A Closer Look At The Geely Binyue – Next Proton SUV?

Alongside the all-new Geely Jiaji, we also got up close and personal with the Geely Binyue, a subcompact SUV aimed squarely at the Honda HR-V and the Toyota C-HR.

Starting from the exterior of the Binyue, the variant that we got personal with was the sportier variant, identifiable by these features:

• Red highlight in the front grille
• Upright front fog light surrounds
• Subtle front lower lip
• Prominent rear spoiler with a red ‘S’ wording
• Quad muffler tips
• Side mirrors with carbon fibre-like finish
• Red brake callipers

As we stepped into the Binyue, we got the same impression as we did when we first got into the Jiaji – a very upmarket feeling. Similar to the Jiaji, the Binyue gets a healthy dose of high quality plastic and metal throughout the cabin.

We noticed that the red padding that’s fitted above the meter cluster gets real stitching, though the rest of the red trim on the dashboard is molded. Red highlights can also be found on the carpets, seats, centre arm rest, and door trim, which gives the Binyue a sportier interior than some of its rivals, such as the Honda HR-V. The sporty appeal is further accentuated by the flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters.

In China, the Geely Binyue can be had with these two powertrains:

• 1.0-litre turbo petrol (134 hp/205 Nm), 6-speed manual
• 1.5-litre turbo petrol (174 hp/255 Nm), 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

The Geely Binyue is priced from 78,800 Yuan for the base turbocharged model, while the more powerful 1.5-litre turbocharged model is priced from 88,800 Yuan. For comparison, the larger Geely Boyue(Proton X70) is priced from 129,800 Yuan.

After factoring in the similar quantum in price gap between the Binyue and Boyue in China (25 to 30% difference in prices), Malaysian consumers can expect the forthcoming X50 to have a ballpark price very close to that of the Perodua Aruz (estimated from RM72,000). The Proton X70 is priced between RM99,800 and RM123,800.

Apart from the Geely Jiaji, the Binyue is destined to be Proton’s next SUV – the model has already been sighted in Malaysia and Proton has trademarked several names, including a appropirately named X50.