The Proton X90, which made its debut in May, is the largest model in the national automaker’s X series SUV line-up, sitting on top of the X70 and X50. With a choice of six- and seven-seat interior layouts, it’s the prime people mover of the range.
The first three are seven-seat versions, featuring a 2-3-2 seven-seat configuration with a bench middle-row, while the Flagship is the sole six-seat variant, the seating layout having a pair of second-row captain seats similar to the Exora Prime.
All four variants are powered by a 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbocharged GDI engine that is similar to that on the X50 Flagship as well as newer X70 models, but the inclusion of a 48V mild-hybrid BSG system bumps output to 190 PS and 300 Nm, which is 13 PS and 45 Nm more than the 177 PS and 255 Nm on the 1.5 TGDI without the BSG.
Standard equipment across the model range includes a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, dual-zone air-conditioning as well as roof-mounted second/third row rear AC, remote engine start and proximity door unlock with walk-away auto lock.
Also fitted as standard are six airbags, ESC, traction control, a reverse camera and front/rear parking sensors as well as rear collision warning (RCW), lane change assist (LCA) and rear cross-traffic alert (RTCA) in terms of safety and driver assistance kit.
Move up to the Executive and you’ll find items such as a powered tailgate, leatherette upholstery and a 10-inch full LCD digital instrument panel, among other things, while going the Premium route introduces Nappa leather for the steering wheel and upholstery, wireless charging and additional driving assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), fowward collision warning and aaptive cruise control with stop & go. Aside from its seating configuration, the Flagship adds on a panoramic sunroof.
We’ve previously explored the X90 through a walk-around video, but here then are the findings of what it’s like out on-the-road, presented through Hafriz Shah’s full in-depth review of the SUV, covering everything that’s good and the not-so good about the brand’s flagship SUV. It’s a long watch, the video, but it covers all the bases and everything you want to know about the car, and then some.
There will be many small families who will be cross-shopping between the Proton X90 and the Toyota Innova Zenix as the family transport of their choice, as this SUV bodystyle is in trend these days, more so than box on wheels style MPVs that maximise space like the Nissan Serena.
We think these two products will go head to head in Malaysia so we decided to come up with a brief guide comparing what the Proton X90 and 2023 Toyota Innova have to offer.
What type of vehicle is the Proton X90 and Toyota Innova Zenix?
Both the Proton X90 and the Toyota Innova Zenix are front wheel drive vehicles with SUV-style bodies, with three rows that can sit between 6 to 8 passengers.
How does the Proton X90 and Innova Zenix compare in size?
As you can see from the table above, the X90 is slightly larger than the Innova Zenix. It is longer and wider, but just slightly shorter in terms of height, despite having slightly higher ground clearance. The Innova does have a longer wheelbase.
How do the seats compare between the two cars?
Proton X90 – either 6 or 7 seats
The Proton X90 features either six or seven seats over three rows in a 2-3-2 or 2-2-2 configuration.
Accessing the third row is through tilting and then sliding the second row seat back forward, which can be done in a single motion.
The flagship version is the 2-2-2 six-seater, with a space between the two captain seat. Being the top spec version, it will include a panoramic sunroof which the 7-seater will not have.
The Proton X90 has a third row that can fit two, with head rests. It is large enough to fit an adult, as you can see from the photo.
Toyota Innova Zenix – either 7 or 8 seats
Toyota Innova Zenix 2.0HEV Hybrid captain seat middle row
Toyota Innova Zenix 2.0V bench middle row
As for the Toyota Innova Zenix, just like the X90, there are two different types of interiors that you can have. If you buy the 2.0 V model, you get a 8-seater in a 2-3-3 configuration.
If you buy the 2.0 HEV hybrid model, you get a 7-seater with a 2-2-3 configuration where the second row bench is replaced with captain seats. Although the Indonesian version gets ottoman legrests for the captain seats, the Malaysian spec Innova Zenix’s captain seats lack the ottoman legrests.
The three seater bench version of the Innova Zenix’s second row is configured with a 60:40 split, backrest and slide adjustable in two sections with the middle seatback also having a fold-down center armrest if you don’t need to use the middle seat.
The Innova Zenix’s third row has plenty of legroom but perhaps not enough width for 3
The Toyota Innova Zenix’s third row bench has a 50:50 split, but can be used as a three seater. The person sitting in the middle will be sitting in between the two halves of the bench, but the person will have a headrest. The seatbelt for this third seat comes from the roof. It looks a little tight to fit three in the third row, so perhaps its best to treat the third row bench as a two seater, and only use three seats in emergencies.
How about luggage space?
Toyota Innova Zenix boot space – third row up and down
The Toyota Innova Zenix has a boot space of 239 litres with all three rows of seats up. If you fold down the third row, this increases to a massive 690 litres, up to the window line. As compared to the previous Innova, the Innova Zenix’s third row now folds flat into the floor; previously, they were flipped up to the sides in the previous Innova.
Proton X90 boot space – third row up and down
As for the Proton X90, official spec sheets quote 257L of boot space available with the third row up, expandable to 1200L with the third row down.
What are the engine options?
The Proton X90 uses 1.5 litre turbo engine with a 48V mild hybrid system, with total output of 190 PS at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,500-4,000 rpm.
As for the Toyota Innova Zenix, two engine options are available. The 2.0V uses a 2.0 litre Dynamic Force direct injection normally aspirated engine. It produces 174 PS at 6,600 rpm and 205 Nm of torque from 4,500 to 4,900 rpm, which is impressively on the high side for a normally aspirated 2.0 engine.
Those who are into more tech and fuel efficiency will like the idea of a Innova Zenix 2.0 HEV Hybrid, which mates a 152 PS, 187 Nm 2.0 litre Dynamic Force to a 113 PS, 205 Nm electric motor for a total system output of 186 PS. The battery for the hybrid system is of the NiMH type is installed under the two front seats.
Toyota’s Hybrid system is a ‘full hybrid’ and can run the car on pure EV mode, while the Proton X90’s mild hybrid system cannot power the car on its own and is more to assist the engine in certain situations.
How safe are these two people movers?
In terms of airbags, the Innova comes standard with 6 airbags in Malaysia. There’s also ABS, stability control, blind spot assist, and the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of safety and driver assistance systems. TSS 3.0 gets a new camera sensor with an expanded detection angle and around two times further forward detection. The latest radar sensor is able to detect obstacles closer to the sensor.
If you’re unfamiliar with RSA, basically, the camera detects road signs and informs the driver via the instrument panel. For now, RSA recognises speed limit signs (other types of signs in the future) and it can be set to sync with ACC to override the set cruising speed. Speaking of ACC, the system can now evaluate the situation two vehicles ahead for an earlier response, and it can also adjust the speed when making lane changes when ACC is active. Also, AEB now works at intersections to prevent collisions with cross traffic or vehicles making a turn.
In addition to TSS, the Zenix comes with Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). The very comprehensive safety package is completed with a 3D panoramic view monitor (360-degree parking camera), tyre pressure monitoring system, dashcam and UMWT’s vehicle telematics system. There are two Isofix child seat mounts for the middle row.
As for the Proton X90, it has 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESC, traction control, brake assist, hill-hold assist, hill descent control, Lane change assist (LCA), Rear cross-traffic alert (RTCA) as standard. The two most expensive Premium and Flagship spec gets Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), Forward collision warning, Adaptive cruise control with stop & go, Lane departure warning, Lane departure warning, Lane departure prevention, Lane centering control, and Emergency lane keep assist.
How much are cars be priced?
These are the prices of the 2023 Proton X90 variants (all on-the-road, without insurance):
Proton X90 1.5L Standard (seven-seater) – RM123,800
Are you in the market for a three-row people mover this year? Do you prefer the Proton X90 or the Toyota Innova Zenix? Or would you rather go for other models like the Mazda CX-8 instead? Let us know in the comments section.
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 Flagship
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 Premium
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 Executive
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 Standard
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 colour variants
GALLERY: 2023 Proton X90 official images
GALLERY: 2023 Toyota Innova Zenix 2.0 HEV
GALLERY: 2023 Toyota Innova Zenix 2.0 V
GALLERY: 2023 Toyota Innova Zenix official photos
GALLERY: 2023 Toyota Innova Zenix Malaysian brochure
Launched in May this year, the Proton X90 is the national carmaker’s new three-row SUV that is powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder GDI engine, with the latter being similar to the X50 Flagship as well as newer X70 models. However, the X90 differs from those SUVs as it also comes with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, which is a first for the national brand.
Components that are part of the mild hybrid system include a belt-starter generator (BSG), DC-DC converter, lithium-ion battery, battery management system, brake recuperation system and hybrid module control system. Altogether, the setup pushes out 190 PS and 300 Nm of torque, while also providing better claimed acceleration and lower CO2 emissions.
