Motoring

Proton X50 flagship and Volvo XC40 Recharge use the same drivetrain

But why is the price difference between the XC40 and the X50 almost RM150k

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 22 Mar 2021 10:00AM

Proton X50 flagship and Volvo XC40 Recharge use the same drivetrain — The Volvo XC40 Recharge during a test drive. – Pic by Daniel Fernandez, March 22, 2021

by Daniel Fernandez

SO, since the announcement of the engine collaboration between Volvo Cars and Geely (who own 49% of Proton), there has been a lot of social media speculation that all new Proton models will be running on Volvo engineering supported by Geely.

Even the recent announcement by Volvo Cars and Geely Auto confirmed a wide ranging collaboration, which included synergies in powertrains, sharing of electric vehicle architecture, joint procurement, autonomous drive technologies and after-sales (Geely bought over Volvo in 2010 for US$1.8 billion, RM7.4 billion).

All, good news for Proton, but a little worrying for the sales team at Volvo Cars and their dealers. Why, well when you walk into any large Proton dealership today and most salespeople ‘push’ for your purchase of a new X50 or X70, they will ‘spice’ the deal by mentioning how these two Proton vehicles carry Volvo engineering, powertrain and even safety standards.

The Proton X50 during a test drive. – Pic courtesy of Daniel Fernandez

Sharing is caring

The Geely 7-DCT gearbox. – Pic courtesy of Daniel Fernandez

The biggest ‘sales pitch’ is the use of the same engine in both vehicles. Yes, it is true, the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Proton X50 use the EXACT same engine but in a slightly different tune.

The power outputs are almost the same (without the battery powered plug-in hybrid system kicking in for the Volvo). Also, to assist the Proton sales people, both vehicles use the same 7-DCT gearbox which is developed by Geely.

The Geely 1.5 3-cylinder engine. – Pic courtesy of Daniel Fernandez

Technically, the Volvo 3-cylinder powertrain is known as the B3154T5, while the Geely 3-cylinder engine is called JLH-3G15TD.

Nothing else

Here is where the similarities end. All the rest, entertainment, connectivity, safety standards and even its overall build quality differ with the Volvo XC40 offering much more. Still, for the average car buyer who does little research and probably never reads our car reviews, the Proton X50 is as good as the Volvo and that's enough for them to make a booking.

Voice activated cabin

This ‘selling point’ of the X50 moves up a notch with the appeal of the large touch-screen tablet sitting on the dashboard that is equipped with GKUI 19, which is the Geely Smart Ecosystem that controls the car's technological features and in-vehicle connectivity. This entertainment unit allows you to get access to infotainment applications including weather information, Joox music streaming and online navigation (via Alibaba's Auto Navi, using data from Here Maps).

You can mirror-link your smartphone to appear on the X50's touchscreen uses the QDLInk app. Yes, there is no Apple Carplay or Android Auto like in all Volvo Cars but it still has a lot to offer at its price point.

The test drive stickers for the Proton X50 (top) and Volvo XC40. – Pics courtesy of Daniel Fernandez

All this comes as Volvo Cars in Malaysia has been seeing a year on year sales increase (pre Covid-19) plus having new dealers in more locations around the country.

Volvo Cars in Malaysia has never seen sales numbers like this for many years where even Lexus and Audi have fallen a little behind them in total sales and even number of dealers.

The specifications for both the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Proton X50 Flagship are below for your consideration.