Proton’s new energy vehicle subsidiary Pro-Net has announced it delivered 3,026 units of the Proton eMas 5 in January 2026, the highest for a single model in its three-year history. Cumulative sales of the eMas sub-brand hit 3,276 units as the changeover to CKD local assembly impacted sales of the larger eMas 7.
The eMas 5 didn’t just break records for Pro-Net – it’s also almost certainly captured the highest sales for an electric car in a single month in Malaysia. This will likely vault Proton above BYD to become the best-selling EV brand in January, although we’ll have to wait for full JPJ data later in the month to be sure. Incredibly, the eMas 5 is now the second best-selling Proton model, behind only the Saga.
Pro-Net also confirmed that it is extending the RM3,000 launch rebate indefinitely, effectively locking in on-the-road prices of RM56,800 for the eMas 5 Prime and RM69,800 for the eMas 5 Premium. The company said it is now working hard to fulfil its remaining orders.
“The Proton eMas 5 has exceeded every expectation since the day it was launched, and the response from Malaysians has been truly extraordinary,” said CEO Zhang Qiang. “Delivering more than 3,000 units in a single month is a milestone that underscores both the strength of our product and the growing confidence in Malaysia’s EV future. We truly appreciate all Malaysians who have placed their trust in us.”
Launched in October 2025, the eMas 5 is Proton’s entry-level electric hatchback, coming as standard with a rear-wheel-drive powertrain. The base Prime produces 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque and offers a WLTP range of just 225 km from its 30.12 kWh CATL LFP battery. As for the Premium, this churns out 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, while its larger 40.16 kWh battery delivers a more respectable range of 325 km.
Sales of the eMas brand are only set to grow with the launch of the eMas 7 PHEV later today. Proton’s first plug-in hybrid, estimated to be priced from RM110,000 to RM130,000, pairs a 218 PS/262 Nm electric motor with a 99 PS/125 Nm 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine and a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission. Total system output is 262 PS, with a choice of 18.4 kWh and 29.8 kWh Aegis short blade LFP batteries delivering a pure electric WLTP range of up to 146 km and a total range of up to 996 km.
The Proton eMas 5 was launched back in October, yet all the cars we have seen since then have been of the Premium, not the base-spec Prime. That changes today – Regal Motors in Petaling Jaya had one of the few early units of the entry-level model, so we headed over to shoot the photos you see here.
Firstly, the Prime represents a significant saving over the Premium – priced at RM56,800 inclusive of the RM3,000 launch rebate, it costs RM13,000 less than its longer-range sibling. That money buys you a car that, from the outside at least, doesn’t look a whole lot different, but you are getting a significantly lesser vehicle under the skin.
While the rear motor (and multilink rear suspension, non-existent elsewhere in this price range) remains, its outputs have dropped by 37 PS (27 kW) and 20 Nm to just 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm, meaning that even the zero to 50 km/h sprint takes half a second longer at 4.4 seconds. This being an electric vehicle, however, that should still be enough for daily use.
Of more consequence is the CATL LFP battery’s capacity, which shrinks from 40.16 kWh to 30.12 kWh. That has the effect of reducing range from an already modest 325 km to just 225 km, making this car really only suitable for city driving.
It does at least still DC fast charge from 30 to 80% in the same 21 minutes, despite having a much lower speed of 58 kW. And thanks to it offering the same 6.6 kW of AC charging, the Prime takes a whole hour and a half less to charge from 10 to 100%, at 4.3 hours.
Beyond the mechanicals, the Prime looks very similar to the Premium, still with the same cutesy rounded design. Unlike in China, the base model here still gets chrome vertical front bumper corner trims, in addition to the single slat on the intake.
The sweptback headlights still come with projectors and look identical when turned off, but they are now manual halogen instead of auto LED units – this even extends to the daytime running lights, which occupy one of the three vertical “slats” where the indicators would be on the Premium. Rather amusingly, the lamps feature the “Classic Tech” script instead of “Full LED Tech.”
You also get 15-inch steel wheels instead of 16-inch alloys, with two-tone hubcaps in a new three-petal design instead of the four-petal look shown in a previous thumbnail image. This is similar to what is currently offered on the Geely Xingyuan in China as part of the 2026 model year update, as well as in other markets as the EX2. The tyres are the same Linglong Comfort Master rollers as the Premium in a 205/65 R15 size.
As for colours, the Prime is only available in Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey. You can’t spec the car in Marble Cream or Quartz Rose, and you also don’t get the Premium’s black roof. This extends to the inside, where Flint Grey is your only colour option – no Alabaster White here.
