Marketed as a C-segment SUV, the car was launched on 12 December 2018, unveiled in a ceremony by then-prime minister and former Proton chairman Mahathir Mohamad.

[4] The acquisition and partnership was urgently needed, since at the time DRB-HICOM cites several problems which were Proton's lack of technological competitiveness, which it claimed could hamper its ability to develop quality products.

Proton claimed that pricing the X70 competitively was a great challenge as it lacked parts commonality with other models, and yield smaller scale production relative to its left-hand drive Chinese counterpart.

[8][9][10] In June 2018, it was announced that the initial units were going to be fully imported (CBU) from China with latter models being locally assembled (CKD) at Proton's plant.

All variants are powered by the same 1.8-litre turbocharged gasoline direct injection (TGDI) engine with the Geely Boyue, producing 182 hp (185 PS; 136 kW) and 285 N⋅m (29.1 kg⋅m; 210 lb⋅ft) paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

[24] The new look features a bold grille with Proton's Infinite Weave design and songket-inspired diamond pins seen on the X90 and S70,[25] slimmer LED headlights, and a redesigned front bumper.

The facelifted X70 features new steering wheel design, Stone Grey Nappa leather upholstery, and updated digital meter panel graphics.

The gear lever has a new design, and the car includes new semi-autonomous driving features like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering assist, and traffic sign recognition.

The X70 retains its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, producing 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque, and is paired with a revised seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Compared to the Boyue, Proton said it had to reposition and realign several critical parts which include the dashboard assembly, pedals, steering console, door buttons, brakes, gearbox, headlights calibration, wiper orientation, air-conditioning ducts, glove box, and several cables and wires in order to convert it into a right-hand drive vehicle, as the Boyue was not developed to have an RHD version in mind.

Some rubber components and cooling parts had to be redesigned, while the engine management system had to be recalibrated to account for the rougher terrain and altitude.

The X70 must be able to withstand Kuala Lumpur's standstill traffic at 34 °C (93 °F) daily, drive up to the mountainous Genting Highlands at over 1,800 metres (6,000 ft) where the air is thinner, as well as survive the treacherous landscape of East Malaysia.

Proton managed to reach 45 percent of local content for the X70 by the time production in Tanjung Malim began in late 2019.

[27] A total of 95 Proton engineers were said to be involved in the entire process of turning the Boyue into the X70, from research and development to the testing stages.

These engineers, along with technicians from manufacturing and quality divisions, made up around a total 200 people the company sent to Geely within a span of six months to conceive the X70.

Each of these individuals were claimed by the group has learned knowledge and experience from their counterparts at Geely, further enhancing Proton engineering expertise.

[30]A tonneau cover, air purifier system, rear air vents, dual zone automatic climate control, steering wheel switches, tilt and telescopic adjustment, LCD meter combination, central door locking with auto lock and push start button are all standard interior related features.

The X70 now features a new three-spoke steering wheel and a unique dashboard with a gloss black panel and multi-colour ambient lighting that changes with the music.

Moreover, the Proton Link app has been upgraded to allow users to start the engine remotely, enabling them to cool down the vehicle before getting inside.

Material wise, new Stone Grey Nappa leather replaces the old brown upholstery, with a new crisscross stitching pattern on the door cards and a black headlining instead of beige.Proton X70 had received a full score in ASEAN NCAP crash safety rating for the side impact test as well as for head protection technology in 2018.

However Lee also criticised on the high driving position, shallow boot and lack of more common features found in the segment such as a powered tailgate.

[36] With the locally assembled model, Hafriz Shah from paultan.org criticized the X70's lack of differences in the exterior when compared to the CBU variant and the new Proton logo as "out of place".