Six Things We Learned About The Proton X90

As noted in our latest Editor’s Note, national carmaker Proton held a special teaser preview for local press members – us included – of its new flagship crossover SUV model, the X90.

Unlike the official revealing event held prior, invited press members were finally allowed to photograph and film the model during this latest teaser preview effort, which included a short test-drive session. This was indeed enough for us to soak up plenty of things about Proton’s latest and greatest.

With that in mind, here are 6 key facts you ought to know about the new Proton X90 that's now open for bookings.

7-seat variants of the Proton X90 will feature a three-seat second row bench.

1. It’s Very Spacious And Comfy On The Inside

As a D-segment SUV with three-rows of seats, it’s unsurprising to see the X90 boasting abundant cabin real estate, and we reckon passengers will have little to loathe. Adding to which is the presence of dedicated air-cond vents and controls for both the second- and third-row seats. 

Space in the third-row seats felt decent, lacking only a a little in thigh support and leg room.

Notable too is the presence of dedicated air-cond vents and USB ports in for third-row seat passengers.

Speaking of the third-row seats, life is surprisingly decent here as there’s adequate headroom and movement space, even with the second row seats slid all the way back. It does lack a little in thigh support and legroom especially for tall, lanky folks, but this was somewhat expected.

With the second- and third-row seats down, there's a gargantuan 2,050 litres of cargo space!

L-R: Standard boot capacity of 257 litres is decent, whilst presence of powered tailgate grants easier access.

As for luggage space, there’s a respectable 257 litres with the third-row seats up, or 1,200 litres with them down, thus allowing this crossover to handle daily hauling tasks with ease. What’s arguably more impressive is the 2,050 litres available when both the second- and third-row seats are folded.

The icing on the X90’s practicality cake comes from the inclusion of a powered tailgate feature. Available from the Executive variant onwards, it’s supplemented with a foot-sensor that works to both open and close, thus granting easier access too.

Second-Row Captain Seats are primed exclusively in the range-topping X90 Flagship variant.

2. The Second Row Captain Seats Are Impressive

For those eyeing up the range-topping six-seater Flagship variant, we’re glad to report that the Second Raw Captain Seats primed here looked and felt great. 

(L-R) Dedicated air-cond controls plus USB charging ports, as well as the 'Boss' switch seen in the X90 Flagship.

Offered exclusively in said range-topper, these seats get matched with plush leather upholstery, built-in seat ventilation, plus a ‘Boss’ switch that lets you adjust the front passenger seat further to gain more space. Coupled with the dedicated air-cond control and vents mentioned, as well as dedicated USB-A and USB-C charge ports, those who prefer to be chauffeur-driven on the daily will indeed be impressed.

Diamond-pin grille and 19-inch (Flagship) wheels adds to the X90 Flagship's posh looks and stance.

Other premium bits include the all-LED forward and rear lighting, as well as the Proton tailgate badge lettering.

3. It Doesn’t Look Or Feel ‘Cheap’

Unlike its present and past offerings, we reckon Proton will not have difficulties convincing prospects of the X90’s aspirations at being a true ‘luxury’ offering. Clever use of high-end trim materials inside and out, as well as the design and presentation of it all, fuels this, especially in the Premium and Flagship variants.

L-R: Plush Nappa leather is richly used to deck the cabin, along with plastic trims that neither feel nor look cheap.

L-R: Both the 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen climate control buttons controls are neatly presented in the centre dash.

Key highlights here include rich use of plush Nappa leather and soft-touch fabrics, all-black cabin colour motif, and the neat arrangement of the central 12.3-inch infotainment screen and air-cond control switches. Present too are high-grade and tactile plastics used for all the control buttons and switches here which, though a small detail, made a huge difference to the X90’s upmarket ambience too.

Also exclusive to the X90 Flagship variant is this panoramic glass sunroof.