With the mild hybrid system, how does the X90 compare to the X70 in terms of maintenance cost over five years or 100,000 km? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out in this post as we list out the maintenance schedules for both SUVs. This comparison also includes the X70’s direct competitor, the Honda CR-V, and all details are lifted directly from the official websites of the car brands.
Based on the figures, the X90 is more costly to maintain over five years when compared to the X70, with the difference being about RM351.97. Looking at the itemised lists, both Proton SUVs are very similar in terms of how frequent service items are carried out.
For instance, the X90 and X70 require air, fuel and cabin filter changes every 20,000 km, while the spark plugs and brake fluid are replaced every 40,000 km. Additionally, engine coolant service is performed at 60,000 km and the dual-clutch transmission oil is changed at 90,000 km. Going beyond 100,000 km, a timing belt change (RM195.16 for the part) is performed at 120,000 km on both SUVs as well.
However, you’ll notice that the cost of the filters (except the engine oil filter) for the X90 is higher than the X70, and the larger SUV has windscreen cleaner listed as a service item. The X90’s BSG drive belt also needs to be replaced at 100,000 km at a cost of RM141.10, which isn’t required for the non-mild hybrid X70.
Proton X90 maintenance schedule (top), X70 (bottom); click to enlarge
What about the CR-V then? Honda’s maintenance schedule for its C-segment SUV is different as it mentions that engine oil changes (RM139.56 each time) are carried out depending on an interval of not over six months or referring to the engine oil monitoring indicator. This is also true of the engine oil filter (RM34.68 each time), although the interval for this is longer at 12 months.
If we apply those intervals, the CR-V is cheaper to maintain than the X90 and X70 by at least RM1,300. That seems like a huge margin, but labour charges for the oil changes aren’t factored into the official maintenance schedule, and it’s mentioned in the small print that prices listed are inclusive of a 15% discount. So while the difference may appear rather large on paper, realistically it will be far smaller.
Furthermore, while the CR-V requires less air and cabin filter changes over 100,000 km, there are certain big-ticket service items not mentioned like the fuel filter (RM411.30 at 180,000 km) and engine coolant (RM219.96 at 200,000 km) that done at a much later. The cost to replace spark plugs and CVT fluid for the CR-V is also higher in total compared to the Proton SUVs.
Honda CR-V maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
Of course, there’s more to running costs besides scheduled service visits, as consumables such as brakes and tyres are dependent on how the car is used. Wheel sizes for the X90 range from 18 to 19 inches, while it is between is between 17 and 19 inches for the X70 and 17 to 18 inches for the CR-V – typically larger wheels need larger tyres that cost more. Specific to the X90 is a 48-volt lithium-ion battery that is part of the mild hybrid system, which isn’t listed as a serviceable item in its official schedule. The second battery is covered by a five-year warranty and is said to be “maintenance-free and lasts the lifetime of the vehicle.”
The three SUVs mentioned here have the same engine capacity of 1.5 litres, so road tax is identical, but motor insurance differs based on the insured amount, insurance provider and chosen add-ons (flood coverage, windscreen coverage, etc.).
When split across five years, the X90 costs about RM70 more per year to service compared to the X70. At the price the X90 starts from – RM123,800 on-the-road without insurance – that extra amount paid yearly for maintenance wouldn’t be that much of a concern for car buyers with the means and are considering Proton’s first three-row SUV with a mild hybrid system.
The Proton X90 was officially launched by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Sunday, and its arrival marks the national automaker’s first foray into the D-segment SUV market.
The X90 – which is based on the Geely Haoyue (also known as the Okavango in select markets) – goes on sale here in four variant forms, with two seating configurations available.
Three of these, the Standard (RM123,800), Executive (RM130,800) and Premium (RM144,800) are seven-seaters, featuring a 2-3-2 seat configuration with a bench middle-row, while the fourth, called the Flagship (RM152,800), is a six-seat version with a 2-2-2 layout, the novelty being the second-row captain seats.
All the X90 variants are powered by a 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbocharged GDI engine as found on the X50 Flagship and newer X70 models, but the addition of a belt-starter generator (BSG) 48V mild-hybrid system bumps up output to 190 PS and 300 Nm, 13 PS and 45 Nm more than the 177 PS and 255 Nm on the 1.5 TGDI without the BSG. The engine is paired with the automaker’s familiar seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
In terms of specifications and equipment, you can find out which variant gets what in our usual spec-by-spec comparison listed below, but here’s a quick recap. Standard fit items on the base variant includes full LED headlamps with sequential turn signals, fabric seats, a reverse camera and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The X90 also comes with a 12.3-inch LCD infotainment system touchscreen with 1920 x 720 pixel display resolution, 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage as well as dual-zone air-conditioning and independent rear AC, with all rows on the SUV getting air vents. No shortage of charging points for mobile devices, with seven USB connections in all and, on higher-end variants, wireless charging.
Click to enlarge.
The Executive variant adds on front ventilated seats, with the driver’s side being a six-way powered adjustable unit. Also going on is leatherette upholstery, 10-inch full digital instrument display, an intelligent powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera with 3D display and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The next step up is the Premium, which bumps up the wheel size to 19-inch and adds on Nappa leather upholstery, ambient lighting, powered adjustable front passenger seat and increases the number of items in the ADAS count, with AEB, LDW and adaptive cruise control with stop & go in the mix.
Aside from being the only model to offer the 2-2-2 six-seat layout, the Flagship adds on a large panoramic sunroof and a front passenger ‘Boss’ switch, which allows the seat to be moved forward to provide more in the way of legroom for the second row occupant seated behind it. The second-row captain seats are also ventilated.
The 2023 Proton X90 has received a five-star rating from ASEAN NCAP. Under the latest 2021-2025 assessment protocol, cars are assessed based on four categories comprising adult occupant protection (AOP) with the full score of 40 points, while the child occupant protection (COP) category, safety assist (SA) and motorcyclist safety (MS) have a full score of 20 points each.
The X90 “performed exceptionally well in the assessment” and achieved an overall score of 83.75 points, which translates to four stars. However, if you look at the individual categories, the D74A scored a five-star rating for AOP with 37.75 points, COP with 17.79 points and SA with 15.71 points. Lastly, the SUV scored 12.50 points in the MS category to make it nearly 84 points and five stars. The crash test was performed last month at CATARC in China.
There are four variants of the X90 – Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship – and all four come with six airbags (front, side, curtain) plus basics such as ABS/EBD/BA and ESC. Also standard across the board are lane change assist (blind spot), rear cross traffic alert (RCTA), door opening warning and rear collision warning (RCW). The latter warns you when a car is approaching fast from behind, while flashing the hazard lamps.
However, ADAS is only available from the Premium onwards, which means that the Standard and Executive miss out on AEB, forward collision warning, ACC with Stop & Go, lane departure warning and prevention, lane centering control, emergency lane keep assist and traffic sign information (TSI). The latter has been calibrated to read Malaysian road signs, which you’ll see in the meter panel.
Three of these features – RCTA, RCW and TSI – are new to Proton and are debuting on the X90. Other safety related convenience features include auto high beam (Premium onwards), tyre pressure monitoring (Executive onwards) and a 360-degree camera with 3D view (Executive onwards, Standard gets a reverse camera). Flagship buyers get a dashcam.
The X90 is priced at RM123,800, RM130,800, RM144,800 and RM152,800 for the Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship variants, respectively. Check out our launch report for full details and galleries of the variants, as well as our first impressions drive report.
Following its media preview in March and first drive last month, the Proton X90 is now officially on sale in Malaysia, having been launched earlier this evening by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Based on the Geely Haoyue, which is also known as the Geely Okavango in other markets such as the Philippines, the national automaker’s third X series model after the X70 and X50 arrives on the scene in four variant forms and with a choice of six- and seven-seat interior layouts.
The variants are the Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship, and of these, three (Standard, Executive and Premium) are seven-seaters, featuring a 2-3-2 seven-seat configuration with a bench middle-row. The Flagship is the only six-seat version, and has a 2-2-2 six-seat layout with a pair of second-row captain seats, similar to the Exora Prime.
Measuring in at 4,835 mm long, 1,900 mm wide and 1,785 mm tall, the X90 is 316 mm longer and 69 mm wider than the X70, and its 2,815 mm wheelbase makes it 145 mm longer than that of the X70.
Given that it’s a rebadged Haoyue, the exterior doesn’t veer away much from the donor model, with the only discernible changes being a new grille, one with chrome pins expanding out from the Proton logo, and fog lamp surrounds finished in black instead of chrome as found on the Geely version.
The headlights are full LED units, but unlike the adaptive LED projector example as seen on the Haoyue/Okavango, are lower-spec full LED reflector units. The design features solid-type LED daytime running lights presented in an L shape – this doubles up as the turn signal, which light up in sequential fashion.
