The one thing that sticks out about the 2024 Proton S70 – and it comes with great bragging rights among Malaysians – is that its the most powerful Geely Emgrand derivative on sale anywhere in the world.

That comes from its 1.5-litre turbocharged three-pot that it shares with the Proton X50, X70, and X90, loaded with 150 PS and 226 Nm. Elsewhere in the world, the Emgrand makes 109 PS and 147 Nm through its naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre engine.

Now, Proton is usually lauded for its locally-tailored, 'Proton Ride and Handling' character. So with this considerable bump in power, has there been extra attention paid to chassis tuning, given that it keeps the torsion beam rear suspension array intact from its donor car?

Vehicle Program Executive, Haizam Ghazali clarified this at the recent Proton S70 media drive in Penang, stating that it has been planned for from much earlier. "When we develop [a car] with Geely, the most important thing is the architecture. The architecture is a base whereby Geely, Proton and the brands share."

Also read: Will the Proton S70 get a cheaper 1.5L NA variant? Here's Proton's answer

"From the basic architecture, that will define what model will be produced from same architecture. When we look at this, when we do the analysis and requirements beyond engine change [such as NCAP, crash testing requirements], I would say that in changing the engine, the body and chassis itself has been designed for that requirement," he clarified.

Granted, this doesn't mean that the S70 was converted lock, stock, and barrel from its Emgrand base car. Many miles and hours were spent testing the car to suit it to local conditions, and in our initial impressions, it's been quite impressive. Watch this space as we bring you the review.