Mitsubishi may roll out Xpander Cross in Malaysia soon

KUALA LUMPUR: Leading Japanese automobile manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors may roll out the Xpander Cross multipurpose vehicle (MPV) in Malaysia soon as the company expands its availability across Asia-Pacific. Mitsubishi introduced the Xpander Cross in Indonesia in November and has now launched the car in the Philippines and Thailand. The company, in a statement, said that it will launch the car in other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.

The 2020 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is now the top-level model in its series which was earlier occupied by the GLS Sport version. The upgraded Xpander Cross offers 225 mm ground clearance which places the car in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment. The car measures 4,500 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width, and 1,750 mm in height. It is about 50 mm and 25 mm more in width and length respectively, compared to the standard Xpander.

Inside, the new Xpander Cross is largely similar to its standard version. The cabin has a generous mix of black and silver plastics. The steering wheel has several controls, while most of the cabin functions can be operated through the tactile buttons and dials. The rear seats can be folded flat and there are air-conditioning vents at the back to keep passengers cools. The only visible changes in the cabin of the crossover-SUV are the two-tone black and brown leather seats. A 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system dominates the dashboard. The system, however, is not compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The infotainment unit is paired with a six-speaker audio system.

The new Mitsubishi Xpander Cross will be hauled b a four-cylinder, 1.5-litre dynamic overhead camshaft (DOHC) motor which produces 141Nm peak torque at 4,000rpm and 105PS maximum power at 6,000rpm. The engine is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission (AT). The Xpander Cross comes with push-start ignition.

Safety features of the car include traction control, active stability control, hill start assist, front passenger airbags, cruise control and an information display on the instrument cluster.

The Xpander Cross is expected to command a price of RM 78,968. It will lock horns with the Haval H2 and upcoming cars like the Kia Seltos and the 2020 Honda BR-V.

Also Read: Mitsubishi launches 2020 Xpander facelift