At the back, there are no changes from the donor vehicle. Incidentally, the X90 doesn’t get the new rear as seen on the refreshed Haoyue, but the wheels are from the update. The higher end X90 variants (Premium, Flagship) ride on two-tone machine finish 19-inch units, wrapped with 235/50 Continental EcoContact 6 rubbers. Meanwhile, the Standard and Executive variants are equipped with 18-inch wheels and 225/55 profile tyres.
Going mild-hybrid, and with a different rear suspension configuration
The X90 is powered by a 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbocharged GDI engine, similar to that on the X50 Flagship as well as the newer X70 models, but with the addition of a 48V mild-hybrid system, which integrates six key components – belt-starter generator (BSG), DC-DC converter, lithium-ion battery, battery management system, recuperation braking system and the hybrid module control system – into its workings.
The inclusion of the mild-hybrid system has bumped output numbers up, with the 190 PS and 300 Nm on tap being 13 PS and 45 Nm more than the 177 PS and 255 Nm on the 1.5 TGDI without the BSG. Aside from more power and torque, the company says that mild hybrid boosted powertrain improves standing start acceleration by up to 10%, passing acceleration by up to 15% and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 13% compared to the 1.5 litre engine in the base X70.
The mill – which is made in Proton’s Tanjung Malim engine assembly plant for the X70 MC – is paired with the automaker’s familiar seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, with power being sent to the front wheels. You’ll note “48V EMS” badges below the wing mirrors of the car – this is the branding identifier for the X90, and the EMS stands for electric motor synergy.
As has been mentioned previously, the Haoyue has a choice of two different rear suspensions, these being a torsion beam layout and an independent multi-link setup. On the X90, Proton has opted for the multi-link configuration, which it says offers improved drivability and comfort levels. Additionally, the automaker says it has tuned the suspension for Malaysian roads.
A well-presented interior, with plenty of kit and tech
As it is with the exterior, the interior from the Haoyue has been carried over, with just the switch to a right-hand drive layout and a Proton logo on the steering wheel boss cover the only changes. A quick mention of cargo space – there’s 257 litres with the third row seats up in place, and 2,050 litres with the second and third row seats folded down.
Standard equipment for the X90 includes fabric seats, a reverse camera and dual-zone air-conditioning. The SUV also features independent rear AC, with all rows on the SUV getting air vents (roof-mounted, on the second and third rows), as well as a G-Clean system, incorporating a N95 cabin filter and ioniser.
Also to be found is a full-width 10-inch digital instrument panel (from the Executive onwards; the Standard comes with an analogue meter cluster) and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with a 1920 x 720 pixel display resolution. Running on an ACO Tech ATLAS OS, the system features a higher-spec processor and has 6 GB of RAM as well as 64 GB of internal storage. There’s still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support though, so users will have to rely on ATLAS’ native maps for navigation.
X90 Flagship interior.
(From left, clockwise) X90 Standard, Executive and Premium interiors.
As for charging points for mobile devices, all three rows get them, and there are seven in all, ranging from USB Type-A and Type-C connections to wireless charging (the latter, from the Premium on). As you’d expect, the wireless charger is located in front, and aside fro a pair of Type A ports below the AC controls, there’s a USB port hidden behind the rear view mirror to power dash cams. The middle row gets a Type A and a Type C port each, while the third row gets two Type A ports.
Convenience functions include proximity auto unlock, where the vehicle will sense the keyfob approaching and unlock the doors automatically, as well as walk-away auto lock, where the system will lock the doors once you move away from the vehicle.
The Executive variant adds on front ventilated seats, with the driver’s side being a six-way power adjustable unit. The upholstery gets bumped up to leatherette, an intelligent powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera with 3D display and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The next step up is the Premium, which adds on the aforementioned 19-inch wheels and wireless mobile charging. The ADAS active safety suite introduces three new driver assist items in the form of rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and traffic sign information. The variant also adds on auto park assist and Nappa leather upholstery, while the front passenger seat is now a four-way power adjustable unit.
Aside from its unique seating layout in comparison to the rest of the X90 range, the six-seater Flagship adds on a large panoramic sunroof and a front passenger ‘Boss’ switch, which allows the seat to be moved forward to provide more in the way of legroom for the second row occupant seated behind it.
The second-row captain seats, which are essentially the front seats with the addition of MPV-style adjustable armrests, are also ventilated, bringing the total of ventilated seats to four on the Flagship. The seats can be manually adjusted fore and aft, and each seat can be individually reclined.
Colours and pricing
Six colour options are available for the X90, and these are Snow White, Armour Silver, Jet Grey (available for all four variants), Cinnamon Brown, Ruby Red (both available from the Executive on) and a new shade called Marine Blue, which is available only for the Premium and Flagship.
Finally, these are the prices of the 2023 Proton X90 variants (all on-the-road, without insurance):
Proton X90 1.5L Standard (seven-seater) – RM123,800
The automaker also announced packages and offers for the SUV at the launch. The X90 will come with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty as well as free labour for six services. There’s also a five-year data connectivity package of 1GB a month for the car as well as interest rates from as low as 2.1% and various benefits available through the Proton insurance programme.
It added that early bird packages await the first 4,000 buyers. This adds 4GB of data to the five-year connectivity package, and buyers will also receive a Proton X-Watch worth RM1,499 and a complimentary accessories package (footwell lighting, coil floor mats and a boot tray) worth RM779.
Proton’s first car launch in 2023 will be the Proton X90, but before the three-row SUV officially goes on sale in Malaysia, here’s a preview of what you can expect. In this video, Hafriz Shah takes you on a comprehensive tour of the carmaker’s latest SUV, which is positioned as a D-segment model above the C-segment X70.
The order books for the X90 are already open as of April 8, with four variants being offered to buyers. The first three – Standard, Executive and Premium – will come with seven seats arranged in a 2-3-2 layout, while the range-topping Flagship gets six seats in a 2-2-2 layout with second-row captain chairs.
All variants come with the same engine, a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol unit that is augmented by a 48-volt mild hybrid system, which includes a belt starter generator (BSG). This is said to improve fuel consumption by around 15% when compared to the non-electrified 1.5 TGDi powerplant, while also providing higher outputs.
The official figures are 190 PS and 300 Nm of torque, which is a gain of 13 PS and 45 Nm compared to the normal 1.5 TGDi in the X50 Flagship as well as the X70. The electrified mill is paired with a seven-speed wet-dual-clutch gearbox to drive the front wheels.
In terms of dimensions, the X90 measures 4,835 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,785 mm tall and has a wheelbase spanning 2,815 mm. This makes it the biggest car in the line-up – the X70 is 4,519 mm long, 1,831 mm wide, 1,694 mm tall and its wheelbase is 2,670 mm by comparison.
As for styling, the new Proton SUV looks a lot like the Haoyue, although the front is differentiated by the grille, which is described as an evolution of the Ethereal Bow and Infinite Weave elements we’ve seen on Proton models over the last few years. There are even diamond-shaped studs emanating from the central logo that are apparently inspired by a songket pattern.
The interior is also 100% Geely but with the steering wheel on the right side, while other notable highlights include a widescreen digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen – the latter is powered by a more powerful system-on-chip (SoC) and uses ACO Tech’s ATLAS OS – still no Android Auto and/or Apple CarPlay.
Given this is a three-row SUV, interior space is important and the X90 offers sufficient legroom in the second- and third-row seats, although the latter are a little difficult to access as Hafriz points out and demonstrates in the video.
He also goes over a lot of the features that are available for the X90, so if you want to pair what he says in the video to his thorough text article breaking down the details of Proton’s new SUV, give this video a watch. After you’ve done so, check out our first impressions and share your thoughts on the X90 in the comments below and try and guess how much the retail pricing will be.
We’ve had a go at the new Proton X90, and here’s our first impressions on the company’s latest SUV, the third X model after the X70 and X50, the flagship of the range. The latter is what the X90 is billed as, and on the surface, it makes perfect sense – the X90 is larger than the C-segment X70, has three rows of seats and will be priced a fair bit higher too. But as we found out from the media preview drive, it’s not so clear cut. More on this later.
By now, you would not just have heard about the Proton X90, but have a pretty good picture of what’s on offer, if you checked out Hafriz’s comprehensive walk-around commentary (not video, because no cameras were allowed at the static preview session). Here’s a recap.
The X90 is a D-segment SUV based on the Geely Haoyue, which is also known as the Geely Okavango in other markets such as the Philippines. Proton’s right-hand-drive VX11 – which by the way will be CKD Tanjung Malim from the start – has been given the X90 name to fit the local naming convention, placing it above the X50 and X70 SUVs.
At 4,835 mm long and 1,900 mm wide, the X90 is 316 mm longer and 69 mm wider than the X70. The seven-seater’s wheelbase is 2,815 mm, which is 145 mm longer than the X70’s. Conceptually, Proton’s largest model will compete with three-row SUVs such as the Mazda CX-8, Hyundai Santa Fe (facelift coming soon) and Kia Sorento. Its size is between the CX-8 (larger) and Santa Fe (smaller), but you get the ballpark.
