Here’s a full gallery of the Proton eMas 7 PHEV Prime, which is the base variant in the line-up that also includes the Premium and Premium Plus. Priced at RM109,800 on-the-road without insurance, the Prime is RM14,000 less than the Premium and RM20,000 cheaper than range-topping Premium Plus.
With the RM4,000 launch rebate that is being offered to the first 5,000 customers who book an eMas 7 PHEV, the Prime’s asking price is even lower at RM105,800, making it Malaysia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid model on sale.
In terms of the powertrain, the Prime is identical to the mid-spec Premium, with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four petrol engine serving up 99 PS (98 hp or 73 kW) and 125 Nm of torque. This works with an electric motor rated at 218 PS (215 hp or 160 kW) and 262 Nm for a total system output of 262 PS (259 hp or 193 kW) and 262 Nm that is directed to the front wheels.
An 18.4-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery from CATL enables up to 83 km of range when running on pure electricity, with the entire system capable of up to 943 km of combined range. The Premium Plus gets a 29.8-kWh Geely Aegis short blade LFP battery for even more electric-only range at up to 146 km and a higher combined range of 996 km.
Both the Prime and Premium support DC charging at a peak of 30 kW, with a 30-80% state of charge achieved in under 20 minutes. The Premium Plus’ larger battery can handle up to 60 kW and needs less than 16 minutes to get from 30-80% – a 7-kW onboard AC charger is standard across the range. However, the first two variants take eight seconds to get from 0-100 km/h, with the range-topper requiring 8.2 seconds. All three max out at 170 km/h and come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) functions.
As for standard equipment, the Prime comes with 18-inch wheels in an aero design, which are an inch smaller than the multi-spoke units on the Premium and Premium Plus – tyres are from Giti (previously Goodyear). In addition to the wheels, another way to spot a Prime is the lack of a full-width light bar between the automatic LED headlamps. The base variant also doesn’t get a panoramic sunroof, auto-folding side mirrors and a powered tailgate.
On the inside, the Prime gets the same 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster as its more expensive stablemates along with leatherette seat upholstery. You still get the 2.5K 15.4-inch infotainment central infotainment touchscreen with Flyme Auto operating system that includes support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, app store access, telematics (via the eMas app) and other connected features.
To meet the price point, things like an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, powered front seats with ventilation, a rear armrest, ambient lighting, a retractable tonneau cover, a head-up display, wireless charging pad and 16-speaker sound system (there’s a six-speaker setup instead) are all absent.
The suite of safety and driver assistance systems is also not as comprehensive with the Prime, with the base option getting one less airbag (total is six instead of seven), no 360-degree camera (only a reverse camera), no occupant detection alert and no front parking sensors (only rear).
Additionally, the Level 2 ADAS package is without emergency lane keep assist, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear cross traffic automatic braking, lane change safety warning, blind spot detection and door open warning. Even so, you still get key features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, emergency brake assist, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, lead vehicle departure alert and traffic sign recognition.
The eMas 7 PHEV comes in Obsidian Black, Lithium White, Mercury Silver, Galena Grey and Aquamarine Blue, while the interior can be had in either Alabaster White or Onyx Black. A six year/unlimited-mileage warranty on the vehicle is included together with an eight-year/160,000-km warranty covering the high-voltage battery and components.
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Strong competitor to iCaur V23 for lower price. Both outstanding Rich equipped with longer warranty serving.