The Mitsubishi Xpander Plus at a glance: non-national best selling 7-seater despite missing ADAS

The Mitsubishi Xpander is a 7-seater compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), known for its SUV-like styling and a high ground clearance of 225 mm. It was launched back on September 19^th, 2024, and was offered in two variants, the simply called Mitsubishi Xpander and the higher trim Mitsubishi Xpander Plus. The variant that is showcased here is the Mitsubishi Xpander Plus in Graphite Gray.

Locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang, the Mitsubishi Xpander is priced at RM 99,980 and RM 109,980 for the respective variants. Both prices are on the road without insurance.

Mitsubishi Xpander – RM 99,980
Mitsubishi Xpander Plus – RM 109,980

Starting with the vehicle’s dimensions, the Mitsubishi Xpander measures 4,595 mm long, 1,750 mm wide, and 1,750 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,775 mm. Additionally, it has a ground clearance of 225 mm and a minimum turning radius of 5.2 metres.

Moving to the exterior, the Mitsubishi Xpander features T-shaped LED headlamps and T-illumination LED taillamps, offering enhanced visibility and aesthetics. The Mitsubishi Xpander features a bold shield grille, providing a ‘solid’ front-end.

Here are the exterior details of the Mitsubishi Xpander that come as standard, which are:

Auto LED headlights with Daytime Running Light (DRL)
Welcome light and Welcome Home light system
Front fog lamps
Black accent front and rear bumper trim
Power adjustable and fold with integrated LED turn signals
Sound insulation film for the front windshield
Rear LED taillamps
Auto front wipers with variable intermittent
Rear wipers
Front ventilated disc brake
Rear drum brake
205/55 R17 Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 tyres
17-inch Dual Tone alloy wheels
Graphite Gray, Red Metallic, Diamond Black Mica, Quartz White Pearl exterior colours

The Plus variant adds:

Silver accent front and rear bumper trim
Door visor
Tailgate spoiler

For the Malaysian market, the Mitsubishi Xpander receives a similar powertrain setup as the Indonesian counterpart, bar the transmission. Our neighbouring country gets the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), while we are stuck with the 4-speed Automatic Transmission.

Here are the powertrain details for the Mitsubishi Xpander, which are:

Engine: 1.5L 4-cylinder 4A91 MIVEC
Displacement: 1,499 cc
Power – 105 PS
Torque – 141 Nm
Transmission: 4-speed Automatic Transmission (AT)
Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Fuel Tank Capacity – 45 Litres

Stepping inside, the Mitsubishi Xpander gets a new dashboard design wrapped in premium soft-touch material, a new sporty steering wheel, and a new digital climate control. A change to an electronic parking brake frees up the centre console, allowing for a new centre armrest with built-in storage and a tissue box holder.

Here are the interior details of the Mitsubishi Xpander that come as standard, which are:

9-inch centre console display
4.2-inch meter cluster
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
6 speakers
4 USB ports
2 12V sockets (Front and 3^rd row)
Front digital climate control
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control switches
Tilt and telescopic adjustment steering wheel
Rear air conditioning circulator with individual vents
6-way manually adjustable driver seat
4-way manually adjustable front passenger seat
One Touch tumble feature for 2^nd row passenger seats (with 60:40 split fold)
Reclinable 3^rd row passenger seats with flat folding function
Fabric seat material
Reverse camera

The Plus variant adds:

Wireless charger
Leatherette seat material
Interior scuff plate
Front and rear Driving Video Recorder (DVR)
All-Around Monitor with Guide Lines

The ultimate highlight for the Mitsubishi Xpander is the storage spaces, and it has a lot of them. Dubbed as Smart Storage by Mitsubishi, consisted of the mentioned front centre armrest storage with tissue box holder, two cup holders for the 2^nd row armrest, front console tray with card holder, front passenger under seat multi-purpose storage, double compartment glove box, multi-pocket 1^st row seats storage, 3^rd row side pocket with cup holders, and a rear cargo floor box with lid. Luggage capacity at the rear measures 495 litres with the 3^rd row seats folded and up to 837 litres with the 2^nd row seats folded altogether.

Now comes the not-so-great aspect of the Mitsubishi Xpander: the absence of an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) takes it down a peg compared to its cheaper competitors, but the Mitsubishi Xpander still offers the complete active and passive safety features.

Here are the active and passive safety features for the Mitsubishi Xpander, which are:

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD)
Brake Assist (BA)
Active Stability Control (ASC)
Traction Control (TC)
Hill-start Assist (HSA)
Emergency Stop Signal System (ESS)
2 SRS Airbags

To recap, the Mitsubishi Xpander is priced at RM 99,980 as standard, with the Plus variant priced at RM 109,980; both come with a 5-year warranty with unlimited mileage. The Mitsubishi Xpander market competition consists of the Perodua Alza, the Perodua Aruz, and the Toyota Veloz, all of which offer ADAS as standard with a cheaper price tag. Despite that, the Mitsubishi Xpander is claimed to be the best non-national brand 7-seater MPV, proving Malaysians’ hunger for non-Perodua/Toyota 7-seater MPV.