As in the norm with SUVs of this size, the X90 can be had as a seven-seater (2-3-2) or six-seater (2-2-2), with the latter positioned as a more luxurious option. Indeed, only the top Flagship variant of the X90 gets the six-seat option with two individual “captain seats” in the middle row; the Standard, Executive and Premium have a bench for three.
Unlike the X50 and X70, all X90 variants are powered by the same engine. The 1.5 TGDI unit in question is a familiar one from the X range, but the ICE is supplemented by a belt-starter generator (BSG) system to make it a mild hybrid. Proton is using “48V EMS” as branding (badge is below the wing mirrors), and it stands for electric motor synergy.
The EMS system integrates six key components – the BSG, a DC-DC converter, a shoebox-sized lithium-ion battery in the boot floor, battery management system, recuperation braking system and the hybrid module control system. The gearbox is a seven-speed wet dual-clutch unit driving the front wheels – there’s no AWD variant here.
In the X50 Flagship and X70 MC, the 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbo engine produces 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque. Here, the BSG adds on 13 PS and 45 Nm for total output of 190 PS and 300 Nm.
Compared to the 1.5 TGDI without the EMS (in the X70), Proton claims that the mild hybrid boosted powerplant improves standing start acceleration by up to 10%, improves passing acceleration by up to 15% and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 13%. However, note that the baseline is the smaller X70. In any case, the X90 is a bigger car so any help is welcome.
Torque assist aside, here are some comfort benefits to having a BSG system too. Auto start-stop turns the engine off when the car is stationary, and ‘comfort start’ delivers a smoother and quieter launch when you get going. ‘Smart glide’ disengages the gearbox during coasting (between 30 and 120 km/h) to reduce engine braking for a smoother experience, and when you’re slowing down, the engine switches off at below 15 km/h (instead of 0) to improve fuel economy and reduce vibrations during stop-start.
Did we feel the mild hybrid do its thing? Not really, but working unobtrusively in the background is definitely a good thing. I suspect that without the knowledge of the EMS and what it does, most owners/test drivers won’t notice the system’s comfort/boost effects, since it’s quite hushed at low speeds anyway and the digital meter panel’s tachometer isn’t in the regular analogue gauge layout. Seamless is good.
The X90 is a quiet and comfortable drive when you’re just puttering along, but based on my memory of the X70, there’s more road noise in the cabin. We also heard more of the engine when accelerating, and the tune of our tester’s TGDI sounded gruff, almost diesel-like without the vibrations. This surprised me a bit, as I was expecting X70 levels of NVH. I think that’s fair, since the X90 is supposed to be the flagship of the range.
To be sure, I asked my Paultan.org BM and CN colleagues (three of us shared the car with a Proton rep) and they confirmed that it wasn’t just me hearing things. Now, it has to be clarified that the X70’s isolation is rather exceptional and the X90’s cabin noise levels isn’t annoyingly high by any measure. But it’s there to note.
When asked, Proton engineers insisted that NVH for the X90 is equal or better than the X70, so there’s that. Also, it must be noted that the media preview cars were pre-production units. In any case, we’ll be getting the X90 for a more comprehensive test drive once it is launched.
By the way, pop the hood and you’ll be able to see the X90’s engine in full. Before you scratch your head, the X70 – and to a slightly lesser extent, the X50 – have fully-enclosed engine bays where all the mechanical bits are hidden from view. This is a thing in China and some of the Cherys we recently previewed had zero visible engine, too. We’re not putting two and two together here, just saying.
Also unanimous is our opinion that the X90 isn’t a fast car. Again, speed is relative, but we’re mentally comparing it with other SUVs in the market. There’s a slight but noticeable delay between stepping hard on the throttle and the car picking up speed. Overtaking takes a fair bit of effort, and time, as you hear the engine giving all that it’s got. With four adults onboard, effortless it certainly is not.
Much of the second half of the Genting climb was done standing on the gas pedal, and you might rue the loss of momentum. So, the X90 doesn’t have bags of reserves when it comes to grunt and pace, but is this a deal breaker? No, not unless you’re a Genting taxi driver or a great lover of the unique activities at the hill resort. For most of the time, the performance is adequate for a family SUV.
Our test route didn’t have any rough or deformed road surfaces, but we suspect that the X90 will ride well in the urban jungle. The big SUV’s highway ride isn’t too soft and bouncy, while body roll is well-contained even on our twisty route. The steering feels natural in speed and weight. Overall, the X90 is a pleasant steer, which isn’t a given when it comes to cars developed for the Chinese market.
The interior of the X90 is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Our Premium tester had a wide 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a full digital instrument panel. The latter is a step up from the screens in Proton’s other SUVs, which are square units flanked by physical gauges. The graphics for both screens look sharp and the overall feel is very high-tech. Also very clear is the camera feed. Interestingly, the image of the X90 on screen can be personalised to match your car’s colour and even number plate!
There’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, so navigation is left to the ATLAS OS’ native maps. Here’s a true story. Colleague Jason was driving back to Proton COE from Genting, and I fell asleep in the passenger seat. When I woke up, I was shocked to see Jalan Kuching traffic and Sogo on my right. Upon realising that it wasn’t a dream, I quizzed Jason and he said he intentionally followed the navigation as an experiment, which is why we he didn’t enter DUKE from MRR2, which would have led us to the NKVE and Subang.
As if that detour wasn’t bad enough, the navigation then led us to Jalan Syed Putra and declined the NPE (near Midvalley) in favour of the jam on Federal Highway. Benefit of the doubt: perhaps it wanted to avoid tolled roads. Even so, I believe that many would prefer Waze or Google Maps. Shame, because the screen is big and beautiful, and the instrument panel has the ability to show a full-width map.
Proton has done very well with its SUV interiors, successfully providing a premium feel beyond the asking price. The X90 has soft leather covering the top of the door cards (even on the rear doors, which is nice) and the passenger-facing area of the dashboard. You’ll know where, because there’s contrast stitching on the black leather.
Speaking of which, Proton has opted to go with all-black for the X90’s cabin theme, even on the Flagship, a departure from the lighter shades on the X70/X50 that I thought was quite nice. IMO, the X50 Flagship’s red and the brown leather in the X70 added positively to the ambience of those cabins, enhancing their premium feel, but all-black is probably a result of customer surveys, and we know that Malaysians are pretty conservative when it comes to colours.
The leather is advertised as Nappa, but for some reason it doesn’t feel as supple as the hide in the X70. Not bad, just normal. Less normal is the hard plastic of the meter binnacle top and the sharp edges of the borders of the centre console, where it meets the centre stack. Curiously, the wing mirror control knob is in black and not metallic, which would look more upmarket and match the drive mode knob better. Once again, these are pre-production units and there might be trim or finishing differences in customer cars.
Moving on, the centre console has this cool-looking gear lever surrounded by huge lake of black. The console’s usable area is generous, perhaps so generous till it feels pretty sparse, to my eyes at least. What’s less subjective is that the smooth silver trim here feels less premium than the brushed pieces in the other X SUVs. Content wise, the X90 isn’t lacking, that’s for sure.
I had a stint in the Premium’s middle row bench and it’s spacious, although the seat itself is quite flat and seat base is short. By the way, this second row bench is unique to Proton as the Geely base car has three individual seats – the team says that Malaysians prefer the 60:40 split.
Also unique to the X90 are the roof aircon vents, which work much better than pillar vents, or worse, vents at the back of the centre console. Roof vents are nearer to the parts of the body you want cooled, instead of your knees. This is a seemingly small detail, but it took effort to engineer and it makes a big difference in passenger comfort. Good job.
Third row passengers also get the roof vents, along with USB charging ports and indents for smartphones and cupholders. I tried out the rearmost seats for size and found the space to be quite good. Yes, the seat base is very low but that’s par for the course and you can’t be expecting stadium seating. These are not child-only seats and adults fit reasonably well – this is a good unique selling point at the X90’s price point.
However, the second row seat folding mechanism is more complicated than the one-touch-tumble system you’ll find in many MPVs. You have to first pull the ‘quick release’ latch (which feels quite flimsy) and push the seat forward. To get the seat back in place, you need to pull the same latch and push the seat back, but the bench will then go all the way back to its rear-most position. To get middle ground, you’ll have to pull the base of the seat forward again. It’s far from single action and the SOP can be simplified for sure.
The so-called captain seats of the Flagship is paired with a generously-sized panoramic glass roof and I can imagine how pleasant it’ll be on cool evenings and sightseeing after dark. The good thing about the individual chairs is that they are ventilated (yes, four ventilated seats in total), but other than the gap between passengers, the seat itself isn’t very big and the base is quite short too. The wings on the headrest doesn’t quite fold enough and there’s only one attached armrest (inner side). They’re not bad, don’t get us wrong, just not very VIP.
