Now this isn’t something we see every day: we just received official spy shots of the Proton e.MAS 7 from Pro-Net itself. On top of that, the national carmaker also shared more details on the testing regimen of the EV – which is quite comprehensive – which involves a total of six test units.

Among the tests that the e.MAS 7 will undergo include Durability Adaptive Testing (DAT), Electrical Road Testing (ERT), Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) road test, and Quality Reliability Test (QRT). Enhancements to the navigation systems, Digital Head Unit (DHU), as well as Telematic Service Provider (TSP) services are in the cards too.

Each test is quite extensive, and it ensures that the e.MAS 7 is adapted to Malaysian roads. The QRT, for one, involves over 100,000km of testing to put the acceleration, braking performance, and power consumption of the EV through its paces.

Set to be the first EV from a Malaysian carmaker, the e.MAS 7 really is shaping up to be the Proton’s most anticipated model yet. It’s worth noting that this is not a “rebadge” exercise either – the C-segment electric SUV is said to be co-developed by Proton and Geely.

In fact, between Proton and Geely, over 700,000 manhours and 10 million kilometre of testing have been done for the e.MAS 7 to date. Several specifications of the EV that were detailed at the media preview match that of the Galaxy E5’s too, so it’s likely the two models share similar features.

Proton has not revealed the power output of the e.MAS 7, though the Galaxy E5 does feature a front-mounted electric motor that can do 218PS (160 kW) and 320Nm of torque. This allows the electric SUV to sprint from 0-100kmph in 6.9 second, and chances are, the e.MAS 7 will share the same drivetrain.

As Proton have previously announced, the Proton e.MAS 7 will make its debut sometime in December 2024. As road testing of the EV continues, keep your eyes peeled for the e.MAS 7 – you may be able to spot changes to the electric SUV throughout the testing process.