What to expect: Proton prices South Africa bound X90 in Malaysia

Although revealed two months ago as its flagship SUV positioned above the X70, Proton has officially announced pricing for the X90 in Malaysia ahead of its debut in South Africa later this year.

The third model after the X50 and X70 to be spun-off of a model sourced from Chinese parent company Geely, in this case the Geely Haoyue/Okavango, the X90 will offer seating for seven as standard, though the aptly named Flagship will only be fitted with six in a 2-2-2 arrangement – the second row being occupied by a pair of captain’s chairs with their own armrest.

Mild-hybrid three-cylinder

Dimensionally unchanged from the Haoyue/Okavango, meaning an overall length of 4 830 mm, height of 1 764 mm, width of 1 900 mm and wheelbase stretching 2 805 mm, the X90 will only be available with front-wheel-drive and with motivation coming from a 48-volt mild-hybrid version of the 1.5 T-GDI three-cylinder engine used in the X50 and X70.

Hooked as standard to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the configuration develops 140kW/300Nm, 10kW/45Nm more than in the X50 and X70. No fuel consumption or performance figures were disclosed.

ALSO READ: Geely Haoyue officially morphs into Proton’s new flagship X90

Spec

On the specification front, the X90 range spans four trim levels, with items on the entry-level Standard comprising the following:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights and fog lamps
• leather-covered steering wheel and gear lever
• dual-zone climate control with second and third row vents
• push-button start
• fabric seat upholstery
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• six-speaker sound system
• seven USB ports
• auto lock/unlock doors
• remote engine start
• six airbags
• front and rear parking sensors
• reverse camera
• Hill Hold Assist
• Hill Descent Control
• Lane Change Assist
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Rear Collision Warning

Upping the ante, the Executive receives an electric tailgate, rain sense wipers and auto-levelling as well as follow-me-home function for the headlights, plus the following:

• 10-inch digital instrument cluster
• ventilated front seats with the driver’s chair being electric
• leatherette upholstery
• tyre pressure monitor
• 360-degree surround-view camera system

Sitting above the Executive, the Premium swaps the 18-inch wheels for 19-inch alloys, the leatherette seats and steering wheel for Nappa leather items, while adding a four-way electric function to the passenger’s seat.

Also included is an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, privacy glass, ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger and added safety in the from of Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Auto Park Assist, Lane Departure and Prevention Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Centering and Emergency Lane Keep Assist.

Besides its six-seats, the only other additions to the Flagship is a digital video recorder, as well as a panoramic sunroof.

While a drive mode selector with three settings; Eco, Comfort and Sport, is standard fare across the range, the neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto are available on any derivatives. Integrated satellite navigation is, however, embedded into the infotainment system on all versions

On the colour front, Proton has availed six colours to the X90; Snow White, Jet Grey, Armour Silver, Cinnamon Brown, Marine Blue and Ruby, with only the former trio being available for the Standard.

Pricing

In Malaysia, pricing ranges from RM 123 800 for the Standard, to RM 152 800 for the Flagship, which, when directly converted, amounts to between R512 349 and R632 367.

Given that sales of the X90 has already been approved for South Africa before the end of this year, expect pricing to commence around the R650 000 based on the top-spec X70 Premium X carrying a sticker of R639 900.

NOW READ: Geely Haoyue debuting soon as Proton’s new flagship X90

Additional information and images from paultan.org.