CDN PHOTO/Carl Cabusas
New MPV in town
In the grand scheme of things, the multipurpose vehicle is always a safe bet for a family vehicle.
But with new players dishing out their own small MPVs ahead of Mitsubishi, they know their small MPV should stand out from the well known players.
Enter the Mitsubishi Xpander, a compact MPV designed with the ASEAN families in mind and for the emerging markets around the world.
Mitsubishi Motors Cebu South gave a selected few — this writer included — the chance to view the Xpander last Thursday at its dealership in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
What sets this apart from other compact MPVs is that the Mitsubishi spared no expense in crafting a sharp design, considering the Japanese car giant is quite late in the game.
And yes, the Xpander is quite a looker. The Dynamic Shield front fascia design is quite a head turner. Some might say it’s too much, but one thing is sure, it will catch attention.
While the viewing unit was a right-hand-drive model for the Indonesian market (Indonesia is also the production hub for the Xpander) and some features may not be available for the Philippine version, sources at the dealership told us that our version will be better equipped than the Indonesian version.
This is because Filipinos are generally more discerning when it comes to price, value and feature component when choosing a vehicle.
The Philippine version is said to have a digital touchscreen head unit infotainment system. The Xpander is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter gasoline engine with MIVEC mated to either a 5 speed manual or a 4 speed automatic transmission.
Power is rated at 105 pferdestarkes (PS) or 103 horsepower and 141 newton meter of torque.
Just like other Mitsubishi models, the Xpander will come in basic GLX trim, GLX plus, GLS and GLS Sport.
The GLS Sport Xpander has an extensive number of cubby holes, charging ports, underseat trays and a high end audio head unit. All models of the Xpander get dual airbags as standard, rear dual aircon, and anti-lock brake system.
Only the GLS Sport version gets Traction Control and a Hill Start Assist feature.
The best thing about compact MPV is its ability to carry additional passengers on the third row or have space for a lot of things to carry for your weekend getaway trips even with its compact dimension. If this is not clear to you yet, the Xpander is a full 7-seater compact MPV with emphasis on style.
The Xpander maybe late to arrive in the compact MPV war, but it sure has prepared itself for what’s to come in this segment in the coming months.