Sexy Mom Mobile: Mitsubishi Grandis (2006)

September 22,2006

Moms and dads need to feel sexy, too. At least one carmaker recognizes this in its ads, and yet another company embodies this need in one of its best products—the Mitsubishi Grandis.

What’s so great about a station wagon with three rows of seats? For starters, the Grandis looks like it just launched from Battlestar Galactica—it’s sleek and futuristic. Every corner looks good, from the sharp dip of the nose to the streamlined profile to the cheerful tailgate section. Triangular headlamps and full-height LED taillamps add to the spacecraft effect.

Having swing-out doors instead of the usual minivan sliding doors is a handicap in tight parking spaces. The Grandis helps by having its middle row slide forward, leaving a section of the floor clear for ingress and ingress. That sliding feature also allows a useful third row to fit within its relatively compact 4765-mm length. It’s a given that second-row occupants have to share their legroom with the third-row people. Thankfully, there’s enough to keep everyone happy.

If you’re not using the third row and need more luggage space, you can flip the seatback forward, or tuck the entire seat into the floor for a large, flat cargo bay. It’s easily done with a pull on a strap and a couple of tugs on the seat itself. If you’re transporting truly large objects, the second row can also split-fold and tumble.

The cabin, trimmed in leather and silver plastic, is just as modern as the exterior. There are hectares of dashboard, a product of the windshield’s sharp rake. The driver faces a well laid-out set of controls, including gauges that glow with a cool blue background. Aircon vents for second and third row are tucked into the headliner.

Behind the wheel, the Grandis fulfills the promise of its striking design. It has responsive steering, with none of the slack afflicting large minivan helms. This MPV turns corners with the eagerness of a compact sedan. The 2.4 liter inline-4 with MIVEC variable-valve timing provides 165 hp and 217 Nm of forward thrust. Bottom-end torque makes quick work of stoplight getaways and overtaking. Pressing on to the higher end of the rev range results in a surge of acceleration, as well as a pleasingly raspy engine sound. Ignore the large passenger compartment in the rear view mirror, and you can easily imagine you’re driving a sporty sedan.

We were at first stymied by the Grandis’ purchase price. After comparing products with similar features, the value is better than it first looked. The C-size sedans with similar 2.4-liter engines have comparable price tags, and they’re not as versatile. Larger minivans with premium features command several hundred thousand pesos more.

We can imagine that for most buyers, the initial attraction will be the Grandis’ svelte styling. What should seal the deal are the excellent passenger comfort and the fun to be had behind the wheel.

Text By Jason K. Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang

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