Mitsubishi Xpander 1.5 Auto Test Review

Описание: The aptly named Xpander was very recently launched by Mitsubishi in South Africa as an addition to their model range. A relatively compact vehicle offering seating for up to 7 passengers at an affordable price.

Powered by a 1.5l 4 cylinder petrol engine with the option f 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic gearboxes driving through the front wheels, this is a familiar recipe with a few other similar contenders in the market. 77kW and 141Nm are more than adequate for most circumstances although the automatic transmission did need to downshift when encountering gradients at freeway speeds. The gearing of the automatic enables 120km/h cruising at 3000rpm which is quite comfortable.

The frontal styling boasts the familiar Mitsubishi "Dynamic Shield" face giving it a fairly aggressive look with Daytime Running Lights above the headlights and foglamps lower down in the bumpers. The rear is neat with a fairly large spoiler above the tailgate that houses the high-level brake light.

The Xpander is very well equipped with an 8 inch infotainment touchscreen that incorporates a reverse camera as well as Android Auto or Apple Carplay. Strangely, there are no USB ports on the fascia, you have to use a cable in the cubby hole for this purpose which I find rather clumsy. In contrast there are 12V sockets in front, in the storage compartment between the front seats plus an extra socket at the rear next to the rearmost seats.

I used the connectivity to use Google maps for navigation and this connected seamlessly and worked extremely well. Unless I was missing something, the radio would not work when using Maps for navigation.

The middle row seats fold and tumble forward to provide excellent access to the 2 rear seats when needed although the legroom for those seats is extremely limited for taller occupants. The provision of airconditioning vents with fan control above the split 60/40 middle row is a bonus for passenger comfort.

As with all vehicles of this type, boot space is minimal with all 7 seats in place but cavernous as a 5 seater. The Xpanda name rings true when you consider that the vehicle can be configured for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 seats.

Fuel consumption for the test period which included a large amount of freeway cruising was 6.5l/100km which I deem to be exceptional for this class of vehicle. Wind noise from the large side mirrors was noticeable but not excessive.

Overall, the Xpanda offers comfortable transport for up to 7 passengers and I think a good addition to the local Mitsubishi range.

The manual version is currently priced at R299 995 with the automatic as tested at R319 995 including a 2 year/ 30 000km service plan.

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