Mitsubishi’s roster of vehicles are success stories in their respective rights, but the Mitsubishi Xpander brand should tote its tale.

After all, the Xpander began as a 2016 concept car that made its debut in Indonesia. Usually, a manufacturer’s concept car almost always makes its first appearance at a globally recognized car show. However, Mitsubishi chose the 2016 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show as the first medium for the global debut of the concept car, as part of the automaker’s big bet on the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region as the end product’s primary market. 

The Mitsubishi Xpander's roots

The concept car came in what the Diamond Star labeled as an XM (x-over or crossover and multipurpose vehicle in one) Concept. Mitsubishi wanted to take on the crossover sport utility vehicles (SUV or sport-ute) and multipurpose vehicle (MPV or people carrier) segments with just one brand while displaying a distinct Mitsubishi design language.

The aforementioned design elements included:

• Split headlights
• Chrome bars between the headlights resembling window shutters
• D-pillars in black
• Wheel wells corresponding to a bodybuilder’s shoulders
• A steeply raked windshield and hood similar to the Chevrolet Lumina and Pontiac Trans Sport
• SUV-level ground clearance

The cabin featured three rows of seats, a wide elevated center console with a high-mount in-car infotainment touchscreen, and silver accents. “Striking” and “solid” were the adjectives commonly used by motoring media in describing the XM Concept, with the scribes taking much note of the exterior design.

The following year saw the XM Concept become the Xpander MPV, with the Indonesian market getting first priority with a third-quarter 2017 launch and the other ASEAN markets (including the Philippines) getting the Xpander in the years after. 

The Launch Edition

Speaking of the Philippines, the Mitsubishi Xpander was formally unveiled in the country in the first quarter of 2018. The MPV was a near-carbon copy of the aforementioned XM Concept, but with less retina-burning paint (the XM Concept was clad in a standout version of yellow), a 205 mm ground clearance, and darker colors for the cabin (gray, dark gray, silver, black).

The utility runner was sandwiched between the entry-level Mirage mini-compact and the Montero Sport midsize seven-seater SUV, with the GSX compact sport-ute being put out to stud. The Mitsubishi Xpander featured seating for seven, with two in the front row, three in the middle row, and two in the rearmost row.

Other features available at launch were:

• Fold/tumble feature for the second row
• Fold flat-and-flush seating for the third row
• Seven-inch touchscreen and MP3/Bluetooth/smartphone MirrorLink/satellite navigation capability for the in-car infotainment
• Cruise control and steering wheel infotainment controls

Solid mechanicals

The Mitsubishi Xpander was powered by a naturally aspirated 1.5-Liter DOHC (double overhead camshaft) straight four, with the GLX base model using a five-speed manual transmission and the rest of the variants (GLX, GLS, GLS Sport) using a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Keeping hips, thighs, and backsides from being pummeled was a Macpherson shock-and-strut combo for the front and a multilink setup for the rear. Electric power steering prevented wrists from getting a workout during parallel parking and long backing. Discs behind the front wheels and drums behind the rear wheels provided deceleration.   

Safety features available at launch were:

• Anti-lock braking
• Brakeforce distribution
• Hill start assist 
• Stability control
• Taillights that blink rapidly during emergency braking and mishaps
• A reverse gear-activated camera (with viewing via the head unit)
• An ultra-high tensile steel Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body shell which protects occupants during prangs

Value-for-money pricing

Arguably the most significant selling point during the Mitsubishi Xpander’s 2018 Philippine launch was its pricing which ranged from ₱885,000 to ₱1.060 million. The ₱885,000 (GLX manual transmission), ₱960,000 (GLX automatic transmission), and ₱990,000 (GLS automatic transmission) seemingly were the variants of choice for most motorists, as they hit the proverbial sub-1 million pesos holy grail when it came to light commercial vehicles/LCVs. 

Channeling the crossover experience

In keeping up with the high ground clearance of the XM Concept auto on which the Xpander was based, Mitsubishi brought out in late 2020 the 225-mm ride height version ₱1.280 million-₱1.295 million Mitsubishi Xpander Cross model that appealed to those in the provinces, whose roads are often unpaved or consisted of broken tarmac.

Although the prices above were much higher than the base Xpander, the top-end Xpander Cross had features common with SUVs, such as:

• Roof rails
• Weathered side cladding
• Lower bumpers
• Tilt/telescoping steering wheel
• Tweeters within the a-pillars
• Charging outlets for all three rows
• In-car infotainment that has Android Auto compatibility with smartphones

The Evolution continues

Fast forward to 2022, the Mitsubishi Xpander LCV featured a facelift and some interior upgrades. The body showed:

• A black grille (instead of the chrome grille on the original 2017 model)
• T-shaped lower headlights that occupied each flank of the front bumper
• New rim designs
• More of the body color occupying the rear fascia
• A rise in ground clearance to 225 mm

The cabin added updated features too:

• Faux carbon fiber and brushed aluminum and soft-touch dashboard leatherette
• Android Auto-Apple CarPlay for the in-car infotainment
• A steering wheel design resembling the long-retired Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
• A gauge cluster design similar to that on the mark VII Volkswagen Golf
• An electronic parking brake

Even the top-end Xpander Cross model got upgrades during the third quarter of 2022 in Indonesia. 

• Redesigned bumpers and fender flares
• Light-emitting diode (LED) headlights and foglights
• Montero Sport-inspired steering wheel design
• An eight-inch touchscreen for the head unit
• Wireless charging 
• A cabin filter that gets rid of harmful bacteria
• A gauge cluster similar to the previous model Honda Civic
• A 360-degree camera came standard
• Active Yaw Control which significantly reduces cornering body roll 

The Japanese manufacturer also claimed suspension upgrades to the MPV, such as further rigidity of the front strut mounts, larger cylinders for the rear dampers, and high-performance shock-absorbing valves for all four wheels.

And these same upgrades are what we are expecting for the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, which will launch on January 26th.

In demand

With the popularity of the Mitsubishi Xpander and Xpander Cross, the Japanese car company felt that getting celebrity endorsers was crucial to increasing the brand’s presence. Thus, in 2021-2022, the automaker got volleyball stars and de facto social media influencers, Mika Reyes and Carmela Tunay, as Xpander spokespeople, with their presence gracing several Mitsubishi events.

The Mitsubishi Xpander showed that an abstract automobile could become a concrete example of success, whether in the showrooms, the sales charts, motorists’ consciousness, or the social media sphere. With the arrival of the second generation Xpander, one can only wonder what Mitsubishi will do to improve the entry-level light commercial vehicle.