A month after it was first shown at the Proton Tech Showcase at the Centre of Excellence (COE), the Proton eMas 7 PHEV has gone on show again, this time at a dedicated media preview held for it last week. As it was in December, the automaker’s first-ever plug-in hybrid remains hidden under camouflage, but with a different wrap, one that presents technical highlights of the SUV in points across the scheme.
Some reconfirm things already known, but there are new bits, and it would have provided a neat hint of what to expect, had the company not also decided to allow the release of the complete specification sheet for the vehicle and make all technical details available, which makes what’s on the wrap moot for the most.
As such, we’ll present all that we know about the P145, which the company is badging as “Malaysia’s first dual-powered EV.” Hafriz has made his point about this, so I won’t delve further on what is essentially a liberal marketing term coined for it.
Same as, but different
Before we get to the details, let’s recap the eMas 7 PHEV. Like how the fully-electric eMas 7 is the Geely Galaxy E5/EX5 with a Proton badge, the PHEV is essentially the Geely Starray EM-i (or Geely Galaxy Starship 7 in China), badged as a Proton.
That done, on to the specs. It measures in at 4,740 mm long, 1,940 mm wide and 1,685 mm tall, with a 2,755 mm-long wheelbase, which makes it 125 mm longer, 39 mm wider and 15 mm taller than the eMas 7 EV (4,615 mm long, 1,901 mm wide and 1,670 mm tall), and its wheelbase is also five mm longer than the electric.
At the presentation, the automaker highlighted that the GMA platform employed for the PHEV features five dedicated layout pathways to provide independent isolation of fuel, electrical and exhaust systems as well as six transverse/four longitudinal fuel/electric protective beams and six full 360-degree protection zones to deliver maximum external protection for the fuel tank and battery pack. Additionally, a three-layer stepped design for the underbody reduces the risk of scraping damage to the battery, which doesn’t jut out beneath the car à la the e:N1.
Looks-wise, its exterior is largely similar to the electric eMas 7, but a number of styling elements help present it with a more conventional – and arguably, more handsome – look, which you’ll get to see in full very soon. The front end, with split headlights and a full-width LED light bar running between them as well as a more defined bumper, gives the hybrid a bit more visual presence and dimensionality. Mention was made that the PHEV’s headlamps have been lowered to reduce glare.
Other differences include conventional door handles instead of the recessed, pop-out items on the electric and a reworked rear end, which sees the number plate placement being moved up from the bumper to the tailgate, lending it strong Porsche Cayenne overtures when viewed from the rear quarters. All this, without significant detriment to its resistance on the move, its 0.288 Cd not far away from the eMas 7 EV’s 0.275 Cd.
While it also rides on 18-inch (Prime) and 19-inch alloys (Premium and Premium Plus) like the EV, the PHEV features a new multi-spoke wheel design. Tyre profiles are identical to the EV across both wheel sizes – 225/55 profile units on 18s, and 235/50 on the 19s.
Like the eMas 7 EV, the suspension consists of front MacPherson struts and rear multi-links, and the set-up for it is the same as global models. Asked if there was any Malaysian touch to ride and handling for it, the answer from Pro-Net was no, but it was indicated that there was some involvement early on in the project.
As for exterior colours, five are available for the eMas 7 PHEV, and these are Obsidian Black, Lithium White, Mercury Silver, Galena Grey and Azure Blue.
Variants, powertrains and batteries
The PHEV follows the variant naming convention of the EV, but adds on one more to make it three – the Prime, Premium and a Premium Plus. All will feature Geely’s EM-i (for E-Motive Intelligence) Super Hybrid powertrain, which consists of:
- A 99 PS (98 hp, or 73 kW) and 125 Nm 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine
- A 218 PS (215 hp, or 160 kW) and 262 Nm front motor
- Total power output is rated at 262 PS (258 hp, or 193 kW) and 262 Nm, all sent to the front wheels
The petrol mill, BHE15-DFN, is an Atkinson-cycle version of the 1.5 litre BHE15-CFN, which made its debut in the new Saga MC3. For its application here, the naturally-aspirated unit has been made simpler and lighter for higher efficiency – single instead of dual-VVT and efficient EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) at the back. Anoraks will note that the output is down from the Chinese market’s 111 PS and 136 Nm engine.
It was earlier mentioned that the engine has a thermal efficiency of 47.26%, which is claimed by Geely to be the best in the world for a mass produced internal combustion engine. It has been revised to 46.5%, as noted on the info point placed on the hood – the reason why it’s slightly lower than China is because the latter gets the updated version, which is slightly more efficient, the company says.
As highlighted in the first preview, the engine doesn’t use an auxiliary belt, with minimal parasitic loss as a result. Elsewhere, the AC compressor is electric and the car’s 12V battery is charged via a DC-DC converter instead of an alternator, and the water pump has a higher capacity compared to the version in the Saga. The fuel tank is also pressurised on the PHEV.
