Blame it on market share hunger. The unfortunate naming of Mitsubishi’s all-new people carrier certainly has more than one food connection. Previewed as the Zinger way back at the 2006 Manila International Auto Show, people immediately thought: this was the car to take Mitsubishi Motors Philippines back into market contention. Though the Adventure’s still selling solidly, the arrival of the much more modern Toyota Innova signaled a new direction for the practical MPV. Show goers wondered: how long will it take before the car’s market ready? The answer? A full year.
There have been several speculations about the long wait between preview and review, but I’d like to inject my own: the Zinger name. Zinger is associated with KFC’s fiery chicken sandwich. Though tasty (and one of my personal favorites), the name’s either trademarked or didn’t sound too appealing when put on tin. As a result, Mitsubishi came up with an all-new name: Fuzion. Again, it’s food. This time, it’s a juice bar. Not as bad as Zinger, but again, it’s not a name you’d expect from a people carrier. But then, Mitsubishi named it so because they reckon it fuses the best attributes of a car with that of a van. This is a very tall order indeed. So names aside, can the Fuzion deliver on their promise and finally deliver some market pummeling on the Innova?
A walk around the car presents a nice start. The Fuzion certainly looks sleek. Perhaps it’s the ubiquity of the Innova, but I personally like the Fuzion’s looks. Everything’s flush fitting with the panel gaps consistent with that of a passenger car (the Fuzion’s actually riding on a rugged body-on-frame construction). There’s some spattering of chrome and body cladding, but the effect’s largely reserved accentuating the Fuzion’s clean profile. The side mirrors are large, delivering the message that this is a driver’s MPV. The 16-inch alloys help too. The overall profile is similar to the current generation Outlander, but from the back, it looks fairly like the Space Gear. The rear hatch’s squared off with the minimal knick-knacks pasted on. A rear spoiler with clear LED bulbs and reverse parking sensors are standard on the unit I tested, the range-topping GLS Sport.
If the exterior’s enough to wet your appetite, you should consider a look inside. There’s nothing absolutely boring with the Fuzion’s interior. The overall scheme is an eclectic mix of maroon and beige two-tone with wood and silver trim accents. It sounds odd on paper, but gives a very modern feel to the cabin. Most of the controls (perhaps the dash for that matter) are taken from the Strada pick-up, so expect sweeping surves and funky shaped buttons to dominate the cabin. Like the Strada, the Fuzion has blue-backed instrumentation with white lighting which is never distracting and always appealing to look at. The Strada’s automatic climate control system also makes its way to the Fuzion (the rear’s powered by a manual slide control air con unit) and so did the 1-DIN JVC head unit with CD/DVD/MP3/USB. There’s a center-mounted LCD screen that plays movies on the test unit, and because of possible driving distractions, I hope it becomes an on-board computer/vehicle diagnostics system instead. There’s even an electronically adjustable driver’s seat on the Fuzion—something that can’t be said with any of its rivals.
Comfort in the Fuzion’s hard to fault as the seats are wide and long for nice hip and lower back support. The cushions look flat, and they are, but three hours of straight driving still prove acceptable with minimal bum discomfort. The steering wheel position is more upright than the Innova, but it’s just a mild distraction to the driving experience. The second row seats are just as wide (and flat) as the front, and offer a sliding function for more storage/people carrying flexibility. It splits 60/40 with a fold-tumble option opening up to a third row bench for two additional occupants. The forward facing third row is a tad tight with a knees up position. It’s decisively less comfortable than the Toyota Innova’s third row, and Mitsubishi seems to have accepted this fact opting for a lap belt configuration (space constraints) to the Innova’s third row shoulder/lap belt combination for the outboard occupants. Plus, the third row merely folds as a single piece, severely limiting the Fuzion’s ability to ferry people and cargo at the same time.
Another severely limiting factor to the Fuzion’s possible market domination is the lack of a diesel option. For the foreseeable future, this car’s offered with just one engine and transmission option: the 4G64 2.4-liter SOHC inline-4 from the previous Outlander mated to a four-speed automatic. Because of the Fuzion’s Taiwan origins, which like the USA, shuns diesels, only a strong clamor for a CRDi engine would make Mitsubishi reconsider this option. There’s nothing to fret though, with 136 horsepower and 210 Nm of torque, the Fuzion easily squares off against both the Innova diesel and gasoline variants. Easily, it’s a case of ‘the best of both worlds’, as the Fuzion has good torque to pull it from standstill but enough power for triple digit cruising.
With its modern looks, automatic tranny and relatively large engine, most Fuzion owners would probably end up driving it themselves, and they won’t be largely disappointed. With its body-on-frame construction, some shimmy from the chassis’s expected, but the Fuzion handles it quite well, absorbing most road undulations with ease and poise. There are some occasions where the car exhibits axle hops, but these are usually during extreme cases. There’s immediate grunt (through gruff-y) available from the engine at most speeds offering good overtaking opportunities. However, the transmission’s easily confused: usually downshifting immediately the throttle’s pressed even when the power’s not needed, resulting in the Fuzion’s mediocre fuel economy: 6.36 km/L in our tests. The steering’s precise and obedient, but the large amount of turns plus the lifelessness is reminiscent of a pick-up. Thankfully I like the brakes that have good modulation and nice braking power. Equipped with anti-lock brakes, brake force distribution and brake assist, the Fuzion’s a confident partner in bad weather conditions.
Having a Toyota Innova 2.5 G available during the Fuzion’s test, I drove them back to back, and I have to conclude that the folks at Mitsubishi did their homework. The Fuzion easily matches or surpasses the Toyota on the most part, but excelling in the area of NVH isolation. The Innova though has the better steering feel—making it feel more balanced, stable and planted at higher speeds. Better fuel economy figures also make the Innova favorable to the frugal (8.82 km/L for the gasoline, 11.27 km/L for the diesel).
Despite these small shortcomings, the year’s worth of product planning has enabled Mitsubishi to come with a sweet spot in terms of pricing: P 980,000 for the entry-level GLX and P 1,190,000 for the GLS Sport. Though pricey when taken independently, it makes sense for buyers since Mitsubishi is adamant that they’re not killing the Adventure off. The fully-loaded Fuzion has enough features to scare its competition (even those priced above it). The GLS Sport is an example, arriving on the scene standard with dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, 16-inch alloys, HID headlamps, electric driver’s seat, a JVC CD/DVD/MP3/USB audio system with 6 speakers, parking sensors and a tire pressure monitoring system.
Though the name’s changed from fast food sandwich to gourmet health drink, there’s little denying that Mitsubishi’s new MPV, whether you call it Zinger or Fuzion, is set to be the Toyota Innova’s preverbal thorn. Though Kia’s launched the Carens already and Nissan’s showcasing their forthcoming Grand Livina, it must be remembered that the Adventure proved to be the Revo/Tamaraw FX’s greatest foe. In the here and now, the Mitsubishi Fuzion’s combination sensible driving, modern interior, pleasant design and competitive pricing will surely make this one a winner. Despite the absence of diesel or a manual for that matter, people who haven’t considered owning a Mitsubishi before will lap them up. And who knows, perhaps the Fuzion moniker will be associated for something else other than food.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang
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