Mitsubishi Xpander vs Toyota Veloz, Perodua Alza & Aruz – which 7-seater to buy?
For those of us with considerably large families, a 7-seater MPV is perhaps the best configuration for a family car. And when it comes to 7-seater MPVs that wouldn’t break the bank, our options in Malaysia include the Perodua Alza, Toyota Veloz, and the newly-refreshed Mitsubishi Xpander. There used to be more contenders, but the Honda BR-V, Nissan Grand Livina, and Proton Exora are no longer in the market (brand new).
So with these three remaining “affordable” options, let’s see what each of them has to offer at a glance:
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | RM109,980 | RM95,000 | RM75,500 | RM77,900 |
All 4 cars here are considerable “budget” 7 seaters, albeit all listed in their range-topping forms. Your cheapest option in this segment (whilst still getting all the bells and whistles) would be the Perodua Alza AV at RM75,500. Even the older Perodua Aruz AV costs more at RM77,900.
The Mitsubishi Xpander was and still is the best-selling non-national MPV in Malaysia. And that may explain Mitsubishi’s courage to price the Plus variant at RM109,980 with all the bells & whistle (that Mitsubishi provides). It is in fact the most expensive MPV in this segment, and one would expect it to provide the most value here.
But does it? Let’s see the things that we get on the outside in terms of basic functionality and practicality:
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Exterior
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights | Auto LED headlights with DRL | Auto LED headlights with DRL | Auto LED headlights with DRL | Auto LED headlights |
| Front fog lights | Halogen | LED | LED | LED |
| Tail lights | LED | LED | LED | LED |
| Side mirrors | Electric & retractable | Electric & retractable | Electric & retractable | Electric & retractable |
| Roof rails | Without | With | Without | With |
| Wheels | 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels | 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels | 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels | 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels |
| Tyres | 205/55R17 | 205/50R17 | 195/60R16 | 215/60R17 |
| Brakes | Discs front, Drum rear | Discs front, Discs rear | Discs front, Discs rear | Discs front, Drum rear |
| Suspension | MacPherson strut front, Torsion beam rear | MacPherson strut front, Torsion beam rear | MacPherson strut front, Torsion beam rear | MacPherson strut front, Torsion beam rear |
| Chassis | Unibody | Unibody | Unibody | Ladder frame |
Based on the outside at least, the Mitsubishi Xpander is similarly equipped with its competitors. What could make the Xpander a better offering here is if it were to come with factory-fitted roof rails. Since when cars of this segment are fully occupied, a roof box is usually necessary. And having roof rails means there’s less chance of scratching your paint job from fitting the universal roof rail onto your car.
What also seems to be lacking (depending on how you look at it) on the Xpander is its brake setup. It has a similar setup to the Perodua Aruz with drum brakes at the back and disc brakes at the front. The Veloz and Alza AV, on the other hand, are equipped with disc brakes all around. As for the suspension setup, all 4 cars are similarly equipped with a MacPherson strut setup at the front and a torsion beam setup at the back. The odd car/van out here is the Perodua Aruz as it sits on a ladder frame chassis (the rest of the cars are unibody MPVs).
Performance
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L 4-cylinder NA, MIVEC DOHC 16V | 1.5L 4-cylinder NA, DOHC, Dual VVT-i, 16V | 1.5L 4-cylinder NA, Dual VVT-i, DOHC 16V | 1.5L 4-cylinder NA, Dual VVT-i, DOHC 16V |
| Transmission | 4-speed auto | CVT with "7-speed" | D-CVT | 4-speed auto |
| Max. Power | 105 PS @ 6,000 rpm | 106 PS @ 6,000 rpm | 106 PS @ 6,000 rpm | 102 PS @ 6,000 rpm |
| Max. Torque | 141 Nm @ 4,000 rpm | 138 Nm @ 4,200 rpm | 138 Nm @ 4,200 rpm | 133 Nm @ 4,200 rpm |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel drive (FWD) | Front-wheel drive (FWD) | Front-wheel drive (FWD) | Rear-wheel drive (RWD) |
In terms of powertrain, all 4 cars are rather similar as they get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine each. Again, the odd one out here is the Perodua Aruz as it gets a rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup as opposed to other three’s front-wheel drive (FWD) setup.
In terms of power, the Xpander, Veloz, and Aruz have similar peak powers, but in terms of torque, the Xpander (at least on paper) seems to offer the best option for ferrying 7 people around as it makes 141 Nm. As for the choice of transmission, both the Xpander and Aruz come with 4-speed automatic gearboxes while the Veloz and Alza get continuously variable transmissions (CVT).
With the new facelift, the Mitsubishi Xpander in Thailand now comes with a CVT, but that’s not the case for Malaysia. Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has decided to stick with the good old 4AT despite the new look of the Xpander. Nonetheless, all options in this segment don’t offer much grunt (especially considering a full load), but they should be good enough for daily use.