Access to the third row in the six-seater is more straightforward, but is best left for smaller sized people or the nimble-bodied. You need to crouch and walk through the narrow aisle, but as mentioned, once in there, space is good.
So, there you have it, our first impressions of the Proton X90 from all three rows. This big SUV is a bit of a mixed bag for me as the initial impression isn’t “wow, this is actually quite nice”, just like the first time we sat in the X70 and X50. The X90 is less premium-feeling in materials and design, even though its the flagship of the range. In isolation, it’s not bad, but perhaps Proton set itself a pretty high bar with previous SUV efforts.
The X90 is very well-equipped though, and its two screens look good. On the flipside, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to take full advantage of the generous screen real estate. Its true seven-seat capability is a strong selling point for larger families. Cooling is a strong point thanks to the roof-mounted vents and ventilated seats for the captain chairs in the Flagship. Don’t laugh, because we all know how much weight Malaysians put on AC.
On the move, it doesn’t have bags of torque in reserve, but the 1.5L mild hybrid powertrain is adequate for normal driving and most situations. And it’s only normal to hear an engine that has to work hard. Bear in mind our challenging test route and mental comparisons with the X70, which sets a very high bar for comfort and isolation. We’ll give the X90 the usual comprehensive test drive treatment when the car is launched.
We have to make notes, that’s what we do, but context is important. How you view the X90 will depend on what car you’re upgrading from. If that’s a national brand MPV, the X90’s lack of ample performance reserves won’t be apparent, and I doubt that there will be many, if any, X70 owners moving to the X90. Also, there aren’t many three-row SUVs in the market, and the X90 will undercut them all bar the utilitarian Perodua Aruz, a very basic vehicle.
Which brings us to perhaps the most important point. Everything that everyone evaluates is relative to price, and that’s fair – you get what you pay for, right? The X90 isn’t a perfect SUV, and some D-segment rivals might be better in certain departments, but Proton’s entry is set to undercut all of them by a good margin. We don’t know the X90’s price range yet, but if it’s around RM150k, some shortcomings can be overlooked, and SUV buyers will be considering it, especially those with higher space requirements.
I’ve just attended the Proton X90 media preview, where I got to see the new SUV inside and out, so here’s a detailed rundown of what I’ve noticed on the new model. No photography was allowed, so this limited set of official images are all that we can show you for now.
Anyway, the name has officially been confirmed – it is the Proton X90. It would have been funny if Proton sprang a surprise on us: you know what, you’ve all been calling it the X90, but it’s actually the X80 or X100! That would have been hilarious but nope, they just stuck to what we all expected, the X90.
This, as you know, is going to be the flagship Proton model and it is a three-row SUV, the biggest car that Proton will have in its range, and it is a fair bit bigger than the X70. Let’s talk about the looks first. On the outside, it looks exactly as what you would expect, because it’s pretty much a rebadged Geely Haoyue (China) or Okavango (LHD export markets including the Philippines).
It’s the same exact SUV, just with the steering on the right side and a Proton logo slapped on. The grille itself actually looks very attractive – Proton chief designer Azlan Othman described it as a clear evolution of the Ethereal Bow and Infinite Weave elements that we’ve seen from Proton over the last couple of years.
X90 on left, Mercedes GLE on right.
This time round, it has a whole bunch of diamond-shaped studs around the central logo (apparently inspired by a songket pattern), somewhat similar to the Mercedes-Benz AMG Line grilles with their distinctive chrome pins. On the X90, the pins are finished in satin chrome instead, and they look rather fetching in real life. Below that is a newer interpretation of the Proton Ethereal Bow.
Overall, I think it does look really good, but it’s just that after being told repeatedly by Proton Design that the next future Proton model is going to look more localised, with more local flavours and influence, time and time again what we actually get in the end is basically the donor Geely model with a Proton grille. That itself is a clear disappointment.
I asked Azlan straight up: what’s going on, why isn’t Proton Design being given more freedom to make the cars more of our own? The answer is, again, that it’s a long process, so wait for the next future launches; they will look more Malaysian. The way he said it suggests that the very next Geely-based model – likely the new S50 sedan due by the end of 2023 – will finally be that car. Fingers crossed, then.
Back to the X90, the headlights are full LED, but surprise, surprise, we are actually getting the lower-spec full LED reflector units rather than the fancier adaptive LED projector lights more commonly seen on official photos of the Geely Haoyue/Okavango. I’ve seen a few comments saying the lights are new, designed by Proton, but that’s just not the case – these are Geely units available in certain markets and variants.
X90 on left, Geely Haoyue with lower-spec Full LED headlights on right.
The headlights do have nice solid-type LED daytime running lights in an L shape, which double up as the turn signals too, just like on the X50. This time though, the indicators light up sequentially. There’s even a nice start-up sequence as you unlock the car, where the lights do a bit of a dance show, blinking in and out before lighting up completely. Fancy.
Round the side, the X90 is an imposing looking car, and it looks a little bit like an American-style SUV. It has rather boxy, very pronounced wheel arch highlights that I think look really good too. The wheels are large 19-inch alloys with a two-tone machine finish and grey inserts, and the tyres are 235/50R19 Continental EcoContact 6 all around.
The X90 has a brand new proximity-based automatic unlock and walk away auto-lock feature, similar to what we’ve seen on recent BMWs and Honda models. With this, you can just keep the key in your pocket – the key looks exactly the same as on the X50 – and the vehicle will sense the keyfob approaching and unlock the doors automatically.
Once you’re done driving, you can just turn the engine off, walk away, and the system will lock the doors up. There’s no need to touch the sensors on the doors anymore. In BMWs it works perfectly, so we’ll see how this one works soon. Anyhow, it’s a nice next step over the keyless entry system we’ve had over the past 10/15 years.
X90 on left, X50 on right.
One thing I did not like about the X90 is that the B- and C-pillars have the usual matte and textured plastic covers instead of the much nicer gloss black finish we’ve seen on the X50. Small thing, but to me it makes the car look a little bit cheap and not quite as premium as it’s claimed to be.
As for the back of the car, it looks exactly like the base Geely model. It was a bit funny when the Proton designer was talking about the rear, and all he could talk about was the new Proton lettering font. So the badges now have a more intricate design to them, but practically everything else is as per the Haoyue/Okavango.
I don’t think the car looks bad at all. If anything, it looks quite handsome – for an SUV of this size and girth to look fairly elegant takes a really good design. It’s just that again, it’s more of a Geely and not a Proton at all, except for the fancy front grille. In a way, it looks exactly like what we expected it to ne, but I was hoping it would look a bit more unique. Wishful thinking, as it turns out.
Now, let’s move on to the interior. Again, 100% Geely, just that this time the steering’s on the right side and of course, with the round Proton logo on the centre boss. That’s not such a bad thing, because it’s a nice looking interior. It feels good and expensive as well – the entire centre half of the dashboard is lined in black leather with real contrast stitching, which then extends to all the door cards too. Premium stuff.
The top half of the dashboard on the left side is also made of soft touch materials, although the instrument panel cover is all hard plastic, which is a bit of a let down. But overall in terms of quality and fit and finish, it’s mostly impressive.
Brand new is the instrument cluster, this time a full widescreen display. We’ve had digital clusters in the X50 and X70 for a while now, but both of them use smaller square screens flanked by physical gauges. This time, it’s a full-blown widescreen unit. I didn’t have that much time to play around with it, but from what I saw it looked really good – you can customise a few things, it’s nice and sharp, very modern.
The centre screen looks similar to what we’ve seen on the X50, but here it’s slightly bigger at 12.3 inches. It runs the ACO Tech ATLAS OS and it feels fast, clearly smoother and far snappier than what I have in my X50. It uses a much higher spec processor with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, so even the local map app can be zoomed in and out without a hint of lag.
That’s all well and good, but the big disappointment is that the Proton X90 goes without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I asked them directly: consumers nowadays expect to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as an absolute bare minimum, so why is it that Proton is not following the set industry standard?
The answer was that integrating CarPlay is not as easy as we may think. Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah said yes, he knows for a fact you can just easily buy a head unit on Shopee with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but for an OEM or a car brand to have them as an official feature is much harder. You’ll need to have official direct contact with Apple and Google, and it’s a very long process.
And for ACO Tech to properly integrate the connectivity software in its proprietary ATLAS operating system, they’d have to restart from scratch, apparently. That would have delayed the X90 launch schedule quite significantly, which has already been pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so that would have been far from ideal.
Whatever the case, the fact remains that in 2023 we are still getting a brand new Proton model without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. To me, that is a massive disappointment and it’s coming to a point of being unacceptable, especially at the new elevated price segment the X90 will be fielded in.
