Page 18 - Motoring Spring 2021

TEST REVIEW MITSUBISHI

MITSUBISHI XPANDER 1.5 AUTOMATIC

The aptly named Xpander launched by Mitsubishi in South Africa as an addition to

their model range is a relatively compact vehicle offering seating for up to seven
passengers at an affordable price.

he Mitsubishi Xpander 1.5 Automatic is In contrast, there are 12V sockets in front, in the storage compartment
powered by a 1.5l 4-cylinder petrol engine between the front seats, plus an extra socket at the rear next to the
Twith the option of 5-speed manual or rearmost seats.
4-speed automatic gearboxes driving through I used the connectivity to use Google maps for navigation and this
the front wheels. This is a familiar recipe, with linked seamlessly and worked extremely well. Unless I was missing
a few other similar contenders in the market. something, I noticed that the radio would not work when using Maps
The 77kW and 141Nm are more than adequate for navigation.
for most circumstances, although the automatic The middle row seats fold and tumble forward to provide excellent
transmission did need to downshift when access to the two rear seats when needed, although the legroom for
encountering gradients at freeway speeds. The those seats is extremely limited for taller occupants. The provision of air-
gearing of the automatic enables 120km/h cruising conditioning vents with fan control above the split 60/40 middle row is a
at 3000rpm which is quite comfortable. bonus for passenger comfort.
The front styling boasts the familiar Mitsubishi As with all vehicles of this type, boot space is minimal with all 7 seats
‘Dynamic Shield’ face, giving it a fairly aggressive in place but cavernous as a 5-seater. The Xpanda name rings true when you
look, with Daytime Running Lights above the consider that the vehicle can be configured for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 seats.
headlights and fog lamps lower down in the Fuel consumption for the test period, which included a large amount of
bumpers. The rear is neat, with a fairly large freeway cruising, was 6.5l/100km which I deem to be exceptional for this
spoiler above the tailgate that houses the high- class of vehicle. Wind noise from the large side mirrors was noticeable but
level brake light. not excessive.
The Xpander is very well-equipped with an Overall, the Xpanda offers comfortable transport for up to seven
8-inch infotainment touchscreen that incorporates passengers and I think it’s a good addition to the local Mitsubishi range.
a reverse camera as well as Android Auto or Apple The manual version is currently priced at R299 995, with the automatic
Carplay. Strangely, there are no USB ports on as tested at R319 995, including a 2-year/30 000km service plan. n
the fascia, you have to use a cable in the cubby
hole for this purpose, which I find rather clumsy. Click here for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SApPddOK_8

MOTORING | ISpring 2021 | 16