Proton’s upcoming seven-seat SUV, which is widely tipped to be called the X90, has been spotted undergoing testing in Malaysia once again. This time, the photos come from paultan.org readers Yusuf Iman and Shairol Azhar, and the vehicle seen is wearing a different camouflage pattern compared to previous sightings. Once again, Proton brought its test vehicle on a run up Genting Highlands, although the X90 isn’t travelling alone. Tagging along is another three-row SUV, the Mazda CX-8, as well as the previous-generation Kia Carnival that offers four rows of seats, both likely being used by the carmaker for benchmarking purposes.
The X90 seen here is left-hand drive unit,
so don’t expect a launch to take place anytime soon. In fact, you’ll have to
wait until next year for the X90 to be launched, according to Proton deputy CEO
Roslan Abdullah. It’s already known that the X90 will be based on the Geely
Haoyue (or the Okavango as it’s known in international markets), although we
don’t have much in the way of local specifications for now. In China, the
Haoyue is offered with the same 1.8 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
engine found in the X70. The mill serves up 181 PS and 300 Nm of torque, with
drive going to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Meanwhile, over in the Philippines, the
Okavango sports a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder with a 48-mild hybrid
system for 190 PS and 300 Nm, also with a DCT driving the front wheels. There’s
a possibility we could get the latter, seeing how Proton showcased a 1.5 litre
TGDi three-cylinder mill with a 48-volt belt-integrated starter generator (BSG)
at its Gallery of Inspiration previously.
Proton could even forgo the mild hybrid
system altogether and equip the X90 with the vanilla TGDi three-cylinder, which
is now locally assembled for the X50 and the latest X70 MC – the unit outputs
177 PS and 255 Nm in both Proton SUVs.