Discounting that, the cabin is again much the same as the Premium – you’ll have to dig into the details to find out what’s different. The essentials are all there, most important of which being the 8.8-inch digital instrument display and the massive 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, the latter featuring the latest Atlas operating system with a Bahasa Malaysia option for the “Hi Proton” voice control, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other standard features include keyless entry and start, faux leather upholstery, rear air-con vents, 20 litres of rear under-seat storage, a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function and a gas strut-suspended bonnet that opens up to a 70 litre front boot. You’ll have to look closely to spot the full-black (no two-tone) urethane steering wheel, the lack of a rear USB-A port and the manual tailgate.
The Prime also comes with only four speakers rather than six, but the deleted speakers are not where you’d expect them to be. You still get the two tweeters up front – instead, it’s the rear door speakers that have been removed. That may not be such a bad thing, given that these cars will likely carry only one or two occupants on a daily basis. Also fitted is a simple reverse camera in lieu of a 360-degree setup.
Less good is the lack of advanced driver assists such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition, which are exclusive to the Premium. Not exactly surprising, given the Prime’s low price, but it’s disappointing nevertheless.
This omission is made more obvious through the completely blank left steering wheel spoke, as the cruise control’s speed and distance controls have been removed. You do at least get blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and a door opening warning, along with standard six airbags and stability control.
Proton has announced that it has delivered 216 units of its new eMas 5 as of December 31, just over two months from its October 30 launch. The cars were all handed over to their new owners – including our very own Hafriz Shah – at the end of the final month, closing the year on a high.
The national carmaker has a mountain of orders to clear, having amassed over 14,600 bookings thus far. The entry-level EV joins the eMas 7, which found 9,336 homes last year, including 8,677 units domestically and 659 units in export markets. This means that by the end of 2025, there are a total of 9,549 eMas vehicles on the road around the world – the vast majority in Malaysia, of course.
Pro-Net CEO Zhang Qiang said: “2025 marked an important head start for Proton eMas, not just in terms of growth, but in the real-world impact our vehicles are making every day. With 9,549 eMas vehicles now in operation, we are seeing how our eMas owners can contribute to cleaner air, quieter journeys and reduced fuel consumption through ordinary driving.
“As we move into 2026, our focus remains on building on this head start by expanding our electric
offerings, strengthening charging and after-sales support, and ensuring that electric mobility remains
practical, accessible and rewarding wherever our vehicles operate.”
To recap, the eMas 5 is available in two variants, priced at RM56,800 for the Prime and RM69,800 for the Premium once the RM3,000 launch rebate is applied. Power comes from a single motor that produces 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque on the Prime and 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm on the Premium. As for batteries, the Prime utilises a 30.12 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit for a range of just 225 km on the WLTP cycle, while the Premium’s 40.16 kWh pack delivers a more useful 325 km.
The pure electric models are just the start for the eMas brand – the company is set to launch the eMas 7 PHEV soon. The SUV, based on the Geely Galaxy Starship 7/Starray EM-i/EX5 EM-i, has already been previewed at last month’s Proton Tech Showcase and will feature a 218 PS/262 Nm electric motor juiced by a 99 PS/125 Nm 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine, along with a 18.4 kWh Aegis short blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery delivering a pure electric range of 83 km.
Here we go again. After getting priced at the equivalent of RM51k-55k in Thailand, and therefore cheaper than our RM57k-70k Proton eMas 5, the Geely EX2’s Indonesian prices are out, and they’re 233-273 million rupiah (RM56k-66k) for Pro and Max variants.
Before you get your pitchforks out, consider that just like Thailand, Indonesia’s entry-level EV market is crowded, competitive and cut-throat. Wuling, having been there for over eight years, is the top EV brand, with many small and affordable choices, so the Geely EX2 needs to be priced aggressively to compete.
Like in Thailand, both Pro and Max variants in Indonesia get a 116 PS/150 Nm rear electric motor (the more powerful one used by our eMas 5 Premium). There’s no lesser option like our eMas 5 Prime’s 79 PS/130 Nm unit. And we have an official 0-100 km/h time – it’s 11.5 seconds.
Ditto the battery – there’s only one 40.8 kWh choice, which means the bigger battery is standard. This yields a 395 km NEDC range (compared to the eMas 5’s 225/325 km WLTP from 30.12/40.16 kWh batteries).
Equipment-wise, the EX2 in Indonesia offers a powered driver’s seat on the Max variant (which no eMas 5 variant has), and the base EX2 Pro already gets automatic LED projector headlamps (which we need to buy the eMas 5 Premium to enjoy; our eMas 5 Prime only has halogens).
However, the Proton fights back with a powered tailgate, which is not available in Indonesia, and six airbags across the range (the Indonesian EX2 Pro has just four airbags; only the EX2 Max has six. Thailand, like us, has six airbags across the range). Also, while the EX2 Max and eMas 5 Premium both have the full ADAS suite including AEB and ACC, the Indonesian EX2 Pro does without the eMas 5 Prime’s blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and door opening warning.
