These past few months, we’ve seen plenty of new car launches.
From B-segment sedans to SUVs to full fledge MPVs, Malaysians are spoilt for choice when it comes to new car choices.
One of the more Xciting (forgive our pun) ones is none other than the Mitsubishi Xpander.
The Xpander is the Japanese carmaker’s latest foray into the ever expanding seven-seater crossover MPV segment, but don’t be fooled: the Mitsubishi Xpander is not like your usual MPV.
According to Mitsubishi, the Xpander is designed for those who want to who wish to stand out from the rest, and we have to say; they’ve certainly done that.
The Xpander is powered by a 1.5-litre MIVEC aluminium block inline-four will deliver 105hp and 141nm of torque to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic.
In fact, the Mitsubishi Xpander is so X-citing (sorry, we'll stop now), even popular hosts and couple Akim and Stacy are huge fans of the new MPV.
If you need more convincing, here are four more great reasons to love the Mitsubishi Xpander:
#1 It has the looks to go with the performance
If looks could kill, then the Mitsubishi Xpander will be the greatest assassin ever lived.
The Xpander adopts the new ‘Dynamic Shield’ front design concept seen on new Mitsubishi models. Its X-shaped front design gives the crossover a mean mug, while the wide-flared fenders naturally add more toughness to the look of the car.
If you spot this mean face in your rearview mirror, you best give way.
At the back, the Xpander sports a pair of first-in-class L-shaped illuminated LED tail lamps to complement its pretty front.
The tail lamps extend onto the tailgate, thus improving the visibility to other road users.
The Xpander also gives the LED treatment to the front headlamps, so you’ll definitely have no problems seeing everything on the road.
On top of that, the Xpander also features crystal LED position lamps that sits higher at a higher position, making it easier for you to spot things (mat rempits, for example) at night.
To cap off its impressive design cues, the Mitsubishi Xpander also gets 16-inch dual tone alloy wheels to give it that extra sporty look.
Who says a seven-seater crossover MPV needs to be boring, right?
#2 A comfortable ride
Thankfully, all this talk about giving the Mitsubishi Xpander a sportier profile did not compromise on its comfort one bit.
The Xpander comes with plush-looking leatherette seats that are not only comfortable, they are premium-looking as well.
We 10/10 wouldn’t mind falling asleep in those seats on a long journey. Please only wake us up when we're at the destination, OK?
On top of the leatherette seats, the rear seat passengers also get roof-mounted air-vents for better air distribution in the rear. The passengers also get to control their own fan speed with the four-speed fan adjusters, so say bye bye to stuffy back seats.
Don’t worry, Mitsubishi did not forget about the driver, because the comfortable ride extends to the front too.
The driver gets to play with a nine-inch multimedia display so that they could control the playlist to jam to during those long drives. Oh, the entertainment unit is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ready, so you can access all your favourite apps on the go.
When they are not staring at the road, the driver will definitely be mesmerised by the high contrast meter with multi information LCD display which shows all the important information in a glance.
The cruise control feature also makes driving long distance less tiring and stressful for the driver.
Be it a daily commute to work or a five-hour long balik kampung trip, we’ll gladly do it in a Mitsubishi Xpander.
#3 All the space you need
What good is an MPV if it doesn’t have enough space for all your stuff, right? Thankfully, the Mitsubishi Xpander has plenty of those.
The Xpander boasts a best-in-class cabin space, as it measures in at 4,475mm in length with 1,730mm of headroom, a wheelbase of 2,775mm and width of 1,750mm.
With that much space, you’ll get some room to put your stuff everywhere you turn. For example, you’ll find an under-seat multi-purpose storage, cargo floor box with lid and a glove box with double compartment for you to chug all your small things.
If that’s not enough space, you can also fold down the second and third row seats to store more or bigger items in your Mitsubishi Xpander.
Forget about your balik kampung trip; you have enough room in your crossover MPV to move your entire kampung to you!
#4 Safety is their priority
A great MPV is not complete without state-of-the-art safety features, and the Mitsubishi Xpander has plenty of those.
The Xpander comes with your usual safety features: active stability control (ASC) with traction control (TC), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist system (BAS), hill-start assist (HAS) and SRS airbags.
On top of those, you’ll also get a Rest Reminder which flashes a reminder on the LCD display every once in a while to prompt you to take a rest during long journeys.
You’ll also get two more safety features as options: an all-round monitor (ARM) which gives you a composite bird’s-eye view of your vehicle surroundings and a driving video recorder (DVR) to capture every moment in HD recording while you’re on the move.
You can never be too safe, right?
It is pretty hard for us to describe just how incredible the Mitsubishi Xpander is in words, so why not head over to your nearest Mitsubishi showroom to check it out?
The Mitsubishi Xpander is priced at less than RM100,000, which is a pretty solid deal if you ask us.
Alternatively, you can also check out the Mitsubishi Xpander in action in ‘Kembara Kita’, a two-part short series featuring Akim and Stacy on Astro Ria.
For more information, visit Mitsubishi Malaysia’s official website by clicking here.