The Proton e.MAS 5 is billed as “Malaysia’s first affordable EV”, and despite its compact size, it packs quite a punch.
An affordable national car does not need to produce supercar figures, arrive dripping in carbon fibre or promise technology borrowed from a spacecraft. To benefit a country, it simply needs to be attainable, useful and good enough to make everyday commuters sit up and pay attention. This is what the new Proton e.MAS 5 is trying to target.
By now, much about Proton’s smallest electric vehicle is already familiar. It has been billed as “Malaysia’s first affordable EV”, is expected to cost under RM100,000, and has already attracted quite a crowd. It is closely related to the Geely EX2, also known as the Geome Xingyuan in China, and is now locally assembled.
It will eventually make its way to Singapore, but I managed to get a sneak preview at Proton’s Tanjung Malim facility.
Modest numbers beckons useful performance
Singapore will likely only see the Premium variant, which produces 114Hp and 150Nm of torque from a rear-mounted electric motor, drawing power from a 40.16kWh battery. Proton claims a WLTP driving range of 325km.
Officially, the e.MAS 5 can complete the century sprint in around 10 seconds. It certainly won’t cause performance-car owners to lose sleep, but raw numbers only tell part of the story.
From rest, the e.MAS 5 pulls away cleanly and eagerly. The instant torque gives it a convincing surge up to around 50 or 60km/h before acceleration begins to taper off. It is not particularly quick by electric-car standards, but it feels sufficiently alert for the cut-and-thrust reality of city traffic.
The brakes are reassuring too. Under hard braking, there is a noticeable amount of nose dive, but the car remains straight and stable as it sheds speed. Proton claims a class-leading stopping distance of 36.9 metres from 100km/h, and the car certainly feels capable of hauling itself down without fuss.
A little rear-wheel-drive charm
The make-shift slalom revealed one of the e.MAS 5’s more interesting qualities: it is rear-wheel drive. That does not suddenly transform it into a miniature sports car, but it does influence how the car changes direction. Make a sharp steering input, and you can sense the rear beginning to rotate gently, helping point the nose towards the next gate.
Before anyone starts looking for empty industrial carparks, drifting is not on the agenda. The motor does not produce enough power for sustained antics, while the chassis remains tuned to favour safe and predictable understeer when too much throttle and steering lock are applied together. Still, there is a welcome sense of agility here.
The steering itself is light and largely devoid of feedback, but it is linear and accurate. For daily use, that is likely all most owners will require. It could be slightly quicker, however, because more steering lock is sometimes needed than expected during tighter manoeuvres.
The benefit arrives when parking or negotiating narrow streets. With the front wheels freed from the burden of driveshafts, they can turn more sharply, helping the e.MAS 5 achieve an impressively tight 4.95-metre turning radius.
Surprisingly composed at speed
The compact gymkhana course was never going to be the e.MAS 5’s natural habitat. With a claimed maximum speed of 135km/h, this is clearly a city-oriented electric runabout.
Even then, overall refinement remained commendable, especially when viewed against conventional B-segment hatchbacks. Without an engine labouring away under the bonnet, the cabin feels calmer and more grown-up than its price positioning might suggest.
The driving position will suit some drivers better than others. I found it perfectly acceptable, but the steering wheel does not adjust for reach, which may make it difficult for taller or longer-limbed drivers to find an ideal relationship between seat, pedals and wheel.
Rear accommodation is similarly mixed. Legroom is respectable for a car of this size, but headroom and shoulder room are tighter. The rear backrest is also rather upright and cannot be reclined, which suggests that longer journeys may become tiring for adult passengers seated behind.
The e.MAS 5 also makes good use of its compact dimensions.
There is a 70-litre front storage compartment, or frunk, which is ideal for charging cables and smaller items. At the rear, the boot offers 375 litres of capacity, expanding to 1,320 litres with the back seats folded. There is additional storage beneath the seats too.
Just as importantly, the cabin does not immediately feel cheap. That will matter enormously in a segment where low prices can sometimes bring brittle trim, hollow plastics and the lingering sensation that every component was selected by spreadsheet.
It is practical enough for everyday family duties, small enough to make sense in crowded cities and straightforward enough that first-time electric-car owners should not feel intimidated.
The return of the sensible hatchback?
The Proton e.MAS 5 is not trying to reinvent affordable motoring. It is attempting something arguably more difficult: to make electric motoring feel attainable, familiar and genuinely useful.
There are still questions. I would be inclined to know how the suspension behaves on badly broken roads, and how comfortable the cabin remains over longer journeys. Final pricing will also determine whether the e.MAS 5 is merely interesting or properly disruptive.
For the money, the e.MAS 5 looks set to offer an honest, practical and pleasantly nimble electric runabout that does not feel like the cheapest thing its maker could assemble.
Proton should make the most of its early lead, though. Perodua’s first electric vehicle (QV-E) is approaching, and at present it remains the large, silent question mark hovering over this entire segment. Until then, the e.MAS 5 has the stage.
And based on this first encounter, it appears ready to make rather good use of it.
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