Moving on, further down the dash, the X90 has a new kind of gear selector to match the recently updated Haoyue. The wider, aircraft-style lever looks great, but I think the separate P button south of the stalk will be a little be awkward to use, at least before you get used to it. There’s also a large rotary dial for drive modes, as well as a dedicated button for the 360-degree cameras.
Updated Geely Haoyue centre console, similar to X90.
The parking cameras are absolutely fantastic this time round, even sharper than the ones on the X70, which is already one of the better systems in the business right now. It’s much better than the low-res, blurry cameras on the X50, that’s for sure.
Also good are the front seats, as they’re both attractive and comfortable, lined in black Nappa leather. That in itself is quite interesting to me, as over the past couple of years, Proton has insisted on putting brown leather on the so-called family or premium cars that they have, like the X70 and even the Persona.
The sportier offerings like the X50 and Iriz get black seats, so it’s a bit of a surprise to have this big family car with black leather seats. However, the headliner is still beige, which to me is a good thing. This is a big three-row SUV, so making the whole cabin feel more airy and spacious is definitely the right way to go.
Now let’s move on to the rear seats. The X90 will be available in four different variants – Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship. The lower three variants will come with the standard 2-3-2 seven-seat layout with a bench middle-row. The Flagship will have a 2-2-2 six-seat configuration with a pair of captain seats, similar to the much-forgotten Exora Prime.
In the X90 Flagship, the two captain seats are basically the same seats from the front row, but with the addition of MPV-style adjustable armrests. You can manually slide them front and back, and each one can be individually reclined too. The seats actually feel quite comfortable, but for a person my size it felt a little bit narrow. Your mileage may vary depending on your body of course.
Still, leg room is very generous, and it’s easily more spacious than X70 that we know now. One excellent feature that this car has that makes it really unique are the ventilated seats on the two front rows for the Flagship, so the driver, the front passenger and two middle row occupants can have their bottoms cooled to combat our year-long hot weather.
As for air conditioning, every single row gets their own dedicated vents. The front has a dual-zone climate control system, while the rear section gets separate blower controls. This is technically a manual AC system with digital controls, as you cannot set exact temperatures for the rear cabin.
There are no vents at the lower centre console nor the B-pillars, but what you get are roof-mounted top vents on both the second and third rows, so every single passenger in the SUV will have their own individual air vent. Quite literally, cool stuff.
Geely Haoyue panoramic sunroof, similar to X90.
Another feature worth mentioning is the absolutely massive panoramic sunroof fitted on the Flagship. It stretches from above the driver’s head all the way back to right behind the head rests of the second row. The front half can be vented or opened completely.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of sunroofs in Malaysia because of the excess heat it lets into the cabin, but for a big family car, I’ll admit having a glass roof is great especially for the occasional road trips and holidays.
As for the seven-seat versions, you get a standard three-wide bench in the second row instead of individual captain seats. You can slide the bench back and forth, and you can adjust the backrest angle as well so yeah, nothing much to report here really. But I will say that the base of the bench is nice and long. Like in the Flagship, there are two sets of Isofix anchors on the middle row.
The all-important third row seats are kind of difficult to access. For the six-seater, you have to walk between the captain seats which is a bit narrow, far from ideal. The seven-seater is a little bit easier as you can slide and push the bench forward to clear a wide-ish aperture to climb through. It’s not quite a one-touch tumble mechanism, requiring a bit more effort, but it works well enough. If you’ll be using the last row often, I’d suggest getting the seven-seat version.
Geely Haoyue third row, similar to X90.
Once you’re in, the rear-most seats are actually pretty good. There’s definitely more than enough leg and headroom for someone my size. We actually tried fitting seven full-size adults in the car and we all fit just fine. I think even if you are 180/185-cm tall, you’d be able to fit in the back without too much trouble.
One thing I will say is that you will still feel like you’re squatting while seated in the back, because the floor feels very high so your knees will be up in the air. It’s not going to be all that comfortable over longer journeys. It’s perfectly fine for children or teenagers though.
As it is, it’s easily more spacious and more comfortable than most three-row SUVs in the same price class such as the Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail. However, I’ll admit to not being all that familiar with cars one size up from those such as the Mazda CX-8, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, so I’ll make it a point to try them out before reviewing the X90 proper.
Probably just as important to passengers are USB charging ports, and here Proton has everyone covered. At the front, you’d find a USB port hidden behind the rear view mirror to power dash cams, and there’s also a pair of USB Type A ports below the AC controls. A wireless charger is available here too. Moving further back, there’s a pair of USB ports for the middle row (a Type A and a Type C), and two more USB Type A ports for the last row.
Geely Haoyue/Okavango boot, similar to X90.
As for the boot, Proton didn’t show any exact figures with all the seats up, but visually it looked about enough to fit two cabin luggage bags, just. Geely Philippines claims 257 litres with the third row up, which sounds about right. Once you start folding the rear seats down – which you can do individually for the third row – that’s when you get a much larger boot space.
To me, this SUV will work as a fantastic five-seater with a massive boot. You’ll get a lot of leg room in the middle row as you can push them way back, plus have an enormous cargo bay in the back. Geely PH claims 1,200 litres with the last row folded down, but this is likely measured to the roof, which isn’t comparable to normal SUV boot dimensions. I’d guess around 500-600 litres to the beltline.
With all the seats down, Proton says it will have 2,050 litres of space, which will apparently fit a “four-door fridge or a full-size mattress.” One detail that’s hard to miss is that the boot lip itself is rather high, so while it may well fit, good luck carrying that heavy fridge up to begin with. As a bonus, there’s also a deep under-floor storage, and yes, there’s still a spare tyre for the X90.
The tailgate itself is also quite interesting, as it now has a new feature where if you have the key in your pocket and you approach the boot directly, it will open automatically within three to five seconds. This is an upgrade over the contactless kick sensor in the X70, Proton says, but personally I prefer the “older” system as it still relies on you manually triggering it. A fully automated one will often result in the boot opening when you don’t want it to, as we’ve seen in quite a few Hyundai/Kia models recently. We’ll soon see if the Proton’s is any better.
1.5L TGDi with BSG on display at Proton COE since 2011.
Let’s move on to the tech bits. The engine under the hood is the same 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbocharged GDI engine that’s used in the X50 Flagship as well as the newer X70 models, but here there’s also a 48V mild hybrid system attached. Claimed outputs have gone up quite significantly – 190 PS and 300 Nm here from 177 PS and 255 Nm. The familiar seven-speed wet clutch DCT is present here too.
In terms of fuel economy, Proton claims that with this 48V mild hybrid belt starter generator or BSG, you save an extra 15%. The numbers do sound impressive, but we’ll soon find out whether it’s going to be powerful and efficient enough in the real world. In theory, it should be just fine – the 1.5T X70 is proof itself – but with a bigger, heavier body and the possibility to load seven adults, we’ll see if the hybridised downsized engine can still cut it.
The base Geely model actually has a choice of two different rear suspension systems: a simpler torsion beam or a more sophisticated independent multi-link setup. Thankfully, Proton has chosen the latter for our X90. Proton says it picked the independent suspension system because Malaysians have very high standards in terms of drivability and comfort, and rightly so.
The famed Proton ride and handling team has also given the SUV unique tuning to fit our road/driving conditions. According to the development team, the three things that they focused on for the X90 were Premium, Modern and Family, so I would guess that they had tuned the suspension more for comfort rather than dynamics/handling. I’d be surprised otherwise.
In terms of testing, Proton claims to have done 96,000 man-hours of testing on Malaysian roads to get the car ready for our local conditions. As for mileage, it’s a combined 1.2 million km of tests done, so you can now start to understand why Proton has taken so long to bring the car into the market.
The local carmaker also said that the X90 has 45% local content with 500 separate components sourced locally at the start of production. This is slightly higher than previous CKD Geely-based models like X50 and X70 at launch and remember, the 48V mild hybrid engine is also assembled in Tanjung Malim from the get go.
Lastly, safety. The Proton X90 will get a full suite of ADAS active safety suite, now with three new features: front collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and something called traffic sign information. The last one is a system that uses the front camera to detect speed limit signs, which will then be displayed in the instrument cluster. It’s not going to stop you from over speeding, but it serves as a good reminder of the legal limit.
As for pricing, Proton has not officially mentioned anything yet, just that it will be positioned very competitively in the market. Funny story on this, Proton CEO Li Chunrong approached me personally after the media preview to ask how much I think the X90 Flagship should be priced at. I answered ideally, I hope it’s going to be around RM140k, RM10k more than the top X70.
You should have seen the look on his face – shock and horror. “How can? You look at this car, the specs, and the Mazda CX-8 is over RM200k!” he said. Well, I did say I was being hopeful.
Judging from his response, I would hazard a guess that the X90 Flagship would be priced around RM150k or so, perhaps slightly over. If that’s the case, then the range should start from around RM120k for the base model, all in all a RM20k-odd premium over the X70. This is my own estimate, so don’t come at me if it turns out to be wrong!
