Shortly after announcing that the Mitsubishi Xpander will be making its way onto our shores, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has now set up a roadshow at the Mid Valley Megamall to preview the seven-seater crossover for the first time in our country.
The Mitsubishi Xpander, first introduced in Indonesia back in 2017, will be making its debut in Malaysia in the latest facelifted form, which was unveiled earlier this year. Cosmetic upgrades include a slightly reworked Dynamic Shield front grille, LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, and sharkfin radio antenna at the rear.
Looking at the car at the preview, we also noticed that the Malaysian-specification Mitsubishi Xpander will be equipped with a 360-degree around view monitor, which should be quite useful for a bulky seven-seater like this. However, whether this will be a standard feature across all variants remains to be seen.
The teaser preview utilises an automatically pulley system to raise and lower a cloth cover, effectively showing only the bottom half of the Mitsubishi Xpander. Though for a brief few moments, we did manage to glimpse into the interior of the seven-seater crossover, where we can see that the Malaysian specification features black upholstery as opposed to beige seats in the Indonesian model.
Based on the teaser videos published by MMM on their social media channels, the Malaysian Xpander will also feature Apple CarPlay connectivity on the central infotainment display.
As for what’s underneath the hood, we expect to see the same 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, as seen in the Indonesian models, to make its way here as well. The engine produces 105 hp and 141 Nm of torque, with power sent to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.
Aside from the teaser preview, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has also announced that the Xpander will be locally-assembled in Malaysia in the company’s new production facility in Pekan, Pahang. Prior to this, the company’s two locally-assembled models – the ASX and Outlander – were both built in the Tan Chong Assembly Plant in Segambut.
MMM Chief Executive Officer Tomoyuki Shinnishi also said that the Xpander has been localised to meet the demands of Malaysian customers. “It will be priced competitively to cater for families and adventure-seekers who are looking for a more comfortable and practical seven-seater to make their journeys a more pleasant one,” he added.
The new plant in Pekan features an all-new body welding workshop, 360-degree ED-coating and robotic spray system to ensure full coverage of corrosive prevention coating and consistent paint finishing, as well as an all-new tester line to check for all safety functions including the Active Stability Control (ASC) system before the car reaches its final assembly line.
The Mitsubishi Xpander will be on display at the East Atrium of Mid Valley Megamall, from today until the 13th of September, from 10 am until 10 pm daily. Customers can register their interest at the roadshow, with the order books expected to open “soon”.
If you’re interested to learn more about the Mitsubishi Xpander, be sure to check out our full review of the seven-seater crossover, featuring our friend Fitra Eri of Oto Driver from Indonesia!
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