As noted in our latest Editor’s Note, national carmaker Proton held a special teaser preview for local press members – us included – of its new flagship crossover SUV model, the X90.
Unlike the official revealing event held prior, invited press members were finally allowed to photograph and film the model during this latest teaser preview effort, which included a short test-drive session. This was indeed enough for us to soak up plenty of things about Proton’s latest and greatest.
With that in mind, here are 6 key facts you ought to know about the new Proton X90 that's now open for bookings.
1. It’s Very Spacious And Comfy On The Inside
As a D-segment SUV with three-rows of seats, it’s unsurprising to see the X90 boasting abundant cabin real estate, and we reckon passengers will have little to loathe. Adding to which is the presence of dedicated air-cond vents and controls for both the second- and third-row seats.
Speaking of the third-row seats, life is surprisingly decent here as there’s adequate headroom and movement space, even with the second row seats slid all the way back. It does lack a little in thigh support and legroom especially for tall, lanky folks, but this was somewhat expected.
As for luggage space, there’s a respectable 257 litres with the third-row seats up, or 1,200 litres with them down, thus allowing this crossover to handle daily hauling tasks with ease. What’s arguably more impressive is the 2,050 litres available when both the second- and third-row seats are folded.
The icing on the X90’s practicality cake comes from the inclusion of a powered tailgate feature. Available from the Executive variant onwards, it’s supplemented with a foot-sensor that works to both open and close, thus granting easier access too.
2. The Second Row Captain Seats Are Impressive
For those eyeing up the range-topping six-seater Flagship variant, we’re glad to report that the Second Raw Captain Seats primed here looked and felt great.
Offered exclusively in said range-topper, these seats get matched with plush leather upholstery, built-in seat ventilation, plus a ‘Boss’ switch that lets you adjust the front passenger seat further to gain more space. Coupled with the dedicated air-cond control and vents mentioned, as well as dedicated USB-A and USB-C charge ports, those who prefer to be chauffeur-driven on the daily will indeed be impressed.
3. It Doesn’t Look Or Feel ‘Cheap’
Unlike its present and past offerings, we reckon Proton will not have difficulties convincing prospects of the X90’s aspirations at being a true ‘luxury’ offering. Clever use of high-end trim materials inside and out, as well as the design and presentation of it all, fuels this, especially in the Premium and Flagship variants.
Key highlights here include rich use of plush Nappa leather and soft-touch fabrics, all-black cabin colour motif, and the neat arrangement of the central 12.3-inch infotainment screen and air-cond control switches. Present too are high-grade and tactile plastics used for all the control buttons and switches here which, though a small detail, made a huge difference to the X90’s upmarket ambience too.
Adding further to this is the respectably high noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) suppression Proton primed the X90’s cabin with. Yes, not only does it look and feel posh, the X90 sounds posh in this sense too. Surely, having this much luxury accessible at a lower price point promised by the Proton badge should see the X90 draw plenty of prospects indeed.
4. It’s Smarter And Safer Than The X50 & X70
This is evident from the Executive variant onwards, which sees the addition of a neat new 360-degree parking monitor with 3D display mode. Indeed, this is a welcoming feature as it should help managing this sizeable crossover better on the daily, especially with parking.
Speaking of parking, autonomous parking is yet another neat addition, and it comes as standard in both the Premium and Flagship variants. Both these trimlines benefit with a bevy of active and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features too. Mirroring what’s seen in the X50 and X70, they’re now beefed up with Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Traffic Sign Information (TSI).
Besides that, greater ‘intelligence’ can be seen in the upgraded infotainment unit, which also boasts Increased size and resolution. Crucially, heightened processing power enables snazzier graphics plus smoother operation, the latter especially for core connectivity-driven functions such as navigation, media streaming and playback, as well tasks prompted via the “Hi, Proton…” voice command suite.
Our only gripe is the continued absence of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, but the infotainment suite’s visual and performance improvements should suffice to convince its prospects. Surely, the next fact might boost this posh Proton crossover’s favour further too.
5. It Drives And Handles Well For Its Size
The partially electrified powertrain package, which features a 1.5-litre TGDi 3-cyl turbo mill with a 48-volt Belt Starter Generator (BSG), felt neither gutless nor puffless when delivering 190 PS and 300 NM to the front wheels via the respectably slick 7-speed DCT automatic box paired with it. Overall, this isn’t the most rapid in segment, but it’s no slouch either.
Besides providing a slight boost, the MHEV system also grants the X90 with the ability to coast between 30 KM/H and 130 KM/H, as well as extended shut-down periods and smooth restarts in its idling stop-start functions, all aimed towards boosting efficiency further. In fact, drive this car right and Proton says it will sip as low as 6.8 litres/100 KM, which is decent for an SUV of this size and bulk.
In terms of driving dynamics, Proton’s efforts at reengineering the X90’s chassis, which included switching from its Geely base car’s torsion beam rear suspension to a new multi-link type, bore telling results during our short test-drive stint. For its size and bulk, the X90 delivered a very agile and engaging drive, but it’s the high passenger comfort levels that stood out as a winning trait here.
Overall, despite its powertrain’s low displacement and cylinder count, as well as its overall bulk and heft, the X90’s performance and driving dynamics aren’t too shabby to say the least. Simply put, it will meet the expectations of many, and it might stand as a prime choice should the following speculation pan out…
6. It Promises To Be ‘Affordable’
At the time of writing, Proton remains coy and tight-lipped about the X90’s price. Given everything it has to offer, we can expect the X90 to justifiably command a higher figure than its X70 sibling, which currently ranges between RM98,800 and RM128,800.
What’s certain is that the X90 will be priced below its nearest rivals, those being the Mazda CX-8, and the Hyundai Sante Fe. The latter Korean offering commanded a starting figure of roughly RM167,000 when first launched whilst the former Japanese alternative currently starts from RM184,000.
We’ll know more once the Proton X90 officially launches, which will likely take place just before or during Proton’s upcoming 40th anniversary. Until then, you can see more of the X90 in the gallery below. Don’t forget to share us your thoughts about Proton’s latest and greatest in the comments section below.
KUALA LUMPUR | VMG7481 |
SELANGOR | BRT4196 |
JOHOR | JWY3160 |
PULAU PINANG | PRE5672 |
PERAK | ANK3426 |
PAHANG | CEW5630 |
KEDAH | KFT9630 |
NEGERI SEMBILAN | NEB6382 |
KOTA KINABALU | SJD7562 |
KUCHING | QAB1334J |
Petrol | |||
---|---|---|---|
RON 95 | RM 2.05 |   | |
RON 97 | RM 3.47 |   | |
RON 100 | RM 4.50 |   | |
VPR | RM 5.50 |   |
Diesel | |||
---|---|---|---|
EURO 2M | RM 2.15 |   | |
EURO 5 | RM 2.35 |   |
KUALA LUMPUR | VMG7481 |
SELANGOR | BRT4196 |
JOHOR | JWY3160 |
PULAU PINANG | PRE5672 |
PERAK | ANK3426 |
PAHANG | CEW5630 |
KEDAH | KFT9630 |
NEGERI SEMBILAN | NEB6382 |
KOTA KINABALU | SJD7562 |
KUCHING | QAB1334J |
Petrol | |||
---|---|---|---|
RON 95 | RM 2.05 |   | |
RON 97 | RM 3.47 |   | |
RON 100 | RM 4.50 |   | |
VPR | RM 5.50 |   |
Diesel | |||
---|---|---|---|
EURO 2M | RM 2.15 |   | |
EURO 5 | RM 2.35 |   |