Saarani (fifth from left) was the guest of honour at the X90 teaser session in Tanjung Malim today. He was accompanied by, among others, Syed Faisal (sixth from left) and Roslan (fourth from left).
TANJUNG MALIM: Proton today teased its large SUV as it began production of the seven-seater widely referred to as the X90.
The new model is a mild hybrid and is set to launch soon when Proton gears up to celebrate its 40th anniversary in May.
Members of the media were only allowed to view the front and side view of the SUV from afar and the photo you see here was provided by Proton.
What is obvious is that the X90, as the top SUV of the marque, features a concave grille with a concentric pattern of chrome pins radiating from the Proton logo in the centre. Its headlights are also designed differently from those of the X70 and X50 and come with L-shaped daytime running lights.
The first look of the X90, based on China's Geely Haoyue, was provided at a line-off ceremony that followed the launch of the company’s new stamping line.
As Proton has confirmed that the X90 will be a mild hybrid, its powertrain would mimic the Haoyue sold in the Philippines as the Okavango with front-wheel drive. In that example, thrust is provided by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder 48V hybrid system making 187hp/300Nm - a few more horses and same torque as the 1.8-litre 4-cylinder TGDI engine.
Following the start of production, Proton will soon hold a media preview and nationwide customer familiarisation sessions of the SUV before launching it in the coming months.
The X90 represents Proton's first model to offer hybrid technology, marking its debut in the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) space.
This is another step taken by Proton in its commitment to introduce more NEV models to its range in the lead up to its first locally produced Electric Vehicle (EV).
Prior to this, the company had already inked a deal to distribute smart EVs in Malaysia and Thailand and had sent 16 engineers to China for a six-month work attachment for them to learn and handle everything about EVs.
Proton's new stamping line features machines that can stamp out parts using up to 2,500-tonnes of force and capable of producing 50 unique components. The company said the RM140 million stamping line is the largest in Malaysia and potentially reduces its annual use of imported parts by 115,000 units.
Construction works for Proton’s new stamping line began in early April 2021 with machinery installation beginning in July 2022 and was completed by December.
There are five stamping machines with a single machine capable of exerting 2,500-tonnes of force and two machines each with a pressing force of 1,200-tonnes and 1,000-tonnes respectively. The stamping line uses six robots to transfer parts between workstations and uses IR 4.0 technology based on real-time data and machine learning to improve the quality of parts produced.
The new line can produce up to 50 unique components, boosting local content for Proton’s SUV models as items such as body panels can now be produced at Tanjung Malim.
This carries an additional benefit of reducing the company’s reliance on imported parts, insulating it against any potential disruptions to global trade, and improving local parts supply.
“The launch of our new stamping line in Tanjung Malim is a major addition to Proton’s car production capabilities," said Proton deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah.
"As a national automotive brand, the increased use of locally sourced parts in our production activities is vital to the national automotive ecosystem and helps reduce the outflow of funds from the country.
“Aside from potentially reducing our use of imported parts by 115,000 units per year, the stamping line also allows for greater flexibility when deciding our production mix every month and improves the speed by which we can locally produce new models.”
Present at the event were Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Proton chairman Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar.