Now, a Proton for RM150k may sound like a lot, but I genuinely believe that it’s a fair asking price for the car that I had just seen. It looks really good, feels very expensive inside, with specs that are through the roof, including many features that are unheard of in this price range. Even at or slightly above RM150k, uncharted territory for Proton, I think the X90 will be well worth it.
All six colour options.
Whether or not people will be willing to spend that much on a Proton remains to be seen, but based on the company’s recent track record, it’s looking positive. When the X70 was launched in 2018, everyone said Proton had lost the plot by pricing it at RM120k. And yet, it has consistently been the best-selling model in its class for four years straight now.
We will find out soon if the X90 can repeat that success. It shouldn’t be too long now until it’s launched, and order taking will officially start in a few weeks. For now, what do you think of the Proton X90 so far, and how much do you think it should be priced at? Discuss below.
We’ve been calling it the Proton X90 for quite awhile now, but did you know that Proton has never officially referred to its upcoming large SUV as ‘X90’ before? Well, until today. The Proton X90 name is now official for the seven-seater SUV, matching its position as the flagship of Proton’s X range, sitting on top of the X50 and X70 SUVs. These are also the first official images of the X90.
Proton revealed the X90 name at a media preview session today, while confirming that the SUV will use a mild hybrid system (more on this later). Production of the “Premium Modern Family SUV” started two weeks ago in Tanjung Malim, and that announcement coincided with the first official teaser of the SUV, and the revelation that Proton will launch the X90 this year in conjunction with its 40th anniversary.
The X90 is based on the Geely Haoyue, which is also known as the Geely Okavango in other markets such as the Philippines. Compared to the Geely, the Proton sports a differently grille, one with chrome pins expanding out from the Proton logo. There’s also a unique headlamp design with L-shaped DRLs sweeping up, and the fog lamp surrounds are finished in black instead of chrome.
Besides those cues and rear Proton badging, expect the X90’s design to mirror the Haoyue. Spyshots have also shown a dashboard that’s similar to the Geely’s, except for Proton’s tiger badge on the steering boss, of course.
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It’s confirmed that the X90 will come with mild hybrid power. A 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbo engine is supplemented by a 48V electric motor synergy (EMS) system integrates six key components – belt-starter generator (BSG), DC-DC converter, lithium-Ion battery, battery management system, recuperation braking system and the hybrid module control system. The gearbox is a seven-speed wet dual-clutch unit driving the front wheels.
In case you’re wondering, yes, the 1.5 TGDI engine (without the BSG) is the same one used in the X50 and X70 MC. In those applications, the turbo triple produces 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque. Here, the BSG adds on 13 PS and 45 Nm for total output of 190 PS and 300 Nm. The TGDI is made in Proton’s Tanjung Malim engine assembly plant for the X70 MC, and the carmaker has said that the target output for this year is 60,000 engines, which will be used across several Proton models.
The Geely Haoyue is the brand’s largest SUV. At 4,835 mm long and 1,900 mm wide, it’s 316 mm longer and 69 mm wider than the X70. The seven-seater’s wheelbase is 2,815 mm, which is 145 mm longer than the X70’s. The X90 will compete with three-row SUVs such as the Mazda CX-8 and Hyundai Santa Fe, and its size is between those two – see the comparison table above.
The seven-seater’s layout is 2-3-2 and the third row has its own aircon vents. However, you can have a six-seat version of the X90 with two individual captain seats in the middle row, replacing the standard bench. This more luxurious layout – with a panoramic glass roof – is reserved for the Flagship variant, as shown here.
Highlighted new driver assist features are Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW) and Traffic Sign Information (TSI). Also listed are a 10-inch digital instrument panel (full width) and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen for the top variant.
Proton did not release pricing or even the open for booking 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 in the RM130k to RM150k range given that the 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 the X90 here.
Anthony Lim adds:
While no photography was allowed during the preview session for the X90, the presentation revealed more specifications of the D-segment SUV than that ventured in the press release, and we’ll cover most of that ground here.
First off, some relevant numbers regarding the development of the X90, and these are the 96,000 man-hours and 1.2 million km of testing that has been carried out for it. Aside from this, mention was also made of its rear suspension layout, which differs from that of the Haoyue. Where the Haoyue sits on a torsion beam setup, the Proton features a multi-link configuration that has, as the automaker puts it, been tuned for Malaysian roads.
As for wheels, the higher end variants (Premium, Flagship) ride on 19-inch units, which on the Flagship and Premium preview examples were wrapped with 235/50 Continental EcoContact 6 rubbers. Not shown today were the 18-inch wheels, which are shod with 225/55 profile tyres, as indicated by the tyre pressure card on the door sill – these will be found on the Standard and Executive variants.
Up next, cargo space, and there’s up to 2,050 litres of volume to be had when the rear seats are folded down. Still on figures, the standard fit 12.3 inch LCD touchscreen for the infotainment system offers a 1920 x 720 pixel display resolution, 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. There’s still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support though, but the company says they are working on it.
A quick breakdown of what to expect from the SUV. Standard equipment on the base variant includes full LED headlamps with sequential turn signals, fabric seats and a reverse camera. The X90 will also feature dual-zone air-conditioning and independent rear AC, with all rows on the SUV getting air vent. There’s also a G-Clean system, incorporating a N95 cabin filter and ioniser.
Elsewhere, every row gets charging points for mobile devices, and there are seven in all, ranging from USB Type-A and USB Type-C connections to wireless charging (the latter, from the Premium on). Convenience functions include proximity auto unlock and walk-away auto lock.
The Executive variant adds on front ventilated seats, with the driver’s side being a six-way power adjustable unit. Also going on is leatherette upholstery, an intelligent powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera with 3D display and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Geely Haoyue panoramic sunroof, similar to X90.
The next step up is the Premium, which adds on the aforementioned 19-inch wheels and wireless mobile charging. There’s also ADAS, which brings along the three new driver assist features mentioned earlier (rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and traffic sign information) and auto park assist, and the variant also gets Nappa leather upholstery, while the front passenger seat becomes a four-way power adjustable unit.
Aside from being the only model to offer the 2-2-2 six-seat layout with second row captain seats, the Flagship adds on a large panoramic sunroof and a front passenger ‘Boss’ switch, which allows the seat to be moved forward to provide more in the way of legroom for the second row occupant seated behind it.
The Proton X90 will be the next car to be launched by Proton. It is a large three-row 7-seater SUV in the D-segment that competes with cars like the Hyundai Santa Fe.
We have seen camouflaged prototypes of it running around Malaysian roads since mid-2021. It was originally scheduled to be launched in Q3 2022 but because of the Covid-19 Movement Control Order, the Proton X90 will be launched this year in 2023.
Proton has already started to produce the Proton X90 at its Tanjung Malim plant to build up stock levels ahead of the launch. A line-off ceremony was held at the plant on March 14 2023.
Which Geely model is the Proton X90 based on?
The Proton X90 is based on the Geely Haoyue, a D-segment SUV model also known by its international market the Geely Okavango.
The Geely Haoyue is offered in China with a 1.8 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a 7-speed DCT gearbox, but in the Philippines market where it is known as the Okavango, it uses a 1.5 litre three-cylinder engine with a 48V mild hybrid system.
What engine will the Proton X90 get in Malaysia?
The Proton X90 will be powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with a 48V BSG hybrid system, as confirmed at a DRB-HICOM analyst briefing in March 2023.
Proton has put on display the 1.5 litre three-cylinder 48V hybrid system before back in November 2021. The hybrid system produces 190 PS at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,500-4,000 rpm.
In its non-hybrid tune installed in the Proton X50 and Proton X70 MC, the 1.5 litre engine produces 177 PS and 255 Nm. This version of the engine is locally assembled at Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant.
The increased power of the hybrid version is provided by the 48V BSG motor.
In case you’re wondering the X50/X70’s engine can power a larger car like the X90, curiously Geely Philippines website quotes their Geely Azkarra (X70) as having a 1,705 kg weight, while the Okavango (X90) is 1,610 kg, so it’s actually lighter despite being bigger.
How big is the Proton X90?
The Proton X90’s donor vehicle the Geely Haoyue is the Geely brand’s largest SUV. It measures 4,835 mm long (316 mm longer than the X70), 1,900 mm wide (+69 mm) and 1,785 mm tall (+91 mm), with a 2,815 mm wheelbase (+145 mm).
Here’s how its dimensions compare with a few other three row vehicles that it might be competing with.
We can see that the Proton X90 is somewhere in between the Hyundai Santa Fe (smaller) and the Mazda CX-8 (larger) in size.
We decided to include the Kia Carnival in absence of a Kia Sorento being sold at the moment. You might ask what is the logic of comparing a SUV with an MPV, but the fact is Proton themselves once decided to benchmark the Proton X90 against a previous generation Kia Carnival on the roads near Genting Highlands.
