A video clip of a Proton X90 catching fire has gone viral on social media. In the video, smoke could be seen coming out from the fire source, with a man putting out the fire using a fire extinguisher.
As a result of the fire, the rear end of the car’s interior also suffered damage due to the fire, melting the plastics inside. The incident caused netizens to speculate that the issue was caused by the Proton X90’s 48V mild hybrid battery, as the battery is located right at the back of the car.
The case has also caused existing owners and potential buyers of the Proton X90 to worry about the safety of the car itself. In response to this matter, Proton has put out a statement on its official social media pages.
In the statement released, Proton explained that no explosions were caused by the X90’s battery.
The company also said that the car in question is currently in its possession. Proton is also conducting an investigation on the case, together with the relevant authorities to determine the actual cause of the incident.
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The Proton X90 is the brand’s first hybrid car, and as such it is no surprise that netizens speculated the hybrid battery was the source of the fire. But as mentioned above, Proton has denied that this is the case, and is conducting an investigation to determine the source of the issue.
The 48V mild hybrid system in the Proton X90 is said to provide an additional boost of 13 hp (metric) and 45 Nm. Besides power, the addition of the 48V battery on top of the 1.5-litre TGDI petrol engine is also able to help boost fuel efficiency by up to 15% compared to its pure-petrol version. Prices for the X90 start from RM123,800 for the Standard variant and top out at RM152,800 with the Flagship variant.
All four variants of the Proton X90 are powered by the same mild hybrid powertrain mentioned above and are paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. With all power sent to the front wheels, its system output is rated at 190 hp (metric) and 300 Nm torque.
The higher-end Premium and Flagship variants are equipped with the full Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) suite. The entire Proton X90 range also includes a 5-year/unlimited mileage manufacturer warranty from Proton.
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