2023 Proton X90 – the first official image of the 6/7-seat SUV; 190 hp mild hybrid; 4 variations; preview in april
We called it Proton X90 It’s been quite a while, but did you know that Proton has never officially called its upcoming large SUV ‘X90’ before? Yes, until today. The Proton X90 name is now official for the seven-seat SUV, in keeping with Proton’s position as the flagship of Proton’s X lineup, which sits above the X50 and X70 SUVs. These are also the first official images of the X90.
Proton revealed the X90 name at today’s media showcase, also confirming that the SUV will use a mild hybrid system (more on this later). Production of “Premium Modern Family SUV” began two weeks ago in Tanjung Malim, and that announcement coincided with the first official teaser of the SUVand revealed that Proton will launch the X90 this year on its 40th anniversary.
X90 based on Geely Haoyuealso called Geely Okavango in other markets such as the Philippines. Compared to Geely, the Proton has a different grille, the grille has chrome slats that extend beyond the Proton logo. There’s also a unique headlight design with a swipe-up L-shaped daytime running band and surround fog lights finished in black instead of chrome.
Aside from those cues and the rear Proton badging, expect the X90’s design to mirror the Haoyue. Spyshots also shows off a dashboard similar to Geely’s, except, of course, for Proton’s tiger badge on the steering wheel.
It has been confirmed that X90 will come with mild hybrid power. The 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine is complemented by a 48V electric motor synergy (EMS) system that integrates six key components – belt-start generator (BSG), DC converter -DC, lithium-Ion battery, battery management system, regenerative braking system and hybrid modular control system. The transmission is a seven-speed wet dual clutch that drives the front wheels.
In case you’re wondering, yes, the 1.5 TGDI engine (without BSG) is the same engine used in the X50 and MC X70. In those applications, the turbocharger produces 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque. Here, BSG adds 13 PS and 45 Nm for a total power of 190 PS and 300 Nm. TGDI is manufactured at Proton’s Tanjung Malim engine assembly plant for the X70 MC and the automaker has said that the target production for this year is 60,000 engines, which will be used on some Proton models.
The Geely Haoyue is the brand’s largest SUV. At 4,835 mm long and 1,900 mm wide, it is 316 mm longer and 69 mm wider than the X70. The wheelbase of the seven-seater is 2,815 mm, 145 mm longer than the X70. The X90 will compete with three-row SUVs like the Mazda CX-8 and Hyundai Santa Fe, and its size falls between the two – see comparison table above.
The seven-seat layout is 2-3-2 and the third row has its own air-conditioning vents. However, you can get a six-seat version of the X90 with two separate captain seats in the middle row, replacing the standard bench. This more luxurious layout – with a panoramic glass sunroof – is reserved for the Flagship variant, as illustrated here.
Notable new driver assistance features are Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW) and Traffic Sign Information (TSI). Also listed is a 10-inch (full-width) digital instrument panel and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen for the top variant.
Proton hasn’t announced pricing or even a pre-order opening date, but it did say that there will be four variants of the X90, ranging from Standard to Flagship. We can expect the X90’s RRP to fall between RM130k and RM150k due to X70 is priced from RM98,800 to RM128,800.
There will be a series of preview sessions across six cities starting April 8. More on X90 here.
Anthony Lim added:
While no photos were allowed during the X90’s preview session, the presentation revealed more specs of the D-segment SUV than was ventured in the press release, and we’ll cover it. Most of that is covered here.
First of all, some numbers regarding the development of the X90, and here are 96,000 man-hours and 1.2 million kilometers of testing that were done for it. Besides, people also mentioned the rear suspension layout, which is different from the layout of Haoyue. While the Haoyue sits on a torsion beam setup, the Proton has a multi-link configuration that, as the automaker says, has been tuned for Malaysian roads.
As for the wheels, the higher end variants use 19-inch wheels, on the Flagship and Premium preview examples wrapped in 235/50 Continental EcoContact 6 rubber. Not appearing today are 18-inch wheels, wrapped in tire size 225./55, as indicated by the tire pressure tag on the door sill.
Next is cargo space and volume up to 2,050 liters when the rear seats are folded down. Still on the numbers, the 12.3-inch LCD touch screen for the infotainment system offers a screen resolution of 1920 x 720 pixels, 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. There’s still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support, though, but the company says it’s working on it.
The equipment list available for the X90 includes full LED headlights with sequential turn signals, power and ventilated front seats (six-way adjustable driver, four-way front passenger), Nappa upholstery, adjustable Dual-zone air-conditioning and independent rear AC. All rows on the SUV are vented and also feature the G-Clean system, which combines an N95 cabin filter and an ionizer.
Elsewhere, each row has a mobile charging point, and there are seven in all, from USB-A and USB-C connections to wireless charging. For convenience functions, there’s automatic nearby unlocking and auto-locking when walking, and a smart power-operated tailgate.
Finally, in addition to the three new ADAS features mentioned earlier, the driver assistance suite includes automatic parking assist, a 360-degree camera with 3D imaging, and a tire pressure monitoring system.
LIBRARY: Proton X90 2023 Official Images
LIBRARY: Proton X90 spy shots 2023
GALLERY: Geely Haoyue
