Helpful details before you decide.
It could be said that the small MPV market became even more popular when the 2010s rolled in. Toyota was among the first to make it mainstream with the Avanza. Honda and Suzuki then followed suit in the middle of the decade with the Ertiga and Mobilio.
Mitsubishi, probably sick of missing out of the segment, entered the class in 2018 with the Xpander. The MPV quickly became one of the top-selling models among its competitors, having the advantage of a fresh design and, at the time, competitive pricing. Its radical styling also got a lot of people talking about it too.
With the initial models a proven success, Mitsubishi added another variant as a follow up. With the demand for more ground clearance from consumers, the Xpander Cross was added in 2020. The entire line-up was given a minor facelift shortly after.
There's no other way around it, the Xpander is worth putting on your shortlist if you're looking for a family MPV. But before we tell you why you should buy it, there are a few things you need to look out for.
For starters, it's best to take a closer inspection at the early batch models. These are affected by the ongoing fuel pump recall that has affected a lot of brands recently. If it's a mid-2018 to late-2019 model, check if the recall repair has been made. If not, you can take the plunge and do the recall repair yourself. It's free of charge anyway. Also, there are reports of leaky shock absorbers on the early versions.
Now, for the good stuff. The Xpander has the advantage of being one of the newest in its class. That means it's seen the competition's weaknesses and avoided those pitfalls. The result is a comfortable ride and fold-flat third row seats. Space efficiency is very good and most are decently equipped. And despite having a four-speed automatic, fuel economy is good. Driving dynamics are best described as average, but it's light behind the wheel and easy to maneuver. A good buy, indeed.
- Clever interior packaging
- Space flexibility
- Fuel efficiency
- Easy to drive and maneuver
- Comfortable
- Very high standard equipment levels
- Mid-2018 to late-2019 models affected by fuel pump recall
- Somewhat brittle interior plastics
- Leaky shock absorbers in early batch models
- Some might find the performance lacking
GLX
GLX Plus
GLS
GLS Sport (2018-2020)
Cross
Length - 4,475 mm (GLX to GLS) / 4,500 (Cross)
Width – 1,750 mm (GLX to GLS) / 1,800 mm (Cross)
Height – 1,695 mm (GLX M/T) / 1,700 mm (GLX Plus to GLS) / 1,750 mm (Cross)
Fuel tank capacity – 45 Liters
Ground Clearance – 200 mm (GLX M/T) / 205 mm (GLX Plus to GLS) / 225 mm (Cross)
Engine – 1.5-liter gas, 4-Cylinder, In-line, 16-Valve DOHC, MIVEC
Horsepower – 103 hp
Torque – 141 Nm
Transmission options – 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic
Driven wheels – Front-wheel drive
City – 9.7 km/l (GLX Plus) to 11.0 km/l (GLS)
Highway – 18.6 km/l (GLX Plus)
Estimated range – 436 km to 837 km per full tank
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