Mitsubishi Xpander Cross

The cabin of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross gets a faux-leather upholstery with fabric inserts. The dashboard gets soft-touch materials, and a sleek two-tone colour scheme. The leather-wrapped steering wheel offers a premium feel.  The dashboard is intuitively laid out, with easy-to-reach controls for the infotainment system, climate control, and other essential functions. The floating-style central console lends a more upscale look.

The driver’s seat is adjustable for height and lumbar support. The front-passenger’s seat offers decent comfort with good cushioning. The second-row seats can slide and recline, allowing passengers to adjust for more comfort. The foldable armrests provide added convenience. The flat floor design ensures better legroom for middle-seat passengers. 

The third row, like in most multipurpose vehicles (MPVs), is best suited for children or short-height adults, but is still among the most spacious than many rivals in its class. It has a 60:40 split-folding function.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Spacious cabin

Cons: Third-row seating is crammed

Features and Technology

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross gets a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with Bluetooth Connectivity, offering Wireless connection for hands-free calls and music streaming. While the system is responsive and user-friendly, some competitors offer larger screens with higher resolution. But the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross’s touchscreen remains functional and easy to use.

The instrument cluster comprises a multi-information digital display, providing important driving information like fuel consumption, trip meter, and eco-driving indicator.

Pros and cons

Pro: Responsive touchscreen

Con: Rivals have bigger units 

Boot Space and Storage

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross offers a versatile cargo area. With all rows up, the boot space is limited, as expected from a seven-passenger crossover. With the third row folded down, boot space increases to 495 litres. This setup allows for larger suitcases, sports equipment, or bulkier grocery hauls, making it more practical for long trips. With both the second-row and third-row seats folded down, the Xpander Cross transforms into a spacious cargo hauler with 1,630 litres. 

The front-row gets a generously-sized glove box, a central console storage, and two cup holders in the central console to keep beverages. Door pockets get bottle holders. Second-row storage includes seatback pockets, folding armrest with cup holders, and a fold-down armrest with two built-in cup holders. Third-row storage comprises side cup holders, and storage compartments.

There’s an underfloor storage compartment located beneath the cargo floor. It can store valuables or small tools.

Pros and Cons

Pro: Flexible cargo space

Con: No powered tailgate option

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross measures 4,595mm in length, 1,790mm in width, and 1,750mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,775mm. The Xpander Cross sports Mitsubishi’s signature Dynamic Shield design that lends the car a modern and aggressive look. The chrome-finished grille extends seamlessly into the sleek headlights. The T-shaped daytime running lights (DRLs) enhance visibility and add a premium touch to the vehicle’s overall aesthetics. The car gets all-around LED lighting. The front bumper is now more muscular than the standard Xpander. It sports a silver skid plate that emphasizes its rugged appeal. Besides improving aesthetics, the skid plate also provides underbody protection while tackling uneven roads.

From the side, the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross looks taller and more robust. The increased ground clearance makes it more capable of handling rough roads. The black plastic cladding around the wheel arches and along the lower body panels adds a rugged touch. The silver roof rails not only enhance the adventurous styling but also add functionality, allowing owners to mount extra cargo or sports equipment. The car runs on two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels that lend a more premium and athletic stance.

The tailgate of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is wide and practical. It ensures easy access to the cargo area. The rear bumper comes with a silver skid plate that complements the rugged front-end design. A high-mounted stop lamp and a rear spoiler add a sporty touch.

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is available in Graphite Grey, Quartz White, Sunrise Orange, and Blade Silver Metallic colour options.

Pros and cons

Pros: Stylish and sporty design

Cons: Black plastic cladding may fade over time 

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross returns a fuel economy of 15 kmpl in city driving and up to 19 kmpl on highways. Compared to some turbocharged rivals, the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre powertrain is more economical, particularly when driven at a steady speed on long road trips.

Pros and cons

Pros: Fuel-efficient for a crossover 

Cons: Performance drops when fully loaded

The suspension system of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is tuned for comfort over rough roads, ensuring that small potholes and road imperfections are absorbed well. The MacPherson Strut suspension in the front provides a good balance of comfort and stability, allowing for a smooth ride even on uneven roads. But impact of larger bumps and potholes are felt in the cabin. The torsion beam rear suspension has been reinforced to handle more weight, lending the vehicle better stability even with a full load of passengers.

The light and precise steering allows effortless low-speed manoeuvres, particularly in parking lots and on congested streets. It’s also firm enough at higher speeds, ensuring good stability. The car retains good control on highways, though the 1.5L engine may feel slightly underpowered when overtaking.

Mitsubishi has improved the soundproofing in the Xpander Cross, reducing road noise, engine vibrations, and wind noise, making highway driving quieter and more relaxing.

Pro: Responsive steering

Con: Suspension gets hard sometimes

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is equipped with a naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 103PS/141Nm. The motor is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission (AT).  The car isn’t built for speed, and powertrain’s performance is modest. Acceleration is smooth but not aggressive, making it ideal for daily city driving. Power delivery is sufficient for start-stop traffic. But at high speeds or when carrying a full load, the engine feels underpowered, particularly during overtaking or climbing steep inclines. The transmission is smooth but feels slightly outdated compared to six-speed ATs found in some rivals.

Pros and cons

Pros: Ideal for daily city driving

Cons: Highway performance underpowered

The Xpander Cross is mounted on Mitsubishi’s Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body structure. It’s the Minato-headquartered company’s proprietary safety frame design that absorbs impact energy and enhances cabin rigidity during a crash. Other equipment includes dual front airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, and child safety locks. The car comes with a reverse camera, and rear parking sensors that emits an audible warning. The Xpander Cross gets antilock braking that prevents wheels from locking up during sudden braking, reducing the risk of skidding. The active stability control prevents wheel slippage by adjusting engine output and braking-force on individual wheels. The traction control system ensures that the car maintains grip on slippery or uneven roads, reducing the chances of wheel spin.

But the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross lacks some of the advanced driver-assist features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, or blind-spot monitoring that are available in many of its rivals.

Pros and cons

Pros: High structural safety

Con: Lacks advanced driver-assist system

Competitor Comparison

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross has several competitors in the Philippines market, and the Toyota Avanza is one of them. Both are practical seven-passenger crossover-MPVs, but they cater to slightly different needs. The Xpander Cross has a more rugged design with higher ground clearance and a better suspension setup, making it more capable on rough roads. It’s equipped with a 1.5L engine, a premium interior, and modern tech features like Apple CarPlay. The Avanza, on the other hand, is a more affordable and fuel-efficient MPV with a 1.3L or 1.5L engine and a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) layout. It offers better load-hauling capacity. While the Xpander Cross provides more comfort and style, the Avanza excels in practicality and affordability.

Conclusion and Final Verdict

The Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is a well-rounded seven-passenger crossover that combines the practicality of an MPV with the rugged appeal of a sports utility vehicle. With its bold design, spacious cabin, and improved suspension, the Xpander Cross offers a comfortable and versatile driving experience, making it ideal for families and adventure-seekers. The elevated ground clearance enhances its ability to handle rough roads, while the fuel-efficient powertrain ensures cost-effective daily driving. Though the car lacks all-wheel-drive capability, the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross still manages to offer modern tech, reliable safety features, and a smooth ride.