The Mitsubishi Xpander is a seven-seat compact van that entered markets in Southeastern Asia two years ago. Now, it looks like a sported-up, cross-country-capable version is underway.
Indonesia is the single most important market and also the country of origin for the Xpander, although a second production line will be opening in Vietnam next year. With over 75,000 copies sold in Indonesia in 2018 alone, the sales are pretty brisk.
On a curious side note, the standard Xpander isn’t exactly a city dweller with its impressive 205 millimeters (8 inches) of ground clearance. Nonetheless, Mitsubishi apparently still sees the need for a dedicated off-road version.
the newcomer will be getting wider wheel arches, roof railings and vertical rear reflectors. Whether the ride height will change or not remains open.
The powertrain will likely stay untouched, which in this case means a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine rated at 104 hp (78 kW) and 141 Nm (104 lb-ft) of torque. The currently available transmissions are five-speed manual and four-speed automatic, but the drive stays on the front axle no matter what.
A technically identical MPV called the Nissan Livina is also available in Indonesia, different from the Xpander only in terms of the front-end design. It looks like the Livina might also get an ‘off-road’ trim version soon.