Interior
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver seat | Manual with height adjustment | Manual with height adjustment | Manual with height adjustment | Manual with height adjustment |
| 1st row armrest | With | With | With | Without |
| Upholstery | Leatherette | Semi leather in black | Semi-leather 2-tone | Leather |
| Parking Brake | Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) | Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) | Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) | Mechanical |
| Steering adjustment | Tilt & Telescopic | Tilt & Telescopic | Tilt only | Tilt only |
| Head unit | 9" touch screen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | 9" touch screen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | 9" touch screen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | Multimedia system with SmartLink for Android & navigation |
| Speakers | 6 Speakers | 6 Speakers | 6 Speakers | 6 Speakers |
| Instrument Cluster | 4.2-inch TFT colour display | 7-inch TFT colour display | 7-inch TFT colour display | Analogue with white illuminatiion |
| USB power sockets | 2 front, 2 rear | 1 front, 2 rear | 1 front, 2 rear | 2 front |
| 12V power socket |
1 front, 1 centre console, 1 3rd row |
1 centre console, 1 rear deck |
1 centre console, 1 rear deck |
1 front, 1 3rd row |
| Wireless charger | With | With | Without | Without |
| Ambient lighting | Without | With | Without | Without |
| Built-in SmartTag | Without | Without | Without | With |
| Air Conditioning | Single zone, digital | Single zone, auto, digital | Single zone, digital | Single zone, digital |
| Rear AC vents | Blower with fan speed adjustment | Blower with fan speed adjustment | Blower with fan speed adjustment | Blower with fan speed adjustment |
| 2nd row seats | 60:40 tumble | 60:40 tumble | 60:40 tumble | 60:40 tumble |
| 3rd row seats | 50:50 foldable | 50:50 foldable | 50:50 foldable | 50:50 foldable |
| Luggage capacity (with 3rd row seats down) | 495 L | 498 L | 498 L | 514 L |
On the inside, all cars offer a rather basic and traditional setup with the Veloz perhaps being the most luxurious with its simple yet present ambient lighting system. None of the cars offer power-adjustable seats and all of them get the hard plastic treatment on the inside.
In terms of comfort, all 4 cars are rather similarly equipped with a single-zone climate control, although the Veloz is the only one to offer automatic climate control. As for the rest of the pack, they are only offered with digital controls, but without an automatic climate function. All cars come equipped with rear blower vents with adjustable fan speeds.
If luggage space is a priority for you, all MPVs offer between 100-200 litres of space when all seats are in use. All manufacturers have mostly listed the luggage space with the third-row seats folded only. And in this sense, the Perodua Aruz is the winner as it offers 514 litres of space. The Xpander offers 495 litres while the Veloz and Alza both offer 498 litres of space.
Safety
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 2 Airbags | 6 Airbags | 6 Airbags | 6 Airbags |
| 360 degree view | With | 3D Panorama | With | Reverse camera only |
| ABS, EBD, and BA | With | With | With | With |
| Advanced Safety Features (ADAS) | Without | Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) | Perodua A.S.A. 3.0 | Perodua A.S.A. 2.0 |
| Cruise Control | Standard Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with full speed range | Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) | Without |
| Pre-collision Warning | Without | With | With | With |
| Pre-collision Braking | Without | With | With | With |
| Lane Departure Warning (LDW) | Without | With | With | Without |
| Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) | Without | With | With | Without |
| Lane Keep Control (LKC) | Without | With | With | Without |
| Front Departure Alert | Without | With | With | With |
| Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) | Without | With | With | Without |
| Pedal misoperation control | Without | With | With | With |
| Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) | Without | With | With | Without |
| Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) | With | With | With | With |
| Hill Start Assist (HSA) | With | With | With | With |
If you’re looking for advanced safety features, your best bet in this category would be both the Toyota Veloz and the Perodua Alza. The former is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), and the latter with Perodua A.S.A. 3.0. The Aruz AV is equipped with the older Perodua A.S.A. 2.0, while the Xpander unfortunately doesn’t get advanced safety features.
In terms of passive safety, the Xpander also lacks behind its peers with only 2 airbags for the front passengers. Even the old Perodua Aruz manages to provide 6 airbags in the cabin.
Warranty & Service
Lastly, let’s have a look at the warranty packages offered by all four MPVs.
| Mitsubishi Xpander Plus | Toyota Veloz | Perodua Alza AV | Perodua Aruz AV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 5-year/unlimited mileage | 5-year/unlimited mileage | 5-year / 150,000 km | 5-year / 150,000 km |
Both the Xpander and Veloz have the better warranty options compared to both Perodua MPVs.
Verdict
With the “affordable MPV” segment now reshuffled with the lack of the BR-V, Grand Livina, and Exora, your options in the brand-new market are limited to these 4 cars. And in this class, 2 are national and 2 are non-national options. While the Xpander has been refreshed for 2024, it still could use a few more improvements to compete with the market. (Or perhaps it is so good of a car, that many would look past its flaws anyway. We’ll see).