Indonesian Geely EX2 brochure – click to enlarge
Just like in Thailand, the Indonesian-spec EX2’s passenger-side dashboard and door cards have a cityscape ambient lighting motif instead of the shooting stars on the eMas 5.
On to colours – the Indonesian car can be had in Nebula Beige, Comet Grey, Star Silver and Moon White (the top-spec Max additionally gets Aurora Pink and Stellar Blue choices). As for the interior, the Max’s is either Dark Grey or Ivory White; the Pro only gets the former.
Meanwhile, our eMas 5 can be had in Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey (the top-spec Premium additionally gets Marble Cream and Quartz Rose choices; all Premium cars have black roofs). If the exterior is Marble Cream or Quartz Rose, the interior is Alabaster White; otherwise, it’s Flint Grey. An updated model is already in the oven – see what you can expect here.
It’s only been a year since the Geely Xingyuan (known globally as the EX2) was launched in China, and there’s already been a minor model year update – and if these spyshots from Autohome are any indication, there will be another one next year.
Despite the camouflage, it’s clear that the design hasn’t changed at all, with the only discernible difference being the new turbine-style aero covers for the base 15-inch steel wheels. The interior sees a more drastic revision, with the gear selector moved to a stalk on the steering column, similar to the Geely Galaxy E5/Geely EX5/Proton eMas 7.
This will necessitate a redesign of the centre console switch pack, which is why that area remains unfinished on this prototype. The steering wheel has also been lifted from the Galaxy E5 with the Geely Galaxy rectangular badge, meaning that all traces of the Geometry brand’s “Geome” script will likely be expunged.
No details of any mechanical changes have been made known so far, but we could see larger battery options being offered, which would boost the car’s meagre range. This would mirror the recent improvements made to the Galaxy E5 and the Galaxy Starship 7 plug-in hybrid in China. Range increases were speculated for the 2026 model year, too, but the car ended up receiving only minor visual updates from its Proton eMas 5 twin.
As a recap, the current model is offered in two powertrain variants, with the base model getting a single rear motor producing 79 PS and 130 Nm of torque, as well as a 30.12 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for a WLTP-rated range of only 225 km range. Higher-end versions churn out 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, while a larger 40.16 kWh battery delivers a more useful 325 km of range.
Any improvements in range will hopefully be carried over to the eMas 5, which is set to compete against the Perodua QV-E. That car, launching in just a few minutes, is expected to offer a real-world range of around 385 km from its 52.5 kWh LFP battery, also from CATL.
The Geely EX2‘s Thai prices are out – 399,990 baht (RM51k) for the Pro and 429,990 baht (RM55k) for the Max, reports AutolifeThailand. That’s quite a bit cheaper than our RM57k-70k Proton eMas 5, so it’s comparison time. Thailand gets their car CBU from China – so do we currently; our CKD will come later.
Before you all get your sarongs in a twist, bear in mind that Thailand’s entry-level EV market is very crowded, competitive and cut-throat. Geely entered Thailand comparatively late, when there were already a lot of established brands, so the EX2 is priced accordingly. Whereas in Malaysia, the eMas 5 is the first and only sub-RM100k EV (so far), so it’s in a class of its own. It was also well received with over 10,000 bookings so far, unprecedented for an EV here.
In Thailand, both Pro and Max variants get a 116 PS/150 Nm rear electric motor (like our eMas 5 Premium); there seems to be no lesser option like our eMas 5 Prime’s 79 PS/130 Nm unit. Same story with the battery – the Thai EX2 gets only one 39.4 kWh choice yielding a 395 km NEDC range (compared to the eMas 5’s 30.12/40.16 kWh and 225/325 km WLTP). 39.4 kWh is likely the net figure to the 40.16 kWh’s gross, meaning that the EX2 gets the bigger battery as standard.
Equipment-wise, the specs are largely the same, but the EX2 does add on a few things not available on the eMas 5, such as a wireless phone charger, a powered driver’s seat and a tonneau cover, which Pro-Net may offer later à la eMas 7.
Also, the base EX2 Pro already gets automatic LED projector headlamps and a leather steering wheel, both of which we need to buy the eMas 5 Premium to enjoy. The Proton fights back with instantly-available Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (only supported from 2Q25 for Thai buyers) and a powered tailgate, which the Geely doesn’t get in Thailand.
Another difference is the EX2’s passenger-side dashboard and door cards have a cityscape ambient lighting motif instead of the shooting stars on the eMas 5.
On to colours – the Thai car can be had in Nebula Beige, Comet Grey, Star Silver and Moon White (the top-spec Max additionally gets an Aurora Green choice; all Max cars have black roofs), while the interior is either Skyline White or Horizon Grey depending on the variant.
