Will the VX11 get the X90 badge or an interesting name like …….. ?
The success story for Proton in Malaysia for the past few years comes from two models that were rebadged by Proton’s foreign partner, Geely Auto.
It all began with the Proton X70 which arrived in December 2018 and then it was the Proton X50 which was launched in October 2020.
Rebadged first for many Malaysians to enjoy an imported vehicle at national car prices, both models were later local assembled in Malaysia to continue enjoying Malaysian national car status which lowers it import tax to provide for a lower price point in a country where import taxes on vehicles are very high.
Now comes confirmation of a third Geely vehicle for Malaysians to enjoy. Meet the Geely Haoyue which is a 7-seat luxury SUV that will compete head-on with current segment favorites, the Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-8 and also the Nissan X-Trail.
Interestingly, we suspect that the biggest rival for this new Proton SUV will be the soon to launch Chery Tiggo8 Pro Max SUV which was previewed in October 2022 in Setia Alam. Yes, Chery is returning to Malaysia and they previewed 4 new SUV vehicles of various sizes to the Malaysian media.
It is clear that the Tiggo8 Pro will be a direct rival to the Proton VX11 (X90) in terms of size, cabin features, seating and also price point.
This large and well equipped 7-seat ‘Proton X90’ will be powered by Geely’s latest 1.8TD engine paired with a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission or it might arrive with a mild hybrid 1.5L turbocharged engine that delivers 190PS and 300Nm of torque.
The ‘Proton X90’ dimensions are length 4835 mm X width 1900 mm X height 1785 mm making it larger than the Chery Tiggo8 and also Mazda CX-8 but slightly smaller than the Santa Fe.
Meanwhile, the Chery Tiggo8 dimensions are as follows, length 4722 mm X width 1860 mm X height 1745 mm and is powered by either a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine paired to a 7-speed DCT gearbox which delivers an extremely responsive drive.
The Plug-in Hybrid version which has a parallel hybrid system uses a 1.5L turbocharged petrol engine that delivers a smooth 155PS and 230Nm of torque and then the two permanent magnet synchronous motors (front and rear axles) get power from a 19.27 kWh battery to generate an added 87PS and 150Nm of torque.
So, the final deciding factor for many Malaysian buyers will be the asking price. Well, looking at how the X70 and X50 was priced, it is our estimate that the X90 (VX11) pricing will sit between RM138,000 and RM145,000.