For someone whose looking for a three-row vehicle, there might be cross-shopping between SUV and MPV bodies in the same price range.
How big are the third row seats of the Proton X90?
We can’t say for sure if the Proton X90’s seats will be able to comfortably fit adults but from photos of the Geely version of the car, they sure look like they could.
Access to the third row is by tilting the second row seat back forward. You can see from the photos the third row even has its own aircond vent right below the window.
How big is the Proton X90’s boot with the third row in use?
From the two photos above you can see that the Proton X90 will most likely have a big boot area with the third row folded down, but if the third row is in use, the boot space is pretty small.
Apparently it can still fit a folded bicycle as shown in the promotional photo with all three rows in use.
Official spec sheets quote 257L with the third row up, and 1200L with the third row down.
How much will the Proton X90 be priced?
In the Philippines market, the Coolray (Proton X50) is priced from PHP 1,073,000 (RM85k). The Azkarra (Proton X70) is priced from PHP 1,788,000 (RM142k), more expensive than the X70 in Malaysia, but bear in mind that is for a version that includes a 48V hybrid system.
The Okavango (X90)’s Philippines starting price is surprisingly cheaper than the X70, at PHP 1,503,000 (RM120k) but this goes up to PHP 1,765,000 (140k) for the highest spec.
With the Proton X50 priced from RM86,300 to RM113,300 and the Proton X70 priced from RM98,800 to RM128,800, we think the Proton X90 will easily be priced in the RM130k-150k range.
Are you waiting for the Proton X90 to be launched? What do you think of the Proton X90? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for more updates on the Proton X90.
Proton today announced the start of production of its upcoming three-row SUV, which is popularly referred to as the X90. Set to be launched later this year in conjunction with the carmaker’s 40th anniversary, the X90 is based on the Geely Haoyue, which is also known as the Geely Okavango in other markets such as the Philippines.
Presenting this bit of news was Proton chairman Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar, who gave a speech at a line-off ceremony held at the carmaker’s Tanjung Malim plant. Also present at today’s event was Perak MB Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad as well as state VIPs and other Proton executives.
The vehicle was shown to attendees during the ceremony, but no photography was allowed, with the frontal teaser image you see here being the first official glimpse of the car. Given that viewing of it was only from a distance, we can’t tell you more beyond the Proton example having a differently-styled grille – with chrome pins expanding from the Proton logo, as previously highlighted by a previous spyshot.
The X90 also gets a different headlamp design, with L-shaped DRLs sweeping up, and its fog lamp surround is finished in black instead of chrome. Otherwise, it looks very similar to the Geely. Likewise, the interior, as suggested by a spyshot of the cabin from last week.
Syed Faisal said the X90 will come with hybrid power (as confirmed in our earlier report), but did not disclose more information. As we’ve detailed in a previous post, the X90 will very likely feature the Okavango’s mild-hybrid powertrain, which is rated at 190 PS at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm from 1,500-4,000 rpm.
The setup consists of a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48 volt mild-hybrid system that features a belt-driven starter generator (BSG), with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels.
This would make the X90 the first Proton model to come with mild hybrid power. The national carmaker did not say when it will launch its new three-row SUV, but indications point to it making its debut by the second half of 2023. Are you looking forward to the X90?
Proton’s upcoming three-row SUV – popularly referred to as the X90 – has been spotted once again ahead of its expected launch this year. This time, paultan.org reader Kamweng Woon managed to capture not just the exterior of the camouflaged seven-seater, but also a little bit of the interior as well.
The X90 is based on the Geely Haoyue, which is also known as the Geely Okavango in certain markets like the Philippines. Based on the close-up shots, we can see that the Proton SUV will come with LED exterior lighting as well as 18-inch wheels paired with 225/55 profile tyres. The grille insert also features shiny pins.
Curiously, the trade plate has a cutout for what appears to be sensors that likely enables driver assistance systems like autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. These features aren’t available for the Philippines-spec Okavango but are available for the Haoyue in China, although the sensor panel is located in the lower intake.
As for the interior, the X90 looks pretty much identical to the Geely model it is based on. The design of the dashboard with its prominent air vents are clearly visible, as is the large central touchscreen beside a digital instrument cluster display.
The centre console is familiar too, matching the Haoyue that received slight update since its initial debut in 2020. The most noticeable change is the design of the gear lever, which is different from the one seen originally as well as what you’ll find in the latest X70 and X50.
Features that are apparent looking at the controls include three drive modes (Eco, Comfort and Sport), an electronic parking brake with auto brake hold, hill descent control and front parking sensors.
Under the bonnet, the X90 is said to get the Okavango’s mild hybrid powertrain rated at 190 PS and 300 Nm of torque. The setup consists of a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that features a belt-driven starter generator (BSG) – a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission drives the front wheels.
If this powertrain is used, the X90 will be Proton’s first model to come with mild hybrid power. For now, Proton has yet to confirm when the X90 will be making its launch debut but are you excited for it?
Proton’s very first production hybrid car will be launched this year, according to reports by research houses based on an analyst briefing by Proton’s majority shareholder DRB-HICOM on March 2. According to these reports, the Proton X90 will be a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV).
The MHEV hybrid system is expected to be a 1.5 litre three-cylinder 48V engine+motor combo producing 190 PS at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,500-4,000 rpm, which is higher than the 177 PS, 255 Nm non-hybrid version of the engine.
We had already speculated that this would happen based on two reasons. Firstly, Proton has already exhibited this engine at Proton’s Centre of Excellence showroom in Shah Alam back in November 2021. Secondly, this engine is already being used by the Proton X90’s ‘sibling’, the Geely Okavango in the left hand drive Philippines market.
How does the Proton X90’s 48V hybrid system work?
The system takes the regular 3-cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine and adds a number of components to it. The hybrid system can provide 13 horsepower and 45 Nm of assist, which is what brings the 177 PS, 255 Nm numbers of the non-hybrid up to 190 PS and 300 Nm in the hybrid.
The electric assist in this system is provided by a BSG, or Belt-driven Starter Generator. It’s basically an extremely beefed up alternator that can be used to provide some power to the engine.
Unlike other more elaborate hybrid systems which sandwiches a motor between the engine and the gearbox, the BSG provides power through the belt, which is connected to the crank. It runs on a 48V power system, provided by a 48V battery.
The BSG will also be able to charge this 48V battery by recuperating braking energy and turning it into electricity. This is the only way to charge the battery, as there’s no socket for external charging.
There is also a 48V to 12V DC to DC converter in the system, so the 48V system can provide power to the car’s usual 12V system, which runs everything else like the aircond and lights.
Since it’s called a ‘mild’ hybrid system, the capabilities are also ‘mild’. The Proton X90’s hybrid BSG motor will not be able to power the car on pure electric drive mode like other more advanced systems like Honda’s e:HEV system or Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive systems.
What it will be able to do is allow the Proton X90 hybrid to have extended engine shutdown at speeds of below 15 km/h, such as when coasting to a stop. The 13 hp and 45 Nm also kicks in when you are accelerating from a stop or even during overtaking moves, providing extra torque when you need it the most. The Proton X90 can also coast at highway speeds with the engine shut off and the gearbox disconnected.
48V hybrid systems are on the uptrend these days and they are actually more prevalent in the showrooms than you think, but they’re just not marketed as hybrids anymore especially with premium brands and/or first world countries as the industry has transitioned to using the term only for more complex hybrid systems.
For example, both the Malaysian market W206 Mercedes-Benz C200 and C300’s M254 engines use 48V hybrid systems with BSG.
Are you excited for Proton’s first 48V hybrid to hit the showrooms? Or are you more adventurous and are waiting for a plug-in hybrid like Volvo’s T8 hybrids instead? Let us know in the comments.
Here is yet another sighting of the upcoming Proton X90 SUV, this time in the urban surroundings of Kuala Lumpur, as posted to Facebook as well as from paultan.org reader Izack Aizat.
Previously sighted on the PLUS highway with a Mazda CX-8 following presumably for benchmarking purposes, the latest sighting of the national carmaker’s upcoming seven-seater SUV finds not just one, but two units of the upcoming model negotiating city traffic.
As with the national carmaker’s current crop of SUV models, the upcoming X90 will be based on an existing Geely product, specifically the Haoyue that is also known as the Okavango in the Philippines, where the seven-seater is powered by a 190 PS/300 Nm 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine.
That unit is of a mild-hybrid configuration, however another, fully internal combustion variant already serves in the current Proton line-up, namely in the X50 as well as the 2022 X70 MC.
The Proton X90 is part of the carmaker’s run of three models that will be launched between 2023 and 2024, following pandemic lockdowns and chip shortages which delayed the seven-seater’s original launch timeline that was meant to take place this year.
