Mitsubishi Xpander: Can it be substituted for an SUV?

At the 2017 Gaikindo Auto Show in Indonesia, the Mitsubishi Xpander won rave reviews. The design concept was wow and it made the audience sit and notice the design prowess from Mitsubishi. A company that was in doldrums and hadn’t got out half a decent product in ages. The Mitsubishi Xpander, after judging the reactions from the audience, was quickly put into production and for the Indonesian market. The order books for the Xpander quickly filled up and Mitsubishi was looking at close to 12,000 bookings.

While the initial brief given to the Mitsubishi facility was to make 5,000 units a month, looking at the demand, double shifts were introduced and the number rose to 10k. The popular reaction to the Xpander is that it’s a smooth and spacious product. Has all the ground clearance in the world and is high on utility. Is an SUV really needed in place of the Mitsubishi Xpander then? Let’s find out.

After it made its way down to Filipino land early this year, the Mitsubishi Xpander MPV has wowed the audiences here as well. Those who appreciate sharp cut designs will go for this MPV. It is unlike anything we have seen in the market. MPVs are usually supposed to be staid and are likely to go about doing their duty - transporting people and their cargo in utter comfort. Maybe not as the Xpander proves. The wide air intake and 3-piece grille look good, in fact aggressive. The grille is flanked by small LED DRLS, which at first look seem like clever LED headlamps. However, the headlight is right below and adjacent to the air intakes, placed at a considerable height. The round fog lights too are placed well above the lower bumper. Move on to the side and you notice the 15-inch alloys on the GLX MT trim while the higher trims get 16-inch dual tone machined alloys. The rear of the MPV seems to have missed out on the design flourishes of the front and it is a bit simpler. The LED tail lights look good but could have been more radical.

The cabin too is well made though the all-black interior may not be to everyone’s liking. On the spec sheet, the Mitsubishi will lose out to other SUVs in the category but for the MPVs, there is nothing beating it. Position wise, it will replace the Adventure within Mitsubishi though as of now both the vehicles co-exist. The Toyota Avanza is the real MPV competition for the Xpander. We liked the fact that the Xpander uses soft high-quality materials in the cabin. The multi-function steering wheel also houses cruise control. The meters are a simple affair when you compare it with the exterior design flourish. The 7.0-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system looks good and is easy to use as well. We would have though liked Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality dialled in.

However, Mitsubishi is still yet to accept that these features are now the trend and they go a long way in building a customer’s confidence in the product with respect to future-ready technologies. There is inbuilt navigation but not SD card based. The highlight is the unique storage spaces. There is a tray below the driver that can be used to store documents and other thin stuff. There are generous cup and bottle holders in the cabin too. The front seats are thin enough while the rear ones are a bit generously bolstered. For the last row of seats, there is space for kids. However, both the third and second row of seats fold flat and help immensely while carrying bigger cargo. Just like an SUV then.

The 205mm of ground clearance is something which most of the compact SUVs don’t even aim to achieve while the Xpander comes with that lofty seating position as standard. The MacPherson struts in the front and torsion beam at the rear help in giving it a pliant ride quality. The suspension has been tuned to be such that even under aggressive cornering, the Mitsubishi doesn’t flinch and goes through the paces quite easily. The steering wheel is big, typical of MPVs and SUVs, but has adequate feedback to let the driver know what the front wheels are up to. The generous glass area ensures a good all-around visibility.

For the Xpander, Mitsubishi has developed a new 1.5-litre petrol engine that uses the legendary MiVEC technology. This variable valve timing ensures good bottom end torque for this naturally aspirated motor. The power and torque figures are 105 PS @ 6,500 rpm and 141 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. One can order the Xpander with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. On the move, even with a full load, this petrol engine doesn’t feel strained. It in fact, moves smartly and can easily maintain cruising speeds at 120 kmph. The engine and gearbox though are tuned towards efficiency and to ensure that one doesn’t have to stop frequently for fuel during long trips.

Now, there is no 4xx4 or AWD offered with the Xpander and that may only be the chink in its armour when pitted against a similar sized SUV. The approach and departure angles look capable enough to take on the rough as well. Put off-road spec tyres and the Xpander is ready to go play in the mud. Safety wise, Mitsubishi has been a tad stingy with only dua airbags on offer, Hill Assist, Active Stability Control, Traction Control and ABS with EBD. SUVs though provide for more airbags and a tad more equipment in terms of electronic aids. We, however, feel that if Mitsubishi were to increase the airbag count to cover all the passengers, the Xpander may not be lacking anything else. A proper tool instead of an SUV then.

So, to answer the question - you may need an SUV only if you go mud ploughing at least once a week. For the rest of the days, the Xpander will do just fine. Or better still, wait for the SUV based on the Xpander which will be out in the next couple of years. This new platform that the Xpander is built on will spawn many vehicles and we hope the coalition between Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan works something out. So the answer here is clear. Buy an SUV if there is serious off-road you got to deal with daily or else the Xpander takes care of the other chores as well as an SUV will.