Proton X90

For the X90, Proton has chosen to stick with an all-black upholstery for all of its variants, with silver-coloured bits like surrounds for AC vents and the centre console and inner door garnish serving a nice contrast to the otherwise dark-themed cabin. While the Standard variant gets a fabric upholstery, the Executive has basic leatherette upholstery. Meanwhile, the Premium and Flagship variants have been bestowed with Nappa leather upholstery, which makes the cabin feel exquisite and nicely laid out. 

The Proton X70 is a three-row, seven-seater SUV, which makes it look and feel big on the inside. While the driver’s seat is 6-way electrically adjustable, including power adjustments for the lumbar support, the co-drivers seat is 4-way adjustable and is also provided with a unique ‘boss’ mode. Except for the Flagship variant, which gets captain seats in the middle row, all the variants have flat benches with a 60:40 split folding pattern for the middle row. Also, in all the variants, the third row of seats is provided with a 50:50 split-folding arrangement. 

Passenger and boot space

Apart from giving a planted stance to the Proton X90, the long 2805mm wheelbase of the SUV also plays a crucial role in making the cabin feel spacious and well-managed. The first and second rows of seats offer a good sense of space, with the middle row being offered with a to-and-fro sliding feature. However, the space in the third row is best suited for kids due to the lack of legroom and under-thigh support.

The X90 also has an ample amount of space in the form of small storage bins, map pockets in door panels and cup holders in all three rows. Proton hasn’t revealed the boot space offered in the X90, though, with the third row of seats folded down, the SUV has a cavernous boot compartment. 

Comfort and entertainment

The cabin of the Proton X90 feels modern and tech-laden with features like a rectangular full-TFT instrument console behind the four-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, which has a rounded rectangular centre boss. The centre console also feels new-age to look at, thanks to the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system sitting at the top of the dashboard. The aura of the cabin of the X90 is further enhanced by ambient lighting and silver accents on the dashboard, door panels and around the transmission lever in the lower centre console. 

Other premium features gracing the cabin of the Proton X90 are a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, powered driver’s seat, ventilated front and second-row seats, 6-speaker audio system, wireless charger, dual-zone automatic climate control, air purifier, AC vents for second and third rows of seats and a powered tailgate. The drivability of the X90 is further enhanced by features like auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.

Compared to the Geely Haoyue on which it is based, the Proton X90 has distinctive-looking front and rear profiles, along with a different set of alloy wheels on the side profile. However, much of the design has been retained from the Haoyue, which itself is a good base to start things with, given how premium and proportionate the Chinese SUV looks. The Proton X90 has a length of 4830mm, a width of 1900mm and a height of 1764mm, while the SUV has a wheelbase of 2805mm. 

The X90 is the first Proton product in all these years to not come with an infinite weave grille, as seen in other current offerings from the brand. Instead, it gets a new wide-looking grille, which has spaced-out chrome pins flowing outwards in a circular fashion from the centre, where the logo of Proton is placed. The grille also gets a satin chrome garnish on its lower part and is flanked with wide-looking trapezoidal all-LED headlamps with L-shaped daytime running LEDs on their outer surfaces.

The front bumper gets trapezoidal block-shaped housings for the fog lamps, which are LED lights arranged vertically within those housings. Adding some rugged appeal to the front look of the X90 is a silver skid plate positioned at the bottom of the trapezoidal air dam in the middle of the front bumper. 

There are squared-out contours over the rounded front and rear wheel arches, which have blacked-out cladding over them. Even the bottom part of the door panels comes with thick black cladding, which has a thin strip of chrome flowing through them. In the X90, the lower two variants have smaller 18-inch machined alloy wheels, while the higher-spec two variants have larger 19-inch machined alloy wheels. The door-mounted rearview mirrors with integrated LED turn indicators and chrome surrounds for the side window panels add some sportiness and premium appeal to the side profile of the X90. 

The Proton X90 looks sleek and suave at the back, with the minimalist and clean-looking design of the boot lid making the rear profile look elegant. The sides of the boot lid are occupied with angular LED combination lamps, which are joined by a thick strip of chrome with Proton lettering spread below it in the middle. The angular housings for the rear reflectors and thick body cladding with a silver skid plate in the middle add some rugged appeal to the rear profile of the X90. 

