Mitsubishi Xpander: Features we like

Do you know which vehicle marked Mitsubishi’s entry in the MPV segment in the Philippines? It’s the Xpander. Maybe you already knew it or might have guessed by the title of this story. Mitsubishi launched the Xpander in the country with full confidence and took the market by storm.

It didn’t take long for this attractive 7-seater to reach the top. It soon became the top-selling MPV in the Philippines and is doing pretty good since then. We like the Mitsubishi Xpander for many reasons. In this story, we will share with you all the major features of this MPV that we like.

Exotic styling

It goes without saying that the Mitsubishi Xpander looks fantastic. Mitsubishi has done a great job in designing this car. It’s something that we haven’t seen before in the MPV segment. The Xpander is clearly a modern-day MPV, especially from the front which features an unconventional placement of headlights.

They are located much lower and appear to be an integrated part of the front bumper. This change in the position of the headlamps is one of the reasons why the Xpander stands out in the crowd. And the usual place of the headlights is occupied by the high-mounted sleek DRLs that merge with the chrome-laden, nicely contoured front grille which Mitsubishi likes to call as 'Dynamic Shield'. Mitsubishi has implemented this new design philosophy in its other latest models like Strada as well.

The side profile of the Xpander has been kept busy by a very prominent character line that runs across the body and merges with the tail light. We also have the striking alloy wheels to boost up the style quotient. At the rear, we have big and modern tail lights that suit the personality of the MPV just fine. And for that added bit of sportiness, there is a roof-mounted rear spoiler.

Cabin space

Since the Xpander is a seven-seater, there should be a generous amount of space available on the inside, and thanks to Mitsubishi’s ‘Omotenashi Principle’, which is focused on providing great hospitality, there actually is ample space. We aren’t so sure about the last row seats though. But the second row comes with this sliding function which allows you to adjust the position of the seats thereby increasing the legroom.

Interior features

If you go through the Mitsubishi Xpander specs sheet, you will find that there are many interesting interior features on the MPV. There is a seven-inch touch screen infotainment that supports connectivity options like Bluetooth and USB. Its built-in GPS navigation would be highly appreciated by the people.

Also, you can connect or link your smartphone with this infotainment system via Easy Link. There are a number of cubby spaces around the cabin and a dedicated 12 V socket for both the second and third rows. Passengers seated in these rows also get AC vents. So comfort shouldn’t be a problem.

Smooth engine

Powering the latest Xpander is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that has been tuned to churn out 105 hp of maximum power at 6,000 rpm and 141 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. You can either have a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox. Earlier it was being said that the engine is not powerful enough for an MPV of this size but to be honest,

it works just fine as long as you are driving the Xpander in a way that it is meant to be driven. It’s a family MPV and it will happily keep you satisfied in that role. It isn’t a performance-oriented sportscar so it would be unfair to demand untameable power from it. Drive it calmly and you’d surprised by the smoothness of its engine.

Safety features

We love the fact that the Xpander has a 4-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating. This rating is enough for providing the buyer with a peace of mind. Of course, there are safety features on this MPV that helped it to secure that safety rating. The Xpander comes with ABS with EBD, hill start assist, traction control, and vehicle stability assist.

So these were some of the features of the Xpander that we like. We are sure that we must have mentioned at least one of your favourite features of this MPV in this story. The Mitsubishi Xpander price starts at Php 999,000 for the base model and goes as high as Php 1.18 million for the range-topping variant. There are four variants that come in 5 different colors - Titanium Grey, Jet Black Mica, Sterling Silver Metallic, Red Metallic and Quartz White.

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