Malaysia’s Bold New Flagship SUV. The 2025 Proton X90 Flagship.
In a Malaysian SUV market brimming with newcomers, the Proton X90 still manages to feel like the home-grown benchmark. Beyond its headline-grabbing mild-hybrid drivetrain, the X90’s appeal rests on a rare blend of refinement at speed, real-world cabin versatility and an equipment list that mostly hits the premium brief with just a couple of areas we’d still like Proton to polish.
Pricing & Line-up
All four variants retain the same on-the-road pricing for 2025, making the X90 one of the most competitively priced large SUVs in the country:
Variant Seating OTR Price (RM)
Standard 7-seat RM123,800
Executive 7-seat RM130,800
Premium 7-seat RM144,800
Flagship 6-seat (captain chairs)RM152,800
Under the bonnet sits Proton’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder TGDi paired with a 48-volt Belt-Starter-Generator (BSG) and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which is good for 190 PS and 300 Nm, plus seamless “Smart Glide” coasting that shuts the engine off above 80 km/h to save fuel. As from our own experice with it the transition between the engine shutting off and coming back on is a rather seamless operation.
Highway Refinement: Calm at 130 km/h
Once past the city crawl, wind and engine noise fade into the background. On the sweeping Teluk Bahang coastal road the Flagship’s 19-inch wheels never felt floaty; body roll is well-checked, yet the ride still smothers expansion joints and coarse aggregate.
Everyday Space: Versatility Done Right
• 6 vs 7-seat flexibility – The Flagship’s individual second-row chairs recline, slide and leave a generous walk-through to row three. Other trims get a 60:40 bench you can tumble forward with one hand.
• Boot worth bragging about – Even with all three rows up there’s room for a pair of cabin-size suitcases (257 L). Drop the rearmost seats flat and capacity swells to 1,200 L easily swallowing a folded stroller plus luggage for four.
• Family-minded touches which includes 14 cup-holders, six USB ports (including Type-C up front), tri-zone climate, an integrated air-cleaner and ISOFIX anchors on both outer second-row seats make long trips fuss-free.
Tech & Safety: Almost There
Proton’s ADAS Level 2 suite bundles Lane Keep Assist, Blind-Spot Monitoring and Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC). You found the ICC helpful on the North-South Expressway, but—like several media tests—it still brakes a bit abruptly when a slower car cuts in, and it won’t automatically resume if the lead vehicle moves off after a long stand-still. An over-the-air calibration update could smooth those inputs. 
The One Big Wish: A Richer Soundstage
While the 12.3-inch infotainment screen and ATLAS OS feel modern, the factory audio tops out at six speakers, which struggle to fill the cavernous cabin above 70 km/h and rob the otherwise plush interior of true premium ambience. An eight- or ten-speaker upgrade ideally with a small subwoofer would let the X90 fully rival imported competitors. Andriod Auto and Apple Car Play should be included in the X90.
Verdict
After a full weekend behind the wheel—and that spirited detour around Teluk Bahang—the Proton X90 Flagship still stands out for:
• High-speed polish uncommon at this price point
• Genuinely usable six-seat layout and adult-friendly third row
• Comprehensive safety tech (if slightly rough-edged in ICC tuning)
• Value that undercuts similarly-sized hybrids by tens of thousands
Fix the audio and finesse the cruise-control braking, and Proton’s flagship wouldn’t just be “premium for the price” it would be premium, full stop.
So is this car for you? If you are looking for a Premium 6 or 7 seater SUV under Rm160,000.00 the Proton X90 definitely offeres the best bang for buck.