Q. What are the dimensions of the Proton X90?

The Proton X90 is 4830mm long, 1900mm wide, and 1764mm tall, with its wheelbase rated at 2805mm. 

For an SUV this large which is powered by a turbocharged petrol engine, one might expect the Proton X90 to be not so fuel-efficient. However, thanks to the fuel-saving 48V mild-hybrid technology, the X90 is capable of delivering a maximum fuel efficiency of 14.7 kmpl. 

The Proton X90 is a monocoque SUV, which is underpinned with a suspension setup comprising of McPherson struts at the front and multi-link with a stabilizer at the rear. With a long wheelbase of 2805mm and tall 19-inch alloy wheels, the X90 has a good road presence and a composed ride quality at higher speeds. However, the feedback from the light steering at higher speeds plays a bit of spoilsport, which can make handling this large SUV a bit nervous as the speeds rise. The 235/50 R19 tyres in the higher two variants and 225/55 R18 tyres in the lower two variants offer decent levels of grip too. 

The Proton X90 shares its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with its donor SUV, the Geely Haoyue. This is the only engine option offered in the entire lineup of the Proton X90. The only gearbox option, with which this turbocharged petrol engine is paired in the X90, is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The power produced by this engine is channelled to the front wheels via a front-wheel drive system offered as standard. 

The turbocharged petrol engine offered in the Proton X90 is capable of producing a maximum power output of 177 PS and a maximum torque output of 255 Nm. The engine is also accompanied by a 48V mild hybrid system consisting of an electric motor, which offers an additional boost of 14 PS power and 52 Nm torque outputs. The engine feels refined at lower RPMs, though being a three-cylinder engine, the power delivery and refinement levels feel below average at higher RPMs. 

Q How many ccs is a Proton X90 engine?

The Proton X90 is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which claims 177 PS of power and 255 Nm of torque, and is paired to a 7-speed DCT gearbox. 

The list of basic essential and standard safety features available in all the variants of the Proton X90 are six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, auto brake hold, electronic stability control, traction control, front and rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera, hill hold assist and hill descent control.

The higher-spec variants of the X90 are further equipped with more advanced and modern safety features like autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, rear collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, intelligent cruise control, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, lane centring control, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent high beam control, auto park assist and digital video recorder. More features like a 360-degree parking camera and tyre pressure monitoring system are also present in higher-spec variants of the X90. 

Value for money

The prices for the Proton X90 start at RM 123,800, which makes it one of the most affordable seven-seater midsize SUVs on sale in the Malaysian car market. Following are the prices of all the variants of the X90:

Proton X90 Standard – RM 123,800

Proton X90 Executive – RM 130,800

Proton X90 Premium – RM 144,800

Proton X90 Flagship – RM 152,800

Warranty

For the X90, Proton is offering a standard warranty of five years or unlimited km on all four variants. In addition, the X90 is also sold with a five-year data package (1 GB/month), which controls the various functions in the infotainment system available in all the variants of the SUV. 

Proton X90 vs the competition

The three midsize SUVs which are direct rivals to the Proton X90 are Honda CR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan X-Trail. Here’s how the X90 fares against all the three SUVs with which it competes in the Malaysian car market. 

Proton X90 vs Honda CR-V – The premium five-seater SUV from Honda is lower on one row of seats and features compared to the Proton X90. However, the one area where the CR-V is leagues ahead of the X90 is the powertrain. The 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine of the CR-V makes 190 PS of power, which makes it more powerful and refined than the X90.

Proton X90 vs Toyota Corolla Cross – Like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota Corolla Cross is also a five-seater SUV and exhibits its Japanese supremacy over the X90 with its reliable and refined 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. With a power output of 137 Nm, it might not be as powerful as the X90 but is much higher in reliability and refinement. 

Proton X90 vs Nissan X-Trail – Another Japanese rival to the Proton X90 is the Nissan X-Trail, and like the CR-V and Corolla Cross, the X-Trail relies heavily on its superior engine refinement and reliability. However, the 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine of the X-Trail produces 142 PS, lower than the X90. 

Is Proton X90 worth buying?

Due to its Chinese origins and all the bling which comes with Chinese SUVs, the reliability of the Proton X90 is still under watchful eyes. However, in the first impression, the X90 appears as a modern, well-equipped and premium SUV, which gets several luxurious and expensive features at a price which is the lowest among its rivals, making it a killer value-for-money proposition.