, namely the MC1 that was launched in February this year. Proton is said to be working on a local facelift for the S70, and with it a naturally aspirated version to replace the B-segment Persona.

Regarding the Geely-badged sedans, it is uncertain which markets specifically these units are going to, thought the Tanjong Malim plant that produces the S70 also makes the X50 for export markets including Indonesia and Vietnam. The left-hand-drive S70 could therefore go to these markets, with the Philippines a possibility as well.

The Philippines currently sells the sedan as the Emgrand sourced from China, though production of this may have stopped as the Emgrand has since moved on to an all-new, fifth-generation iteration, and so it makes sense for the LHD market to receive the model from Malaysia instead.

The MC1 revision of the Proton S70 brought the new 181 PS/290 Nm 1.5 litre i-GT turbocharged inline-four cylinder petrol engine that replaces the GEP3 three-cylinder turbo in all variants of the sedan, and which also serves in the X50 facelift, X70 MC3 and X90 MC.

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