It was reported earlier this month that the Proton X90, which was launched in Bangladesh on February 29, was set for local assembly in the country by the end of this year. This has now been officially confirmed, with CKD operations for the SUV due to start in 2024. This was revealed by Proton CEO Li Chunrong, who said the company was aiming to be a top-three brand in Bangladesh within three years.
A critical component to the carmaker achieving that target in Bangladesh will be the setting up of an assembly line. The company said that aside from allowing its products to qualify for more favourable tax rates, a new plant would also encourage the development of skilled local workers while energising the vendor ecosystem through technology transfers.
It was previously reported that a sum of US$100 million (RM472.9 million) has been allocated for the establishing of a manufacturing facility within the Rancon industrial park. Rancon is a Bangladesh-based conglomerate that is the distributor of Proton vehicles in the country.
Proton said assembly operations will adhere to strict production standards to ensure the output matches the quality of vehicles built in Tanjong Malim. “To ensure product quality in export markets that have local assembly are the same as the vehicles built in Malaysia, Proton is leaning on its experience of using the Volvo Global Quality Standard, which has been instrumental in improving the quality of our products,” Li said.
Two X90 variants, the six-seat Flagship and seven-seat Premium, are being offered to buyers in the fourth export market for the model. According to Proton, 25 units have already been registered less than two weeks following its unveiling.
In Bangladesh, as in Malaysia, the X90 is powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as found in the X50 Flagship and X70 SUV, with a 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system that augments outputs to 190 PS and 300 Nm, or 13 PS and 45 Nm up from the 177 PS and 255 Nm from the models without the belt-starter generator 48-volt system.
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