Meanwhile, our eMas 5 can be had in Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey (the top-spec Premium additionally gets Marble Cream and Quartz Rose choices; all Premium cars have black roofs). The interior is Alabaster White if the exterior is either Marble Cream or Quartz Rose; otherwise it’s Flint Grey.
Warranties? Thai Geely distributor Thonburi Neustern is offering six years/160,000 km for the vehicle, eight years/180,000 km for the battery and eight years’ free 24-hour roadside assistance, while Proton’s package consists of a six-year/unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000 km battery and powertrain warranty.
It’s rare for Malaysia to launch a car before Thailand – unless you’re really brand-particular here – but anyway, AutolifeThailand has published specs of the Geely EX2 (Proton eMas 5 in Malaysia) ahead of its Thai Motor Expo launch later this month. Comparison time – here we go.
There’ll be two fully-imported (CBU) variants called Pro and Max – both get a 116 PS/150 Nm rear electric motor (like our eMas 5 Premium); there seems to be no lesser option like our eMas 5 Prime’s 79 PS/130 Nm unit. Same story with the battery – the Thai EX2 gets only one 39.4 kWh choice yielding a 395 km NEDC range (compared to the eMas 5’s 30.12/40.16 kWh and 225/325 km WLTP). 39.4 kWh is likely the net figure to the 40.16 kWh’s gross, meaning that the EX2 gets the bigger battery as standard.
Charging? The Thai EX2 can swallow up to 6.6 kW AC (ditto eMas 5) and up to 70 kW DC (eMas 5 Premium 71 kW DC, eMas 5 Prime 53 kW DC), the latter able to get you from 30-80% in 25 minutes (21 minutes for eMas 5). 0-100 km/h is done in 11 seconds (eMas 5 quotes 0-50 km/h but the Premium’s 0-100 km/h time is around 10 seconds) and top speed is 130 km/h (125 and 135 km/h for eMas 5).
The base EX2 Pro already gets automatic LED projector headlamps and a leather steering wheel, both of which we have to buy the eMas 5 Premium to enjoy. However, TPMS is not mentioned for the EX2, which are on both eMas 5 variants, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (also standard and available immediately on our eMas 5), will only be supported from the second quarter of next year for Thai buyers.
The top-spec EX2 Max gets a wireless phone charger and a powered driver’s seat, both of which no eMas 5 variant has. The Proton fights back with a powered tailgate, which its Thai counterpart doesn’t get. The EX2’s passenger-side dashboard and door cards have a cityscape ambient lighting motif instead of the shooting stars on the eMas 5. Also there from the start is a tonneau cover, which Pro-Net may offer later à la eMas 7. All other specs are pretty much consistent between the EX2 Pro/Max and eMas 5 Prime/Premium.
On to colours – the Thai car can be had in Nebula Beige, Comet Grey, Star Silver and Moon White (the top-spec Max additionally gets an Aurora Green choice; all Max cars have black roofs), while the interior is either Skyline White or Horizon Grey depending on the variant.
Meanwhile, our eMas 5 can be had in Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey (the top-spec Premium additionally gets Marble Cream and Quartz Rose choices; all Premium cars have black roofs). The interior is Alabaster White if the exterior is either Marble Cream or Quartz Rose; otherwise it’s Flint Grey.
Warranties? Thai Geely distributor Thonburi Neustern is offering six years/160,000 km for the vehicle, eight years/180,000 km for the battery and eight years’ free 24-hour roadside assistance, while Proton’s package consists of a six-year/unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000 km battery and powertrain warranty.
Let’s wait and see if the Geely EX2 can undercut the Proton eMas 5’s RM57k-70k, shall we?
“We are truly humbled by the continued support Malaysians have shown towards both the Proton eMas 7 and now, the Proton eMas 5 as well. Every booking received is the mark of trust that Malaysians have in us to deliver the eMas 5 at the highest standards. As the national automaker, we will continue to uphold our responsibility to make electric mobility more accessible and reliable,” said Pro-Net CEO Zhang Qiang.
Unsurprisingly, most of the eMas 5 orders come from the central region, followed by the southern and northern regions, while “demand from East Malaysia and the East Coast is also on an upward trend.”
The Proton eMas 5 has just been launched, and with that comes the all-important pricing and full specifications of Malaysia’s cheapest EV. Doubtless you will want to know what you’ll be getting for your money with each variant – RM56,800 for the Prime and RM69,800 for the Premium (after a RM3,000 rebate, up to the end of the year).
Both models are rear-wheel drive, powered by a single motor that produces 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque on the Prime and 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm on the Premium. Also different are the batteries – the Prime utilises a 30.12 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit for a range of just 225 km on the WLTP cycle, while the Premium’s 40.16 kWh pack delivers a more useful 325 km.
