Geely Xingyue L to be badged as a Proton X90?

Since the middle of last year (July 2021), there have been rumours of a new flagship Proton SUV coming to showrooms, and it will be a rebadged version of Geely Auto's Xingyue L large 5-seat SUV.

Whether this is true or not, we will have to wait and see what happens in the 3rd quarter of 2022, as Proton management and Geely Auto management have not 'whispered' any intent to the media.

Meanwhile, why we say nothing will happen until the third quarter of 2022 is because this Geely Xingyue L SUV has not yet been exported to the Philippines, where Geely SUVs have been well received.

Being a right-hand drive country, little has been done to adapt to the Philippines' automotive market.

The Geely Xingyue L looks like a ready seven-seat SUV, but it is now sold in China in a five-seat configuration.

Moreover, it has a new Geely Auto developed 1,969cc turbocharged engine (we are sure that it shares a lot with Volvo's 2.0 T5 engine) that delivers 238 horsepower and an impressive 350 Nm of torque.

If you check the engine specifications of the petrol-powered Volvo XC60 T5, you will be surprised to note that it also uses a 1,969cc turbocharged engine.

The mill delivers slightly more horsepower, 251 against 238 and has the same 350 Nm of torque.

This allows this large 4,770mm long, 1,895 wide and 1,780 kg Geely SUV to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in just 7.7 seconds using an 8-speed gearbox (Volvo also uses an 8-speed gearbox).

Now, with the continued success of the Proton X70 SUV and the Proton X50 Crossover, which are both rebadged Geely vehicles, the arrival of the Geely Xingyue L SUV as a rebadged Proton X90 looks possible.

What is more exciting is the amount of latest technology that this Geely Xingyue L SUV will come with.

This SUV will be equipped with L2 autonomous drive, Geely's newest 5G-enabled, which will work with an unmanned automated valet system.

Within a 200-metre area such as a parking lot, this Xingyue L will be able to drive 100 per cent, search for a parking spot and park itself. This feature alone will promise huge sales. However, will it be reliable and work well in our car park conditions?

The technology will also allow the Xingyue L to pick up the driver and passengers within a 200-meter radius.

The Geely Xingyue L uses 12 ultrasonic radars, five millimetre-wave radars, four high-definition surround-view cameras, one monocular camera, one dash-cam, one interior camera and 24 environmental sensors.

The Xingyue L will be equipped with full firmware OTA, which will provide intelligent safety, updated infotainment, autonomous drive, internet connectivity and more which will be upgraded over time.

Connected to Geely's technological ecosystem, the Xingyue L will adapt over the years.

Therefore, before Proton can take on this all-new high technology SUV, they will need to update their current fledging after sales and have higher-end technology ready. 

Also read: Geely unveils world's first methanol hybrid sedan