The Proton X90 was first launched back in 2023, and when it did, it got an ASEAN NCAP rating of five stars. The vehicle was recently refreshed, with Minor Changes (MC) made, hence the tag at the end of the name. Despite this, there was one major change made to the new model. And that was the removal of advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features. And for that, the ASEAN NCAP has docked the car’s rating from five stars down to one.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the ASEAN NCAP “found that a majority of the ADAS technologies present during the 2023 assessment have been removed” from the refresh. The list includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Technology. That last one was also noted to previously come as standard, and is now removed entirely.
The removal of these features have dropped the Safety Assist score of the new Proton X90 down to four stars. But the reason for the severe cut, down to one star was thanks to its Motorcyclist Safety rating. The lack of Blind Spot Detection means that the refreshed X90 has that category rating drop down to one star. And since the overall rating is capped to the lowest rating across categories, the result is a one-star score.
“Safety Is Not A Trade-Off”
Siti Zaharah Ishak, the Director General of MIROS, as well as Yahaya Ahamd, the Technical Leader of ASEAN NCAP, have essentially shared the same message as part of the statement – safety is not a trade-off, and must be a priority rather than a luxury. This strictly only applies to the new model, ASEAN NCAP reminds. The variants of the proton X90 manufactured between 2023 and 2025 with ADAS will retain the five-star rating previously awarded.
Speaking of trade-offs, one such trade-offs found with the new Proton X90 was its price. Paultan.org reports that the car’s price is up to RM30,000 lower than before. Other changes include featuring a new turbocharged inline-four engine, as opposed to the previous three-cylinder 48-volt mild hybrid system.
(Source: ASEAN NCAP / Facebook, Paultan.org)