In terms of charging, the Prime accepts up to 53 kW of DC fast charging, while the Premium bumps this up to 71 kW; both can be topped up from 30 to 80% in 20 minutes. They will also accept up to 6.6 kW of AC charging, so charging from 10 to 100% takes 4.3 hours for the Prime and 5.9 hours for the Premium.
Proton eMas 5 Prime
Beyond the mechanicals, the two variants are also different in some key areas, namely the headlights (halogens for the Prime, versus LEDs for the Premium), wheels (15-inch steelies versus 16-inch alloys) and tailgate operation (manual versus powered). The Premium is also the only one to get a black roof and an Alabaster White interior option, the latter paired to the also-exclusive Marble Cream and Quartz Rose paints.
As for safety, both come with six airbags, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and a door opening warning. However, only the Premium gets the full suite of driver assists, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.
Click to enlarge
The full spec-by-spec breakdown is as follows:
2025 Proton eMas 5 Prime – RM56,800 Gets as standard:
You’ve seen the car in full, and here it is with its official pricing – the Proton eMas 5 is launched in Malaysia from RM56,800 as the Prime, up to RM69,800 as the Premium with the introductory RM3,000 rebate until December 31; prices for all variants are on-the-road without insurance (prices without rebate are RM59,800 and RM72,800 OTR).
The initial roll-out of the eMas 5 will be solely of the Premium variant to begin with, as the entry Prime variant will only be made available later on. Thus priced, the eMas 5 is the cheapest EV currently on sale in Malaysia.
Prior to the official launch today, the eMas 5 has already been unveiled earlier this week by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the ASEAN Summit, and after the eMas 7, this is the brand’s second battery-electric vehicle in the aforementioned two variants.
The eMas 5 measures 4,135 mm long, 1,805 mm wide and 1,580 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,650 mm, with ground clearance of 160 mm. In terms of weight, the eMas 5 weighs 1,230 kg for the Prime and 1,305 kg for the Premium. Rolling stock is a set of 15-inch steel wheels on 205/65R15 tyres the Prime, and 16-inch alloys on tyres measuring 205/60R16 for the Premium.
Starting with the Prime, the base variant brings a single 79 PS/130 Nm rear axle motor, drawing from a 30.12 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) CATL-made battery that offers a claimed 225 km of range on the WLTP testing standard.
Stepping up to the Premium yields a more powerful motor with 116 PS and 150 Nm, along with a larger 40.16 kWh LFP battery for up to 325 km of range (WLTP). Acceleration from 0-50 km/h is a claimed 3.9 seconds (Premium) and 4.4 seconds (Prime).
The eMas 5 takes up to 71 kW of DC charging in Premium guise, while the Prime is 53 kW DC; both variants will take 21 minutes to charge their batteries from 30-80%. Meanwhile, AC charging at up to 6.6 kW is supported when using a wallbox charger, which will take 4.3 hours to recharge from 10-100% for the Prime, and 5.9 hours for the Premium. Conversely, the eMas 5 also provides vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality for powering external devices.
Proton eMas 5 specifications; click to enlarge
For safety, the eMas 5 gets six airbags (front, front side and side curtain), ESC, ABS, traction control rear parking sensors as well as a 360-degree surround camera with a 3D display on the Premium (the Prime gets a reverse camera). There are 12 ADAS functions in all in the Premium with the full complement, and these are:
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
Forward collision warning (FCW)
Lane departure warning (LDW)
Blind spot detection (BSD)
Lane change assist (LCA)
Rear cross traffic alert (RCTA)
Rear collision warning (RCW)
Emergency brake assist (EBA)
Front vehicle departure (FVD)
Traffic sign recognition (TSR)
Door opening warning (DOW)
Proton eMas 5, Prime variant
For the Prime, the base variant does without the full suite, essentially leaving out forward facing systems and thus retaining blind spot detection, lane change warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning, and door opening warning.
Standard equipment for the eMas 5 (beginning with the Prime) includes manual halogen headlights, 15-inch steel wheels and hub caps, manual tailgate, manual seats and air-con, rear air vents, urethane steering wheel and synthetic leather upholstery.
The Premium variant specifically gets LED exterior lighting with intelligent high beam control, a contrasting black roof, a powered tailgate, D-pad-inspired alloys, six speakers, a 360-degree camera and a powered tailgate. The Premium also adds a chrome strip along the lower section of its sides.
Under the skin, the RWD eMas 5 (not the first Proton to be so; that would be the Juara) gets a MacPherson strut front and a multi-link rear suspension configuration, which is similar to that of the larger eMas 7.
