SPYSHOT: Camouflaged Proton S70 Sighted – New 4-cyl Heart Being Tested?

Our colleague sighted this camouflaged Proton S70 unit on the PLUS Highway heading northbound just outside Seremban earlier today.

Earlier today, one of our colleagues from the Carz.com.my office snapped the two images featured. From which, we can confirm it to be a Proton S70 dressed in full camouflage. The unit was sighted on the PLUS Highway heading northbound just outside Seremban.

Whilst our colleague didn’t have the opportunity to snap the side and front profiles, he did confirm that the camouflage covers both areas too. Though launched with somewhat good fanfare, the sighting of this S70 prototype marks a notable upcoming shift.

Though our colleague couldn't snap the front or side profiles, he did confirm they were all camouflaged too. This perhaps signals that the S70 could see some styling tweaks that are coming soon.

Thanks to insider sources, Carz.com.my has understood that the Geely Emgrand-based C-segment sedan offering from Proton is set to see some changes inside and out. This lightly revised iteration of the S70 should officially launch sometime in 2026 too.

The camouflage suggests that we can perhaps expect some styling changes for this upcoming revised version. What’s more interesting though are the rumoured changes underneath, particularly with the model’s powertrain package.

Current Proton S70 in Flagship X guise pictured for reference.

More specifically, Carz.com.my has understood that Proton plans to swap out the GEP 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol mill that currently powers the S70 for a brand new i-GT 1.5-litre 4-cyl petrol mill instead.

We reckon the prototype our colleague sighted this morning is a test bed for said new mill detailed.

The Proton S70 currently uses the GEP3 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol mill derived from the pre-facelift X50 model. This is also rumoured to change soon.

As a refresher, the S70 essentially shares the same bones as the X50 compact crossover SUV, thus explaining its shared adoption of the same three-banger noted derived from the pre-facelift X50 model.

We’ll remind you that the face-lifted X50 has already made the switch for the i-GT 4-cyl mill mentioned, and a ‘simplified’ derivative of which – sans port-injection and turbocharger – now powers the recently launched fourth-gen Saga model too.

The switch makes sense for Proton considering that the dedicated production plant for the GEP3 engine mentioned has been repurposed recently to mass-produce the new i-GT 4-cyl engine mentioned.

Like the face-lifted X50 (left) and the recently launched fourth-gen Saga (right), the S70 could also adopt a new i-GT 4-cyl powerplant under its hood.

When exactly will we see this revised version of the S70 remains unclear for now, but we’re guessing it could be launched anytime in the first half (1H) of 2026. Until then, the S70 will continue as is with its current 3-cyl setup.

We’ll refresh your memory by noting that the Proton S70 currently has four variants available priced between RM73,800 (Executive) and RM94,800 (Flagship X). All share the same 1.5-litre 3-cyl petrol mill outputting 147 hp and 226 Nm of twist to the front wheels.

We could perhaps see this revised version of the Proton S70 launch sometime in the first half of 2026.

In the face-lifted X50crossover, the new 1.5-litre i-GT 4-cyl turbo petrol mill primed puts out a peppier 181 PS and 290 Nm. We’ll have more as soon as details emerge closer to launch.

In the meantime, what do you folks think? Reckon you’d fancy the S70 with a 4-cyl heart better? Hit the comments below with your take then…