This Is the Proton X50 1.5T Standard – Worth It Over Executive?

Chances are, your local Proton showroom doesn’t have the Proton X50 1.5T Standard on display; it’s usually the range-topping Flagship that gets all the attention. Well, if you’re wondering how the Standard model of the X50 looks like, here are exterior and interior shots of the most affordable variant.

These images of the X50 1.5T Standard (in Armour Silver) were shared by Shakirin Tuah on the Proton X50 Community Malaysia’s Facebook page. For the most part, the exterior looks strikingly similar to other variants of the X50, except for the absence of LED fog lights, as well as the blacked-out roof and side mirrors of the Flagship model.

Of course, just like the Executive X50, the Standard variant comes with 17-inch alloy wheels too; only the Flagship and Premium models get bigger 18-inch wheels.

Once you get inside the Standard X50, you’ll immediately see some major differences. It gets fabric seats instead of leatherette, the steering wheel is not wrapped in leather – urethane is used instead – and there’s no centre armrest for the rear passengers.

Beyond these differences, the Standard X50 gets the same single tone interior finished in black as the Executive model. It also has an 8-inch infotainment screen in the centre console – compared to the larger 10.25-inch display of the Premium and Flagship models – and a semi-digital instrument cluster.

If you’re looking to get the Standard variant of the X50, there’s a good chance you’re also contemplating to upgrade to the Executive trim. After all, the price difference between the Standard (RM79,200) and Executive (RM84,800) models are not particularly big at RM5,600. So then: it is worth paying extra for the Executive model?

Unless you’re not a fan of leatherette seats, we recommend going for the Executive X50; it offers enough added features to justify the price difference. Not only are you getting leatherette seats, you also get a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto headlights, front parking sensors, and most importantly, six airbags – the Standard only gets four airbags.

Besides that, the Executive X50 also gets more colour options than the Standard. The latter is only available in Armour Silver, Snow White, and Ocean Blue, while the Executive adds on Jey Grey and Citric Orange. The Passion Red colour, on the other hand, is only offered on the Premium and Flagship models.

Nonetheless, despite the fact that the Proton X50 1.5T Standard is the most affordable model in the lineup, there’s no denying that it still looks quite handsome. If you’d like to learn more about this B-segment SUV, check out our other coverage of the X50.