Front and centre in the cabin of the eMas 5 is a 14.6-inch infotainment unit that runs on Atlas OS, equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, accompanying the 8.8-inch driver’s instrument panel. Voice control is by the “Hi eMas” voice control in Bahasa Malaysia as well as in English, along with functions including an integrated live charging map.
For device connectivity, the eMas 5 gets one USB-A and one USB-C socket, the former also offering wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. In the Premium, rear seat occupants additionally get one USB-A socket.
The cabin of the eMas 5 itself is essentially that of the Geome Xingyuan it is based upon, with some Proton-specific alterations such as the logo, and the door card inlay graphics. For the driver, the two-spoke steering wheel is a flat-bottomed but otherwise more rounded unit than the one in the eMas 7, which has a more flat-sided shape.
Access to the rear half of the cabin is by a door aperture of up to 65 degrees, to a rear bench that offers 890 mm of legroom. The tailgate opens to a compartment with 375 litres of luggage capacity, which expands to 1,320 litres with the rear seats folded. At the front end, a 70 litre frunk offers added storage. Within the cabin, the under-console cubby holds 20 litres, while another 28 litres in the rear underseat storage compartment.
Exterior colours for the eMas 5 are Moonstone White, Graphite Silver, Slate Grey along with Marble Cream and Quartz Rose, the latter two exclusive to the Premium. Interior upholstery is in a Flint Grey colour as standard, while Premium variant examples in Marble Cream and Quartz Rose exterior paint colours get the cabin in Alabaster White.
2025 Proton eMas 5 Prime – RM56,800 Gets as standard:
The Proton eMas 5 will initially be fully imported (CBU) before it becomes a locally assembled (CKD) at the Proton Tanjung Malim plant later on, and it is covered by a six-year, unlimited mileage vehicle warranty, and an eight-year, 160,000 km warranty for the powertrain battery and its related components.
This is it – the Proton eMas 5 has been fully revealed, with prime minister Anwar Ibrahim pulling the covers off a few days early at the ongoing ASEAN Summit. No funky camouflage here – these are the first images of the electric hatch in body colour, showing the car’s jelly bean design in the buff.
We should point out that this is not the official launch, which is still slated for October 30. That’s when we’ll finally find out what the price of the eMas 5 will be – the car is currently estimated to retail at RM60,000 for the entry-level Prime and RM80,000 for the longer-range Premium. We also only get a look at the range-topper for now, with the Prime still under wraps.
Of course, the cutesy styling you see here is no real surprise, given that the eMas 5 is nigh-on identical to the Geely Xingyuan/EX2 (and it’s not like the disguise was hiding much, anyway). The Proton is differentiated through its own front tiger roundel, rear Proton script and eMas 5 badge, but that’s about it.
Even the colours – Moonstone White, Graphite Silver, Slate Grey and the Premium-exclusive Marble Cream and Quartz Rose – are shared with the Chinese twin. By the way, Pro-Net insists that the purple car you see in some of these images is Quartz Rose, even though it looks an awful lot like the lilac hue introduced with the Xingyuan’s recent 2026 revision (instead of the expected warmer, lighter pink).
Aside from the sweptback head- and taillights, grille-less front end, vertical chrome front corner trim and the Premium’s black roof and door mirrors, the eMas 5 also sports a new starry C-pillar appliqué as well as a “shooting star” pattern on the illuminated interior decor, the latter replacing the Xingyuan’s skyscraper motif. These are in reference to the Geely’s name, which roughly translate to “star wish”; the Chinese-market car got these items with the aforementioned model year update.
The interior, on the other hand, has been revealed since August, with a dual-cowl dashboard design and a gently-sloping centre console. At the centre sits a 14.6-inch infotainment system running on Proton’s Atlas OS, replete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bahasa Malaysia “Hi eMas” voice control and EV-specific features such as an integrated live charging map.
Lower down, there’s a storage cubby sitting ahead of a limited amount of air-con switchgear and a crystalline gear selector, plus two cupholders and a narrow slot. Unlike the Xingyuan, you can’t get the eMas 5 with a Qi wireless charger or a powered driver’s seat, not even on the Premium. The car comes as standard with a Flint Grey interior, with Marble Cream and Quartz Rose (again, exclusive to the Premium) models receiving an Alabaster White cabin instead.
Standard kit includes halogen headlights, 16-inch steel wheels, manual seats and air-con, rear air vents and faux leather upholstery. Only the full equipment list for the Premium has been revealed so far, equipped with notable additions such as LED exterior lighting, a black roof, funky D-pad-inspired alloys, six speakers, a 360-degree camera and a powered tailgate.
The eMas 5 is powered by a single rear motor – the Prime churns out 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque and delivers just 225 km of WLTP-rated range through its 30.12 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The Premium boosts outputs to 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, while its larger 40.16 kWh LFP pack offers a more usable range of 325 km. Top speed is capped at 125 km/h on the Prime and 135 km/h on the Premium.
