Proton e.Mas 7 review: Punching hard for the price

Business Times

15 hours ago

[Singapore] Everyone loves a good comeback story, and the e.Mas 7 is the star of Proton's. A pure electric crossover (what isn't, these days?), it spearheads the brand's September relaunch here, after 11 years' absence.
There are still Protons on the road (Land Transport Authority figures show roughly 300 in the country), but your chances of spotting a Ferrari on any given day are three times higher. The e.Mas 7's job is to change all that, while paving the way for a new family of electric cars from the Malaysian car company, all with the 'e.Mas' branding.
It's gotten off to a flying start, at least at home. It's now Malaysia's top-selling electric vehicle (EV), and in May, Proton claimed it had sold one every hour since its launch in January. Still, how much pride our cousins across the Causeway should take in that achievement depends on whether you think of the e.Mas 7 as Malaysian or Chinese.
It's very much a Geely Galaxy E5 (or EX5, depending where you shop) with a Proton badge, and it's assembled in China for now. A little graphic on the windscreen depicts a landmark from Hangzhou, not Kuala Lumpur.
But that should be a selling point, if anything. No one churns out well-equipped EVs at aggressive prices quite like the Chinese, after all, and Geely's control of Proton is what makes the e.Mas 7 work.
Sure enough, new distributor Vincar EV is launching two versions here for tempting sums. The e.Mas 7 Prime kicks off the range with a pre-launch price of S$168,988 including a Category B Certificate of Entitlement. It has a 49.52 kilowatt-hour battery, which is enough for an uncompetitive 345 kilometres. Both versions have a 218 horsepower motor driving their front wheels, but the Premium (S$172,988) bumps battery capacity to 60.22 kWh for a more workable 410 km of range.
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That alone should swing it in favour of the Premium, but either way, the e.Mas 7 feels very much like a modern Chinese EV to drive. The suspension setup borders on firm but feels better sorted than the segment's soggy norm, and though the acceleration never arrives in a violent surge, it's smooth and instantaneous.
The roomy e.Mas 7 favours family duties over driving thrills. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
While there's plenty of grip available around corners, the e.Mas 7 is never going to be the kind of car you take to your favourite road for laughs. It feels too heavy for that, and the motor keeps up a stoic silence no matter how hard you stomp on the accelerator. At least it rewards you with thrift; I found it easy to keep energy consumption way below the car's claimed consumption figure.
Anyway, it's clear the e.Mas 7 favours family duties over driving thrills. It's deceptively roomy, especially in the rear where legroom is limo-like. Barring the odd hard plastic and wonky panel, the cabin doesn't feel cheap. And there are thoughtful touches all around the car, such as a deep boot well that lets golf bags stand tall, and a tray beneath the rear bench that's perfect for stashing a pair of shoes or keeping, say, a laptop out of sight.
Up front, an impressively sharp 15.4-inch display takes centre stage. It's smooth and lag-free, but still needs polish. Apple CarPlay was glitchy on my test car (I had to reconnect my phone often), and Android Auto is currently missing in action. The native navigation system doesn't work in Singapore, so it can't find charging stations here. I expect software updates to sort those eventually, and there is a companion smartphone app in the works.
In the meantime, the e.Mas 7 does make a strong case for itself, though not the Prime version and its short range. For slightly more money, the Premium goes a lot further but also comes with a head-up display, panoramic glass roof, a 16-speaker sound system, larger wheels and so on.
Up front, an impressively sharp 15.4-inch display takes centre stage. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
Proton's real challenge isn't product strength, but a hostile landscape. BYD looms large in the imagination of nearly every EV buyer here, and while the e.Mas 7 is pitched against the smaller Atto 3, its Category B placement will have buyers wondering if they shouldn't stretch their budgets for a larger Sealion 7 instead.
As for Proton's place in buyers' minds here, anyone comfortable with the thought of owning a car from Geely brands such as Polestar and Volvo ought to be fine with the e.Mas 7, but it's anyone's guess whether Singaporeans will embrace the badge. Come September, the Proton saga continues.
Proton e.Mas 7 Premium Motor power/torque 218 hp/320 Nm Battery type/net capacity Lithium Iron Phosphate/60.22 kWh Charging time/type 6.1 hours 10 to 80 per cent (11 kW AC), 20 minutes 30 to 80 per cent (100 kW DC) Range 410 km 0-100 kmh 7.1 seconds Top speed 175 kmh Efficiency 16.6 kWh/100 km Agent Vincar EV Price S$172,988 with with COE Available September 2025