Proton introduces the X90 in Mauritius, South Africa, and Brunei

KUALA LUMPUR: After winning the hearts of Malaysian customers, Proton recently introduced its first electrified vehicle, the X90, in three export markets viz. Mauritius, South Africa, and Brunei. 

In Mauritius, the three-row family SUV was unveiled on August 4, 2023, at the Le Salon de L' Automobile, SVICC, Pailles. Proton Mauritius offers the X90 at a starting price of MUR 1,475,000 (approximately equal to RM 154k).

The SUV made its debut in South Africa from August 25 to 27, 2023, at the Festival of Motoring held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. The event was graced by the presence of the Honourable Mr. Yap Wei Sein, Acting High Commissioner for Malaysia in South Africa. Proton South Africa offers the X90 in four trims - Standard, Executive, Premium, and Flagship, which are priced between ZAR 559,900 (RM 140k) and ZAR 679,900 (RM 170k).

The grand launch event of the Proton X90 in Brunei was also held last month. It was attended by the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam, Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah, and Mr Tan Kah Boon, the Chairman of Proton importers and dealers, Pad and Econ Motors. Proton Brunei also retails the SUV in four versions priced between BND 35,000 (RM 120k) and BND 42,000 (RM 144k).

In Brunei, the brand's popularity has been reaching new heights due to the increasing demand for the X90 and other Proton cars. The automaker sold a total of 100 units of the three-row SUV last month in this market, which has an estimated annual Total Industry Volume of 13,000 units. 

"2023 has been challenging for PROTON’s export business as many of our export markets are experiencing economic challenges resulting in capital market controls. However, our efforts to explore opportunities in other markets are continuing with groundwork underway in Fiji, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Iraq, among others.

“Simultaneously, we remain focused in growing our presence in our current export markets. The debut of the Proton X90, the company’s first New Energy Vehicle (NEV), in three export markets took place just three months after its Malaysian launch on 7 May, helping to uplift PROTON’s brand image in those markets. We view this as an investment in our future as we position ourselves to take advantage of improved market conditions in the future,” said Steven Xu, Director of International Sales, Proton.

“The strong sales performance of Proton cars in Brunei this year is a result of the strength of our model line-up as well as the efforts of our importers. Culturally, there are many similarities between car buyers in Brunei and Malaysia, and the brand has a long history in the country, so we are very pleased to see we can still experience sales growth in a matured market,” he added.

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