ASEAN NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries) has announced that the recently launched 2026 Proton X90 has had its safety rating downgraded from five stars to one. This follows Proton’s decision to completely remove the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) from the latest model.
Upon reviewing the official specifications for the 2026 Proton X90, ASEAN NCAP found that a majority of the ADAS technologies present during the 2023 assessment have been removed. The omitted features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), and lane keep assist (LKA).
Furthermore, rear cross traffic alert (RCTA) and blind spot detection (BSD), the latter of which was previously a standard feature, have been entirely removed from the vehicle.
Under the ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 Protocol, a vehicle’s star rating is restricted if it performs poorly in any single category to ensure “all-round” protection. The removal of these technologies caused the Safety Assist (SA) score to drop to a four-star level.
More critically, the motorcyclist safety (MS) category, which relies heavily on blind spot detection, suffered a significant decline. This poor performance in a specific category triggered the protocol that capped the Proton X90 at its final one-star rating.
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Nonetheless, ASEAN NCAP confirms that the five-star safety rating applies strictly to the pre-update Proton X90 manufactured between 2023 and 2025. These specific models were verified as including the ADAS technologies mandated by the 2021-2025 assessment protocol. Both MIROS and ASEAN NCAP urge consumers to exercise due diligence and verify the safety specifications of their specific variant to ensure it meets these five-star standards.
The Director General of MIROS, Associate Professor Dr Siti Zaharah binti Ishak, said that the organisation deeply regrets Proton’s decision to remove life-saving ADAS technologies from the new facelift model. She noted that to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of safety standards, they had no choice but to revoke the 2023 five-star rating.
“This serves as a reminder to all manufacturers that safety is not a trade-off. Do not sacrifice proven safety technology for ‘face-value’ luxuries like infotainment systems or leather upholstery,” she added.
The 2026 Proton X90 arrives in three variants: Lite, Prime, and Prime X. Prices range from RM106,800 to RM122,800. This represents an RM17,000 reduction compared to the outgoing Standard variant, which was priced at RM123,800. The price cuts are even more dramatic at the top of the range. The new Prime X is RM30,000 cheaper than the previous Flagship variant, which formerly retailed for RM152,800.
The updated X90 sees the previous 1.5-litre mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrain replaced by a conventional 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This new unit produces 181 hp and 290 Nm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives the front wheels. Despite the removal of the hybrid assistance, the vehicle returns a claimed fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km.
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