Proton X50 teased by dealer in Bintulu – launch soon? - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Here’s another appearance of what appears to be the forthcoming Proton X50, here seen partly in view behind the larger X70 positioned in front of it. The forthcoming B-segment SUV will be based on the Geely Binyue that was launched in China in 2018, and this latest teaser has surfaced from the Facebook page of a Proton dealer in Bintulu.

Official confirmation has yet to come from Proton, though it appears that the X50 is on track for launch in the third or fourth quarter of this year. Last August, we reported that AmInvestment indicated an October 2020 arrival for the X50, which has been tipped to come to market as a CKD model.

While social media is a vast and often, quick source of information, not everything that appears on one’s feed checks out. Rumours have ranged from the upcoming compact SUV set for launch in July, to a starting price from as low as RM50,000, which was a sum derived from a direct conversion of pricing for a base model sold in China. One has proven false, while the other is still far-fetched.

Chatter is harmless until money starts changing hands, at which point the security of your hard-earned is no longer assured. Though some dealers and agents have been rumoured to have asked for early booking fees for a guaranteed slot at the front of the customer queue, we advise buyers not to put money down until an official announcement from Proton itself has stated that the order books are, in fact, opened. They haven’t.

For example, the pre-launch campaign for the X70 in 2018 saw the company make an official announcement for when the order books would be open, and only then would any bookings be valid. The case remains the same for this upcoming X50, and until it is official, there’s no queue to beat. For the latest in updates regarding the Proton X50, stay tuned to paultan.org .

GALLERY: Proton X50 spyshots