Adding further to this is the respectably high noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) suppression Proton primed the X90’s  cabin with. Yes, not only does it look and feel posh, the X90 sounds posh in this sense too. Surely, having this much luxury accessible at a lower price point promised by the Proton badge should see the X90 draw plenty of prospects indeed.

New 360-degree parking camera includes an interactive and nifty 3D view function.

4. It’s Smarter And Safer Than The X50 & X70

This is evident from the Executive variant onwards, which sees the addition of a neat new 360-degree parking monitor with 3D display mode. Indeed, this is a welcoming feature as it should help managing this sizeable crossover better on the daily, especially with parking.

Speaking of parking, autonomous parking is yet another neat addition, and it comes as standard in both the Premium and Flagship variants. Both these trimlines benefit with a bevy of active and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features too. Mirroring what’s seen in the X50 and X70, they’re now beefed up with Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Traffic Sign Information (TSI).

10-inch digital instrument display also features a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), but only for the Executive, Premium, and Flagship variants.

Besides that, greater ‘intelligence’ can be seen in the upgraded infotainment unit, which also boasts Increased size and resolution. Crucially, heightened processing power enables snazzier graphics plus smoother operation, the latter especially for core connectivity-driven functions such as navigation, media streaming and playback, as well tasks prompted via the “Hi, Proton…” voice command suite.

Sadly, Apple and Android connectivity remains absent, but improved processing power to enables quicker operation of connectivity-driven functions.

Our only gripe is the continued absence of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, but the infotainment suite’s visual and performance improvements should suffice to convince its prospects.  Surely, the next fact might boost this posh Proton crossover’s favour further too.

5. It Drives And Handles Well For Its Size

The partially electrified powertrain package, which features a 1.5-litre TGDi 3-cyl turbo mill with a 48-volt Belt Starter Generator (BSG), felt neither gutless nor puffless when delivering 190 PS and 300 NM to the front wheels via the respectably slick 7-speed DCT automatic box paired with it. Overall, this isn’t the most rapid in segment, but it’s no slouch either.

In the X90, it employs a 1.5 TGDi 3-cyl turbo MHEV unit paired with a 7-speed DCT automatic.

Besides providing a slight boost, the MHEV system also grants the X90 with the ability to coast between 30 KM/H and 130 KM/H, as well as extended shut-down periods and smooth restarts in its idling stop-start functions, all aimed towards boosting efficiency further. In fact, drive this car right and Proton says it will sip as low as 6.8 litres/100 KM, which is decent for an SUV of this size and bulk.

Besides three selectable drive mores, the X90 is also primed with a Hill-Descent Control (HDC) suite.

In terms of driving dynamics, Proton’s efforts at reengineering the X90’s chassis, which included switching from its Geely base car’s torsion beam rear suspension to a new multi-link type, bore telling results during our short test-drive stint. For its size and bulk, the X90 delivered a very agile and engaging drive, but it’s the high passenger comfort levels that stood out as a winning trait here.

Despite its size and heft, the X90 proved to be a very agile and highly comfortable SUV to drive and be driven in.

Overall, despite its powertrain’s low displacement and cylinder count, as well as its overall bulk and heft, the X90’s performance and driving dynamics aren’t too shabby to say the least. Simply put, it will meet the expectations of many, and it might stand as a prime choice should the following speculation pan out…

6.  It Promises To Be ‘Affordable’

At the time of writing, Proton remains coy and tight-lipped about the X90’s price. Given everything it has to offer, we can expect the X90 to justifiably command a higher figure than its X70 sibling, which currently ranges between RM98,800 and RM128,800.

What’s certain is that the X90 will be priced below its nearest rivals, those being the Mazda CX-8, and the Hyundai Sante Fe. The latter Korean offering commanded a starting figure of roughly RM167,000 when first launched whilst the former Japanese alternative currently starts from RM184,000.

We’ll know more once the Proton X90 officially launches, which will likely take place just before or during Proton’s upcoming 40th anniversary. Until then, you can see more of the X90 in the gallery below. Don’t forget to share us your thoughts about Proton’s latest and greatest in the comments section below.