My Weekend Getaway to Cameron Highlands with Proton S70

I've been to Genting Highlands multiple times but not even once to Cameron Highlands. I always wanted to but it seems that I didn't get the chance to visit despite hearing many recommendations from friends who went before. So I decided to finally pull the trigger to visit Cameron Highlands on my birthday, and I got the chance to drive up the highlands on a Proton S70 Flagship X.

Quartz Black colourway of this Proton S70 made exclusively for the Flagship X variant

Being somewhat adventurous, I went up using Tapah roads and the single lane winding roads were quite intense. More so than Cameron Highlands. It took me almost 4 hours despite having good handling and powerful 1.5L turbo engine , but I decided to cruise slowly as I’m not familiar with the roads.

The view from my hotel room

As I arrived Cameron Highlands, the weather was nice and chilly. I headed straight to Heritage Hotel where I will stay for a night. After checking in to my hotel, it seems like a perfect time to have steamboat dinner. I googled a couple of places but finally settled with Restoran Taman Apple Cameron Steamboat & Grill with a lot of Google reviews and the closest one too.

Their marinated lamb is one of my favourite there

They have good variety of seafood and meat, and I only RM39 per head without time limit. Cheap and super filling! The only issues I have is the amount of flies flying around. I didn't get stomach ache or food poisoning from it so I guess it's fine.

The grill and emblem of Proton S70

The rear view of the Proton S70 with a rear tail light bar that can do a nice light dance whenever the car is unlocked

The side profile with 17 inches allow wheels. Rim design is quite nice and sleek.

The view of BOH tea plantation from Proton S70's sun roof

Next day, I left my hotel early after breakfast to visit the tea plantation. The seats on the S70 are soft and supportive, and I found out that the sunroof was a great addition as I was heading to BOH Tea Garden. I went around the tea garden and there are two cafes where visitors can dine in. I didn't try any of the food there since I had a big buffet breakfast earlier. The tea goods are sold there too but it's on normal retail price and the supermarkets in KL are selling them cheaper. I managed to join in the tea processing factory, it was alright but educational.

BOH Tea Garden compulsory photo spot. Haha!

The guide at the factory tour explaining about the tea processing

Before leaving Cameron Highlands, I went to get some strawberries and then headed back to KL via Simpang Pulai which is longer but not as intense as the one from Tapah. Overall, it was a short but sweet getaway. I will definitely return again in future.

Strawberries were so cheap and you can pluck your own strawberries too if you are not in a rush

The Proton S70 is equipped with a 50L fuel tank which has 580km range on the meter from the previous driving behaviour. So for highway cruising, I believed that the travel distance between Johor to Ipoh is pretty much doable and if there's no traffic congestion, this car may even reach Penang optimistically with average 7L/100KM. Throughout my trip going to and back from Cameron Highlands, I did not pump petrol at all. So one full tank is good enough for the entire trip.

What I like most about the Proton S70 Flagship X:-

•    Ride and handling
 •    Power delivery from its 1.5L turbo engine
•    Good soundproofing from the engine sound into the cabin despite having a three cylinder engine
 •    Modern and sleek dashboard
 •    The 12.3" touchscreen monitor and fully digital meter cluster
 •    Sunroof with shade that can be opened via voice assistants
 •    Spacious driver and front passenger areas
•    Wireless charger

What I think the Proton S70 Flagship X can improve:-

•    Apple Car Play and Android Auto for all variants
•    Less aggressive Lane Centering Control (LCC)
•    Adjustable safety warning volume sound (maybe it has but I can't find it)
•    Smoother acceleration from standstill (common issues experienced by owners)
•    Thicker foam on the centre armrest

I don’t own this S70 (I wish though) but I do recommend to anyone who is looking for a bigger B segment sedan that packed with nice features especially safety and good performance in climbing up the highlands and cruising effortlessly through the highways. Prices start from RM73,800 to RM94,000 for this top variant, I think it's a good buy right now considering there's a lot of rebates plus accessories worth RM3,130 offered by the Proton sales agent.

To end my post, I would like to give a special thanks to the Proton team for loaning the Proton S70 to me. Even though it's only for a few days but it managed to leave a good impression to me as our national car brand has now progressed to be on par with other international brand in terms of specs and quality. Till then...

.: Peace Out :.