Is the Proton S70 cheaper than the Honda City?

The S70 range starts much lower, but not against the same City variants. Where the two ranges touch (Premium and Flagship X against City S) the prices are within a few hundred ringgit. Any headline answer that compares the cheapest S70 against the cheapest City is comparing different segments as much as different brands.

Which has more power?

The S70's turbocharged engine produces substantially more power and torque than the City's naturally aspirated 1.5 litre on every variant. That advantage is consistent across the two matched pairs; it is not something the equipment table addresses.

Does the S70 have Honda Sensing-equivalent equipment?

Proton publishes ADAS, including automatic emergency braking, on the Flagship and Flagship X variants. Executive and Premium do not name those systems on the official specification. The City publishes Honda Sensing on every variant including the entry S.

Proton S70 vs Honda City

The ranges only overlap at the top of the S70 and the bottom of the City, but there the prices sit within a rounding error of each other, which makes this a real decision rather than a category mismatch.

Published by bandingcar. Updated: 10 August 2026

Different segments, one price band

On paper these are not the same class: the S70 is a turbocharged C-segment car and the City is the longstanding B-segment default. In practice the Flagship and Premium S70 variants line up against the City S and E at prices close enough that buyers cross-shop them anyway, especially when the national car's monthly payment looks competitive against a Honda badge.

Below that band the S70 is alone; above it the City walks up through V, RS and e:HEV with no Proton counterpart at the same money.

The variants that actually compete

Only two pairs meet the mutual-nearest-neighbour test. Everything else on either side is listed as unpaired, with the variant that outbid it named, so nothing is quietly dropped.

The closest match is the S70 Flagship against the City S: RM100 apart.

Proton S70	Honda City	Difference
Flagship · RM84,800	S · RM84,900	RM100
Flagship X · RM89,800	E · RM89,900	RM100

Variants with no counterpart

S70 Executive at RM68,800. Its nearest rival is the S, RM16,100 away, but the S is nearer still to the Flagship (RM100), so that is the pairing shown above. It also sits below the bottom of the other range, so nothing there undercuts it.
S70 Premium at RM74,800. Its nearest rival is the S, RM10,100 away, but the S is nearer still to the Flagship (RM100), so that is the pairing shown above. It also sits below the bottom of the other range, so nothing there undercuts it.
City V at RM94,900. Its nearest rival is the Flagship X, RM5,100 away, but the Flagship X is nearer still to the E (RM100), so that is the pairing shown above. It also sits above the top of the other range, so nothing there reaches it on price.
City RS at RM99,900. Its nearest rival is the Flagship X, RM10,100 away, but the Flagship X is nearer still to the E (RM100), so that is the pairing shown above. It also sits above the top of the other range, so nothing there reaches it on price.
City e:HEV RS at RM111,900. Its nearest rival is the Flagship X, RM22,100 away, but the Flagship X is nearer still to the E (RM100), so that is the pairing shown above. It also sits above the top of the other range, so nothing there reaches it on price.

What the money buys at each step

The asymmetry that matters: Honda Sensing, including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise, is standard on every City variant. Proton publishes ADAS only from the Flagship upward on the S70, and the Premium variant that pairs with the City S does not name automatic braking at all.

That reads below as not listed on the Proton side rather than as a confirmed absence, but it is a real difference in what each brochure tells a buyer at the same price.

Flagship RM84,800 against S RM84,900

7 capabilities separate them outright.

Capability	S70	City
Blind spot monitoring	Yes	No
Rear cross traffic alert	Yes	No
Door opening warning	Yes	No
Rear collision warning	Yes	No
Auto high beam	Yes	No
360-degree camera	Yes	No
Reverse camera	No	Yes
Automatic emergency braking	Yes	Yes
Adaptive cruise control	Yes	Yes
Lane departure warning	Yes	Yes
Front parking sensors	No	No

Flagship X RM89,800 against E RM89,900

7 capabilities separate them outright.

Capability	S70	City
Blind spot monitoring	Yes	No
Rear cross traffic alert	Yes	No
Door opening warning	Yes	No
Rear collision warning	Yes	No
Auto high beam	Yes	No
360-degree camera	Yes	No
Reverse camera	No	Yes
Automatic emergency braking	Yes	Yes
Adaptive cruise control	Yes	Yes
Lane departure warning	Yes	Yes
Front parking sensors	No	No

How to choose

If active safety from the first variant is non-negotiable, the City decides this comparison before equipment lists are compared further. The S70's case is power and space per ringgit, a turbo engine and a larger body for similar money at the top of its range, once you accept the safety specification that comes with it.

If the budget stretches to S70 Flagship, the picture flips: Proton publishes a full ADAS suite and the comparison becomes a genuine equipment fight at near-identical prices.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Proton S70 cheaper than the Honda City?: The S70 range starts much lower, but not against the same City variants. Where the two ranges touch (Premium and Flagship X against City S) the prices are within a few hundred ringgit. Any headline answer that compares the cheapest S70 against the cheapest City is comparing different segments as much as different brands.
Which has more power?: The S70's turbocharged engine produces substantially more power and torque than the City's naturally aspirated 1.5 litre on every variant. That advantage is consistent across the two matched pairs; it is not something the equipment table addresses.
Does the S70 have Honda Sensing-equivalent equipment?: Proton publishes ADAS, including automatic emergency braking, on the Flagship and Flagship X variants. Executive and Premium do not name those systems on the official specification. The City publishes Honda Sensing on every variant including the entry S.