THERE'S no model that represents urban versatility like the Proton e.MAS 5.
Rolling all your daily driving needs into one, Malaysia’s current most affordable electric vehicle (EV) is the gold-standard for your daily drive because of how easily it can adapt to suit your hectic lifestyle.
As with EVs, it fits right into today's cost-conscious lifestyle since it has less moving parts and consumables which help to reduce service costs.
Then we have service intervals that are mostly only once a year or by 20,000km, and the option to either charge at home or at designated stations in addition to charging as opposed to refuelling at a petrol station.
A single full charge can net you a practical WLTP range of 325km. Pair that with the battery's fast-charging capability and you can get 30% to 80% in just 21 minutes.
Over a span of 10 years it is estimated that the total cost for the e.MAS 5 owner is easily 1/3 less to that of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car of a similar segment.
Every little bit you save goes towards other necessities from savings, family expenses, bills, and shopping.
Speaking of shopping, it may come as a surprise to you that the B-segment compact e.MAS 5 comes with a roomy C-segment interior cabin.
It has a 2,650mm wheelbase, flat rear floor, foldable 60:40 rear seats and a wide 65-degree rear door opening that allows for easy entry to really drive home that sense of spaciousness.
More importantly is that storage is abundant with a 70-litre frunk, 28 litres of under-seat, and a 375-litre rear trunk that is expandable to 1,320 litres.
In all, the e.MAS 5 has 32 smart storage compartments for gadgets, daily essentials, and groceries.
Practicality alone is of course not enough without comfort and convenience which thankfully is not sacrificed.
Smart everyday features like a powered tailgate, pneumatic rods, keyless entry, and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality further enhance its function as a versatile daily companion.
A lounge-style interior with ergonomic seats awaits for you on the inside, in addition to a two-tone leatherette steering, a 14.6-inch FHD display head unit and an 8.8-inch full-colour digital instrument monitor.
Running on ATLAS Auto OS, the system supports English and Malay languages as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
It also comes with Proton e.MAS' signature Integrated Live Charging Map that allows users to search, navigate and pay for charging at over 90% of EV chargers in Malaysia.
This means owners are linked to over 4,000 charging points across the nation.
Drivers can now remotely monitor and control vehicle functions with the Proton e.MAS App - from checking battery level to pre-cooling the cabin on a sunny day.
As for driving, rest assured that parking and manoeuvring with the e.MAS 5 is much easier with its 360-degree camera and 3D display.
Alongside it is a best-in-class turning radius of just 4.95m, making the e.MAS 5 ideal for navigating tight city roads and parking spaces.
For a little fun, the EV's 85kW motor that delivers 150Nm of torque to the rear wheels allows the e.MAS 5 to achieve 0–50kph in just 3.9 seconds.
Safety is not compromised either with the body itself being fortified with a Star Armor Cage structure.
This is in addition to its six airbags and 12 advanced driver-assist (ADAS) functions like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Blind Spot Detection (BSD), among others.
Even its CATL LFP battery features a 3+2 layered protection system to ensure thermal safety and long-term durability.
All of this is wrapped into a body design that is easy on the eyes with five exterior colour options of Marble Cream and Quartz Rose (only available for Premium variants), Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey - all of them are paired to a sporty dual-tone roof.
Its minimalist lounge-style interior is finished in two calming tones between Alabaster White and Flint Grey.
Available in two variants it is priced on-the-road without insurance at RM59,800 for the Prime variant, while the Premium goes for RM72,800.
