Will the Xingyue L become the Proton X90 In Malaysia?
This high-end SUV is the latest SUV from Geely Auto and there are strong rumors circulating on social media since this large SUV was teased late last year. Then in April this year, it was unveiled at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show and many Malaysians started speculating its arrival in Malaysia badged a Proton just like what Geely Auto did with the Proton X70 two years ago and more recently with the Proton X50. There are already a few Proton X90 facebook fan pages online showing this Xingyue L as the new rebadged Proton luxury SUV.
Competing head on with the segment best seller, the Mazda CX-9 Skyactiv, this new ‘Proton X90’ will probably be priced below RM199k to take a hefty chunk of sales away from Mazda in this segment and it might also persuade Malaysians to buy this instead of the 2021 model Toyota Fortuner.
PRESS RELEASE: Designed at Geely Design Shanghai, the Xingyue L expands on the design developments from Geely Auto’s Preface concept. Vice President of Geely Design Shanghai, Guy Burgoyne, commented, “In 2019, we unveiled a preface of what’s to come, a new design language and a slingshot from our Expanding Cosmos philosophy. In 2020, with the new design language and the passion for realizing an idea into reality, we conceived a super premium and refined SUV concept. Today, this super premium concept has become the Xingyue L”.
Under Geely’s Expanding Cosmos design philosophy is the modernistic “Accelerating through Space and Time” aesthetic. The latest Xingyue L has taken this aesthetic and evolved it into a new “Symphony of Space and Time,” a symphony resulting from all of Geely’s experiences and innovations, a symphony of Eastern and Western styling, a symphony of humanity and technology.
Symphony of Space and Time
Sitting on the Compact Modular Architecture, the Xingyue L is designed with strong proportions; a wide 1610mm wheel track and long 2845mm wheelbase, resulting in both strong presence and expansive interior. Viewing the Xingyue L from different angles present a bold yet serene, tough yet refined, classic yet trendy image.
From the front, a bold and determined energy emanates from the signature Expanding Cosmos grille. Vertical slats in the grille expand from Geely’s logo towards the periphery like a moving cosmic energy wave. Three-segmented matrix front headlamps give a hint of the technology inherent in the Xingyue L. Each headlamp is comprised of 126 individually controllable LEDs, allowing brightness and even lighting effects to be customized.
From the side, a luxurious streamlined design with clean lines which simplify complexity can be seen. The slingshot aesthetic inherited from the Preface is present once again as a highlight going from the side-view mirrors around the side windows, and circling back towards the A-pillar.
At the rear, the Xingyue L gets dot-matrix tail lamps with 176 LEDs. Connected to each other by a strip of lights, the visual effect of a cosmic aurora is created when viewing the Xingyue L from the rear.
High Mountains and Flowing Rivers
The interior of the Xingyue is where a true symphony between Eastern and Western styling is seen. Inspired by the classical Eastern image of high mountains and flowing rivers, a panoramic integrated cockpit space is created. Designers aimed to create a visually immersive luxurious environment integrating intelligent human-machine interaction to offer the best experience for drivers and passengers.
The first feature that stands out is a meter-long flowing infotainment screen connecting the co-pilot to the driver. Visually stacked atop the driver’s digital instrument panel, the front dash is reminiscent of overlapping mountains. While technologically advanced, this interior design feature does not lose sight of the core Eastern cultural concept of “sharing experience with everyone around you.” The newest generation of GKUI allows seamless connectivity, ultra-high speed data, and 1920×720 high-definition resolution.
Creating an interior that’s modernistic yet classically refined comes down to the details, including selective material choices and colors. The Xingyue L comes with a dual toned interior which combines a polished cyberpunk black with a classical bronze verdigris patina. The cyberpunk black highlights the model’s technological heritage while the verdigris green is reminiscent of ritual bronze ware given to nobility in Asian history. Custom suede is present throughout the interior giving occupants a low-key hint of luxury with its soft feather like feel. Weaving in the seats incorporate Chinese elements like classical knots, adding an element of refinement in the details while giving a visual reminder of where the brand is from.
Technology also plays a major part in creating a luxurious interior environment. The Xingyue L comes with a 10 speaker high-performance BOSE sound system which is combined with engine harmonic noise reduction technology and double layered soundproofing, creating a serene interior environment liken to a symphony concert hall. Interior lighting has also been raised to the next level with a customizable 72 color atmospheric lighting scheme that changes according to the driving mode.
Continuous Evolution
Developed on Geely’s most advanced Compact Modular Architecture, the Xingyue L is endowed with world-class safety, performance, intelligence, and sustainability. It is powered by Volvo and Geely’s jointly-developed 2.0L turbo direct injection engine and matched with either Geely’s self-developed 7-speed wet dual clutch or Aisin’s 8-speed automatic transmission. Users are offered two tuning options; a high-powered version with a maximum power of 175kW and up to 380 Nm of torque capable of a 0-100km/h acceleration in 7.7s or a mid-powered version with a maximum power of 160kW and up to 325 Nm capable of a 0-100km/h acceleration in 7.9s.
With BorgWarner’s sixth-generation four-wheel drive system, a 50:50 front/rear torque distribution is possible offering Xingyue L users improved off-road performance. Five driving modes will be available; an energy efficient ECO mode, refined NORM mode, speedy SPORT mode, reliable SNOW mode, and a powerful OFFROAD mode.
Going beyond L2 autonomous drive, Xingyue L comes with Geely’s newest 5G-enabled, completely unmanned automated valet system. Within a 200-metre area such as a parking lot, the Xingyue L can drive 100 percent on its own, search for spots and park itself. The reverse can also be accomplished by calling the Xingyue L to pick up the user within a 200-metre area. The vehicle is able to achieve this feat through the integration of 12 ultrasonic radars, 5 millimeter wave radars, 4 high-def surround view cameras, 1 monocular camera, 1 dash-cam, 1 interior camera, and 24 environmental sensors.
Following the steps of the Preface in connectivity, Xingyue L comes with full firmware OTA which allows fundamental aspects of the vehicle including intelligent safety, infotainment, power, chassis, autonomous drive, connectivity, etc to be upgraded over time. Connected to Geely’s technological ecosystem, the Xingyue L grows as Geely grows.
The new Xingyue L is Geely Auto’s most accomplished flagship SUV to date. It combines elegance and refinement inspired by the classic imagery of high mountains and flowing rivers. Geely’s latest high-end SUV is set to be launched in the Chinese market in coming weeks with plans to go global in the near future.
