Having opened the order books for it last week, Proton has officially launched the 2026 Proton S70 MC1, doing so earlier this evening. The facelifted sedan arrives in the same four variant forms as when it was when it was introduced in November 2023, these being the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X
Let’s get to the pricing first. The four variants of the 2026 Proton MC1 are priced as follows (all on-the-road, without insurance):
- S70 1.5TD Executive – RM68,800
- S70 1.5TD Premium – RM74,800
- S70 1.5TD Flagship – RM84,800
- S70 1.5TD Flagship X – RM89,800
The above prices are with a RM5,000 early bird rebate being offered for the car. The actual pricing is identical to pre-facelift, which was priced at RM73,800 for the Executive, RM79,800 for the Premium, RM89,800 for the Flagship and RM94,800 for the Flagship X.
The 2026 Proton S70 MC1 comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty and six times free labour for servicing. It also comes with a five-year in-car data package with 2GB of data per month.
Away from one huge change, which is with the engine, the rest of the rework on the 2026 S70 is relatively minor, with minimal revisions being done to the exterior and interior. As reported previously, the changes outside are essentially lifted from the 2025 Geely Emgrand. This brings about new LED headlights, but without the flashy start-up sequence from before.
Additionally, the turn signal indicators are now bulb units, having previously being integrated into the eyebrow-like LED daytime running lights. Essentially, the turn signals take the place of the old high beams near the inner edge, so the high beam is now integrated into the main projector unit.
Other new bits include 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels for the Flagship, and these are almost identical to the outgoing unit, but with a more blade-like design for the spokes.
As for the tyres, the S70 MC1 is now shod with GitiComfort F22 tyres across the entire variant range. The Giti rubbers take over from the previous Kumho Ecowing ES31, which replaced the Goodyear Assurance Triplemax 2s that were dropped when the Goodyear plant in Shah Alam shut down in 2024. According to Proton, the tyre choice is based on maintaining the cost, because there were no locally-made choices priced in the same range as a replacement for the Goodyear.
Elsewhere, the Flagship X gets a new black bodykit. Designed by Proton, based on local taste, this brings about a distinct accent framing the air intake, a more aggressive diffuser-like rear skirt, a boot lid lip spoiler with a sizeable centre cutout and red highlight accents, which can be found on the black and white coloured versions of the car. The red finish – which the company calls Storm Red – is actually quite dark and subtle, and nowhere as garish as in the AI official pics have rendered it.
The big news is of course with the powertrain, with the S70 now featuring a 1.5 litre BHE15-EFZ i-GT turbo direct-injected four-cylinder engine, which replaces the GEP3 three-pot. The unit, which features a part-time Miller cycle, DVVT and an electric water pump, will equip all four variants available for the car.
With 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm, the new unit offers a considerable 31 PS/64 Nm jump over the old port-injected mill. The seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission has been retained, but the new engine allows the 2026 car to do the 0-100 km/h run in 7.5 seconds, which is a significant improvement from the 9.6 seconds for the same on the original S70.
Proton says this boost in performance comes at no expense to fuel economy. In fact, FC has improved, with the claimed 5.7 litres per 100 km (17.5 km per litre) consumption of the new mill representing an 8.1% improvement from before.
You get the same three drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport) as before, without the adaptive mode like on the X50 facelift. The automaker says that there’s no adaptive driving mode because it is still evaluating customer response and acceptance to it.
Proton S70 MC1 Flagship interior.
The company adds that running costs will lower thanks of a switch to a toothed timing chain, and recalibration work to the DCT means smoother gearshifts, with a better initial response, on the new car. Elsewhere, the suspension has been retuned to adapt to the new engine weight, but the ride and handling package is unchanged. No changes to the steering.
Inside, the cabin remains unchanged from the current S70, with only the headliner switching to black on the Flagship X (it remains beige for the rest of the range), and so you’ll find the familiar horizontal dashboard with a full-width air vent design and broad centre console topped by a T-shaped gear lever.
Standard fit items on the Executive include fabric seats, an 8.0-inch infotainment head unit, five USB ports, rear parking sensors and 16-inch alloys (with 205/55 tyres), and the window switchgear is now illuminated. Move up to the Premium and you get auto LED headlamps, a rear tail light bar, leatherette seats and a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel as well as auto air-conditioning, front parking sensors and a reverse camera.
Proton S70 MC1 Premium interior.
While the 8.0-inch screen means that the Executive and Premium don’t feature AACP, it’s perhaps more curious that both continue to feature analogue meters for its instrument display. This is an odd choice, given that X50 facelift went full digital, and even the Saga MC3 in its base form has that.
Move up to the Flagship and that’s where the goodies come in, starting with a switch to the 17-inch rollers, which are wrapped with 205/50 profile tyres. The 10.25-inch TFT instrument display and 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen from before continues on unchanged, but buyers of the variant (and the X, of course) can finaly look forward to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Speaking of this, it has been confirmed that this AACP update will not make its way on to older cars.
The Flagship also adds on a wireless mobile charger, 360-degree HD camera with 3D display, a six-way powered driver’s seat and security window film from the Premium. However, there are still no paddle shifters, despite the automaker billing the car as a “sport sedan.” The company says that is because paddle shifters are not available on the Emgrand in China.
2026 Proton S70 MC1 specification sheet, Click to enlarge.
As for the Flagship X, aside from the bodykit and black headliner, the add-ons are minimal, with a sunroof and a front DVR being the extra items.
Safety-wise, the S70 comes equipped with six airbags and items such as lane change assist, door opening warning, rear collision warning and rear cross traffic alert as standard. That’s for the Executive and Premium. As before, only the Flagship (and X) get Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist and autonomous emergency braking.
In terms of exterior colours, the choices available for the S70 MC1 are Quartz Black, Snow White, Space Grey, Marine Blue, Armour Silver and Ruby Red, the latter replacing the previous Passion Red. The Teal Bayou Green shade has been dropped from the palette.
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