Mated to the mill is an 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT) that combines a P1 integrated starter-generator and P3 traction motor. The system mostly lets the motor power the wheels on its own, but it has the ability to engage a clutch and feed in the ICE’s power at higher speeds where the engine is more efficient, similar to Honda’s e:HEV (non plug-in) hybrid system.
Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 8.0 seconds for the Prime/Premium and 8.2 seconds for the same on the Premium Plus, with all three variants having the same 170 km/h top whack. Besides this, the variants differ in battery capacities, range and DC charging rates. Like the EV, the PHEV features two batteries of different capacities and performance, and they are:
- Premium Plus – 29.8 kWh Aegis short blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, 146 km EV range, 996 km combined (both WLTP), 60 kW DC charging (30-80% SoC in under 16 minutes), 6.6 kW AC
- Premium and Prime – 18.4 kWh CATL LFP battery, 83 km EV range, 943 km combined (both WLTP), 30 kW DC charging (30 to 80% SoC in under 20 minutes), 6.6 kW AC
You’ll note from the specification sheet – and the point highlight on the camo car – that the PHEV offers 1,065 km of combined range on the Premium Plus (and 1,000 km for the Prime and Premium), but that’s based on the more lenient NEDC cycle.
Now, being able to tout 1,000 km or more of range is obviously neat from a marketing viewpoint (and a drive livestream event), but it’s simply following on the path that some competing offerings have gone, and in any case it would be a stretch to have drivers achieve this each and every time over a lifetime of mixed cycle use, where really nothing ever follows what’s listed on the tin.
More importantly, it also moves away from the automaker’s positive use of more realistic range permutations for its EV offerings, and so, it’s with WLTP that we present the PHEV’s theoretical range. In any case, the WLTP numbers aren’t anything to scoff at, given that the range topper is just a shade off the 1k mark.
The eagle-eyed reader will have noted that the range-topping PHEV variant’s DC charging of up to 60 kW is lower than the eMas 7 EV’s 80 kW and 100 kW rate, but this is hardly a thing, given its smaller battery capacity and PHEV leanings.
Meanwhile, fuel consumption is listed as 4.3 litres per 100 km on the Prime/Premium and 4.4 litres/100 km on the Premium Plus, but that’s on NEDC, so you can expect it to be higher in the final count. As for the PHEV’s service interval, it’s 12 months or 20,000 km, and during the preview, the automaker stressed that the service cost for it sits in between ICE and EV, with things hedging closer to EV.
Interior and kit
We can’t offer a view of the interior as yet, but that will come very soon. However, you can expect a cabin presentation identical to the eMas 7 EV (which in the image below provides a visual indication of what’s coming), with right-hand-drive cars retaining the eMas 7’s dashboard instead of the one seen in the domestic market LHD Starship 7. The reason for this is for cheaper localisation, with more common parts being shared. Incidentally, the eMas 7 PHEV launches as a CBU first before local assembly gets underway.
In terms of equipment, the PHEV’s kit list reads like the one for the all-electric eMas 7, and so you’ll find a Flyme OS (with English and Malay language support) powered by a 7nm automotive grade chip, live charging map integration, 10.2-inch LCD instrument cluster, a 2.5K 15.4-inch infotainment central touchscreen and leatherette seats as standard fare. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available on the PHEV from the get-go.
Variant specific equipment also generally mirrors that of the EV, from the six-speaker audio system on the Prime and 16-speaker Flyme Sound Wanos system on the Premium (and here, the Premium Plus) to the 13.8-inch windshield head-up display on higher variants. The Prime PHEV omits the powered driver’s seat found on the Prime EV, but the adjustment scope on powered seats up the model range is identical to the EV.
There are some differences. The eMas 7 PHEV has physical sunroof controls (on-screen on the EV) and a built-in tonneau cover, and it has a higher airbag count than the EV, seven to the six on the latter with the inclusion of a central airbag between the driver/front passenger, so it’ll be interesting to see if these improvements will filter down to the EV for the next update.
Naturally, boot space is also up from the EV. The PHEV offers 528 litres of rear volume capacity, expandable to 2,065 litres with the rear seats folded, giving it 67 litres and 188 litres more than the EV (461 litres, 1,877 litres). Its 100 litres hidden underfloor storage is also 49 litres more than the 51 litres available for the EV.
Some other spatial numbers were mentioned during the presentation, such as the 932 mm hip to hip distance between front and rear seats, 125 mm of rear-seat knee room and 73.5 mm of rear headroom, the last of which the automaker says is class-leading. According to Proton, interior space is about the same as the EV.
We’ll have more on the Proton eMas 7 PHEV very soon, including what it looks like uncovered, so stay tuned.
GALLERY: 2026 Proton eMas 7 PHEV at Proton Tech Showcase
GALLERY: RHD Geely Starray EM-i at GIIAS 2025
