Xciting Xpander

By Alvin Uy Philippine Daily Inquirer March 07,2018

The Xpander is roomier than most competitors.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) officially unveiled its highly anticipated all-new Xpander model in the country last weekend at the World Trade Center after a series of teaser previews in Mitsubishi dealerships a few weeks earlier.

MMPC held a three-day expo that allowed visitors to test drive the Xpander, and enjoy concert performances and other fun-filled activities meant to attract new car buyers in the highly competitive compact MPV segment.

The Xpander is the newest addition to MMPC’s lineup of vehicles, and the Philippines is the second country to launch the all-new Xpander after its world premiere at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Jakarta held last August.

The Xpander is produced at Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s (MMC) new factory in Bekasi Prefecture, Indonesia.

Promising start

Since its production debut, it has already reached orders of over 50,000 units in Indonesia alone, showing a promising start for this new model.

The Xpander comes in four variants, starting off with the base model GLX manual transmission (MT) priced at P885,000, the GLX Plus automatic transmission (AT) priced at P960,000, the GLS AT priced at P995,000, and the top of the line GLS Sport AT priced at P1.06 million.

Exterior

On the outside, the overall exterior carries Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design concept, which is consistent with its other current models.

Distinguished by a luxurious front grille, it is available in chrome with clear smoke coating for the GLS Sport and GLS variants, and gloss black for GLX Plus and GLX variants.

From left, Froilan Dytianquin, MMPC first vice president for Vehicle Sales and Marketing; Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, MMPC president and CEO; Takaaki Kishii, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) Product Specialist; Tsunehiro Kunimoto, MMC Corporate vice president and division general manager of Design Division; and Shigeru Ogura, MMPC EVP for Sales and Marketing.

Aside from the grille’s very modern design, it is complemented with a very unique LED headlight design that according to Mitsubishi, promises to improve nighttime visibility for both pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

This layout prevents the occurrence of blinding headlight glare without compromising on the driver’s illumination.

At the back, a pair of distinctive L-shaped LED tail lamps extends onto the tailgate for added rear side nighttime visibility, which is also considered first in class.

The Xpander is equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels for the GLX variant, and 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels for the GLX Plus, GLS and GLS Sport variants. These match well with the segment-leading 205 mm ground clearance. (The GLX M/T variant has a slightly lower 200 mm ground clearance.)

Design philosophy

During the launch, MMC’s corporate vice president for Design Tsunehiro Kunimoto explained the Xpander’s design philosophy.

He said that the all-new model is a product of putting together customers’ thoughts, needs and desires.

What’s attractive about the Xpander is its size, which is roomier and bigger than most of its competitors.

The overall length is 4,475 mm, giving it better high speed stability and road comfort. It also comes with a class-leading interior length of 2,840 mm, which allows ample room for seven adults to enter and exit from the vehicle.

Access to third row seats is also made easier with a tumbling system for folding the second row seats.

Tsunehiro Kunimoto, Corporate VP and General Manager of Design Division, MMC and Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, President and CEO, MMPC.

The flexible seating layout has a maximum cargo capacity of 1,630 liters when both the second and third row seats are folded.

It is also the only vehicle in its class that has a flat luggage floor without bumps and gaps found in bigger and more premium nameplates.

The high ground clearance also allows a more comfortable seating position and added visibility for the driver.

The front windshield comes with ample vertical and horizontal spacing that provides clearer forward visibility.

The Xpander’s front pillars are positioned wider to provide more visibility, while the side mirrors ensure a clearer rear view.

The window glass is also a bit thicker, and is treated with a laminate film for better noise insulation.

Power and fuel efficiency

Powering the Xpander is a 1.5-liter 4A91 MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) DOHC 16-valve engine, which gives a maximum output of 105 ps/ 6,000 rpm, and maximum torque of 141 Nm/4,000 rpm.

Audio remote and cruise control switches on the steering wheel.

The 4A91 engine is designed to have less vibration and less noise for a smoother driving, at the same time delivering a good mix of power and fuel efficiency.

The Xpander has a four-star safety rating in the Asean New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and is packed with a number of safety features, including Mitsubishi Motors’ proprietary RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body that is engineered to absorb most of the impact during a collision.

It is also equipped with ABS (anti-locking braking system), and its ESS (the emergency stop signal system) activates and automatically flashes the hazard lamps to warn the drivers behind to help prevent rear-end collision during emergency braking.

The top-of-the-line GLS Sport variant is also equipped with hill start assist and active stability control (ASC).

The hill start assist feature is very practical especially for stop-and-go traffic on bridges, ramps and steep surfaces.

The Xpander automatically maintains the brakes to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards when driving on a steep slope.

The active stability control, on the other hand, automatically applies brake force while suppressing the engine output at the same time in order to stabilize the vehicle when the system detects a sudden maneuver normally experienced during slippery surface conditions.

The 4A91 engine is designed for less vibration and noise.

For the more premium variants—the GLX Plus, GLS and GLS Sport—the onboard infotainment system features a 2-DIN 7-inch capacitive touchscreen which has a GPS navigation system, MP3 player, USB port, and Bluetooth connectivity with Easy Link feature.

The steering wheel is equipped with audio remote and cruise control switches. For added convenience, 12V power outlets are placed on all the three rows, and the vehicle is designed with several pockets and storage areas specially needed during road trips.

For more information, check out www.xpander.mmpc.ph, or visit your nearest Mitsubishi dealer, and request for a test drive.

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