Charging-wise, the eMas 5 supports up to 71 kW of DC fast charging on the Premium spec; all models will take 21 minutes to charge from 30 to 80% (not 10 to 80%, so take note potential buyers). The car also accepts up to 6.6 kW of AC charging through a wallbox charger.
Just two more days until the launch, with the price being the final piece of the puzzle. Proton said last week that it has amassed over 4,000 bookings, and that number will surely rise exponentially once the final figures are released. Are you excited for what the national carmaker claims will be Malaysia’s cheapest EV?
The Proton eMas 5 has amassed over 4,000 bookings since the order books opened on October 4, which is an average of 150 bookings a day. Pro-Net has also announced on Facebook that there are fewer than 1,000 early-bird packages left (RM99 booking fee + eMas-branded Touch ‘n Go NFC card with RM100 preloaded + a further RM500 off the booking fee).
Also, here’s a full look at the Flint Grey interior colour option – it’s the standard cabin theme, as the fancier Alabaster White is only applied to cars painted in Marble Cream and Quartz Rose, colours that are reserved for the top-spec Premium.
Finally, we have a launch date for the Proton eMas 5. Pro-Net has been busy posting up teasers for the second eMas model, but the latest one, which went up yesterday (October 20), says “10 days to go, an EV for every Malaysian”. That translates to October 30.
The eMas 5, which is set to be Malaysia’s cheapest EV, has been open for booking since October 4, and Pro-Net says that it collected 3,000 bookings for the rebadged Geely Xingyuan in the first week of order taking. The eMas 5 is offered in Prime and Premium variants, with pricing estimated at RM60,000 and RM80,000 respectively.
Both are rear-wheel drive, with the Prime churning out 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque and delivering 225 km of WLTP-rated range from its 30.12 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The Premium boosts outputs to 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, and its larger 40.16 kWh LFP pack offers a more usable range of 325 km.
We’ve driven the Proton eMas 5 and here’s our first impressions report and video. Also, here’s a full look at the Flint Grey interior colour option – it’s the standard cabin theme, as the fancier Alabaster White is only applied to cars painted in Marble Cream and Quartz Rose, colours that are reserved for the top-spec Premium.
Will we see a slightly lower than estimated price and an attractive early bird package from Pro-Net? October 30 is the day.
That’s a lot you already know, but there are still three missing pieces of the puzzle – the final price, details of any lesser variant(s), and what it’s like to drive. At the moment it looks like we’ll only have answers to the first two at launch, which, if everything goes to plan for Pro-Net, will not at all be far away. Happily, today we can answer the third question, albeit not without some caveats.
Earlier this week, we went to Proton’s Shah Alam test track (possibly and sadly for the very last time). There, we subjected the national carmaker’s second zero-emissions vehicle to a series of dynamic exercises and a high-speed blast on the banked oval. The uneven testing surfaces were not made available to us, so we unfortunately cannot report with conviction on how the non-Proton-tuned suspension would address bad roads – but we can take Danny’s word for it for now.
We only had a few hours with the car, and only the Premium variant was there; this is the one with 116 PS, 150 Nm of torque, a 40.16-kWh battery and a 325 km WLTP range. All tests were done with four people in the car including the driver, so do digest this report with that taken into consideration.
First up, straight-line acceleration. Officially, it’s 0-50 km/h in 3.9 seconds, but we’re informed on the side that the 0-100 km/h time is around 10 seconds. This checks out, as the eMas 5 pulls cleanly and hard from a standstill up to 50-60 km/h, after which it begins to taper off slightly.
It’s not especially fast by EV standards, but it does beat the ‘king’ Myvi in acceleration and response, which should be good for the many cut-and-thrust situations we face daily in Malaysian traffic. Under very heavy braking, despite a rather pronounced nose-dive, the vehicle tracks straight and true, scrubbing off speed with next to no drama. By the way, Proton claims a class-leading 100-0 km/h braking distance of 36.9 metres.
A tight slalom gave the eMas 5 a chance to show off its chuckability. Being rear-wheel drive (RWD), the car is more inclined to yaw given sharp steering movements, and you can just about feel the swing of the back end as it works to point the car to where you want to go. Banish from your mind any drifting ideas though, because A, you don’t quite have enough grunt for that here, and B, the geometry is still set up for safe understeer when you combine excessive amounts of throttle and steering angle.
The steering is light and devoid of feel, but linear, accurate and perfectly adequate for day-to-day driving. It could be a touch lower-geared though, as while the eMas 5’s tight 4.95-metre turning radius (helped, we’re sure, by it being RWD, since the front wheels are unencumbered by driveshafts and can therefore turn more) came in handy in the figure of eight, one does need to apply more lock, and faster, than expected.
