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Manila Bulletin devider Drive devider Hands on with the 2022 Mitsubishi Xpander

Hands on with the 2022 Mitsubishi Xpander

Published Mar 9, 2022 04:50 pm

Maintaining the lead

First launched in 2018, the Mitsubishi Xpander quickly won over the hearts of Filipino families with a vehicle that is beautifully designed, spacious, efficient, and easy to drive.

Not surprisingly, a waiting list quickly formed for the MPV, and quickly became Mitsubishi’s best-selling model, topping the Mirage and L300. Mitsubishi has continued to keep the model fresh with other offerings like the Xpander Cross, and Xpander Black Series.

Nonetheless, now four years old, the time has come for an Xpander update. As you’ve probably seen on social media, the 2022 Xpander is coming soon. In anticipation of its arrival, Mitsubishi was kind enough to give us a quick preview of the upcoming model as well as what has been improved.

A new look

The new Xpander receives extensive improvements, both inside and out. The most evident are those done to the exterior. The slit-type lamps now work like true daytime running lamps, illuminated even during the day. It gets new T-shaped LED headlights for a more modern and aggressive look. The new grille is divided into two sections. The upper portion comes with gloss-black a two-bar design, while the lower has a mesh design. It’s finished off with a new design around the lower grille and foglamps.

Along the side, it boasts of larger 17-inch wheels and new side sills, while still offering 220mm of ground clearance. Like the front, the rear gets the same T-shaped LED taillights. The rear bumper was also redesigned for a sportier look. The reflectors have been moved to the corners housed inside ducts made to look like diffusers.

Improved interior

The cabin gets a major makeover as well. The new model gets a more symmetrical cockpit with brushed aluminum strips stretching across and up and down. Mitsubishi calls this the Horizontal Axis and boasts of high quality material, offering a softer touch and premium feel.

The driver gets a Lancer Evolution-inspired wheel sporting controls for the entertainment system and cruise control. On the instrument cluster is the familiar twin dial setup with a multi-information display screen.

On the center stack is the new touchscreen infotainment system with buttons for some functions and a knob for the volume. This digital system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The biggest change is in the climate control system with toggle switches for the temperature and fan speed.

Those who’ve driven the older Xpander will notice the center console is now sleeker. That’s thanks to the new electronic parking brake that comes with an autohold feature to give you a break from stepping on the brake at stoplights. Mitsubishi has also kept the handy sneaker drawer hidden underneath the front seat, particularly handy for those into active sports.

Passengers will enjoy the new seats with improved bolstering and extra padding. The center storage in between the two front seats is now higher as well, now serving as a comfortable arm rest.

Behind, the second row now features a folding center arm rest with built-in cupholders. Passengers here also get a USB type-A and type-C slot to easily charge their gadgets.

Powering the 2022 Xpander is still the same 1.5-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Being an Xpander owner myself, it’s certainly nice to see Mitsubishi has done their homework. The improvements only make the vehicle even more enjoyable to drive without compromising its best features.

Despite all these changes, Mitsubishi has still managed to keep the Xpander’s price down. The base GLX MT starts at P1,030,000, while the top-of-the-line GLS AT features here is priced at P1,160,000.

The all-new Xpander can now be pre-ordered at Mitsubishi dealerships across the country. Deliveries and official sales are expected to begin later this year.

Related Tags

MPV xpander Mitsubishi
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