This was much less of an issue in the wide slalom that followed, the car able to carry a good turn of speed through the gates. Changing direction at speed also demonstrated fairly good road-holding from those 205/60 Linglongs, at least in the dry – wet performance is usually where more budget-oriented tyres falter. It’s quite fun to drive, really.
One sharp turn later brought us to a long, sweeping left-hander, where again, the eMas 5 clung adequately well to the tarmac with little body roll (having the heavy battery underneath the occupants must help things on the centre-of-gravity front). We do have to report, however, that when under throttle in this sustained left turn, a relatively high-pitched grinding sound was audible from the rear-right, eventually disappearing.
Initially we dismissed this as an anomaly, but the sound was also heard in another car we later drove on the banked oval, again when turning left. Because there were no sweeping right turns that day, we do not know if turning right would produce the same sound from the rear-left (in other words, the outside-rear corner), but we did bring it up to Pro-Net and we’re sure the team is looking into it.
High-speed performance is OK – stability is good and next to no minor steering corrections were needed to keep the car in lane. Wind noise is audible after 80 km/h, becoming what you’d deem loud only after 110 km/h. We wouldn’t let that take away from the car’s refinement, which is otherwise above par – certainly miles better than your average B-segment hatch. 135 km/h is officially the top speed, at least for this Premium variant, but we did manage to touch 140 km/h on the oval.
Some notes about the driving position – while I had no complaints, the steering wheel (which is not telescopically adjustable) was too close for Hafriz, and he couldn’t find a comfortable seating position. In the back, while legroom is acceptable, head- and shoulder-room are at a premium, and the rather upright backrest (not recline-adjustable) suggests that long journeys would not be paradise for rear occupants.
This is primarily a city car – the modest WLTP range corroborates that – and in that respect it fulfils the brief, with the added bonus of being rather nimble and sprightly. A hot hatch it is not, but now that the Iriz has left us… dare I call the eMas 5 its spiritual successor in terms of fun-to-drive-ness (without ‘Proton ride and handling’; what irony!), or would that be pushing it? It certainly doesn’t communicate with the receptors in your fingers and your buttocks the way the Iriz did, but it’s still a very good try.
The RM60-80k estimated price range silences nearly all my grouses. With the Proton eMas 5, you’re getting a perfectly inoffensive little runabout that’s practical (70-litre frunk, 375-litre boot that’s expandable to 1,320 litres, under-seat storage), doesn’t feel cheap and is both easy and fun to drive. It had better make as much hay as it can before the Perodua EV comes though, since that’s still very much an unknown.
With the embargo on Proton eMas 5 drive impressions now lifted, we can finally show you the Flint Grey interior colour option for the entry-level electric hatchback. This is the standard hue that will be offered, given that the flashier Alabaster White is only applied to cars painted in Marble Cream and Quartz Rose – both reserved for the top-spec Premium.
It should be noted that while the grey is obviously much darker, it does not entirely read as black, unlike the Indigo Blue on the eMas 7. The (very slightly) lighter hue covers the steering wheel grips, airbag boss, seats and armrests, while the lower half of the dashboard – ivory on the Alabaster White version – is instead finished in black.
Beyond that, the cabin is as per what we’ve already seen, with a dual-cowl dashboard featuring illuminated gloss black decor with a “shooting star” motif. The latter has already been added to the 2026 version of its twin, the Geely Xingyuan, replacing the previous city skyline. At the centre sits a 14.6-inch infotainment system running on Proton’s Atlas OS, replete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bahasa Malaysia “Hi eMas” voice control and EV-specific features such as an integrated live charging map.
Lower down, there’s a storage cubby sitting ahead of a limited amount of air-con switchgear and a crystalline gear selector, plus two cupholders and a narrow slot. Unlike the Xingyuan, you can’t get the eMas 5 with a Qi wireless charger or a powered driver’s seat, not even on the Premium.
Standard kit includes halogen headlights, 16-inch steel wheels, manual seats and air-con, rear air vents and faux leather upholstery. Only the full equipment list for the Premium has been revealed so far, equipped with notable additions such as LED exterior lighting, a black roof, alloys, six speakers, a 360-degree camera and a powered tailgate.
As a refresher, the eMas 5 will be offered in Prime and Premium variants, with pricing estimated at RM60,000 and RM80,000 respectively. Both are rear-wheel drive, with the Prime churning out 79 PS (58 kW) and 130 Nm of torque and delivering just 225 km of WLTP-rated range through its 30.12 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The Premium boosts outputs to 116 PS (85 kW) and 150 Nm, while its larger 40.16 kWh LFP pack offers a more usable range of 325 km.
