Every market has a car type that’s most prevalent on the road. Whether it is the sedan, the SUV, the wagon, the crossover, or the dinky little kei car, Southeast Asia has embraced the do-it-all MPV (multipurpose vehicle) as the form factor of choice for most families.

Almost every major manufacturer in our country has a model that can carry seven people. One of the most beloved nameplates in the Philippine market is the humble Mitsubishi Xpander, which was introduced to many people all the way back in 2018.

The exterior was facelifted back in 2022 with sharper, more angular lines, T-shaped LED lighting, and sharper 17-inch wheels. It may be a familiar face now, but it is still handsome to look at. Bonus points for its ground clearance of 225mm, which is more than enough to cross lightly flooded roads.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines introduced a very slight update to the MPV that introduced a new color, Green Bronze Metallic, which is just a very slight variation of gray with a tinge of green.

The same can be said about the cabin layout. The same general layout with a two-tier dashboard design, some faux-leather trim, and brushed-effect plastic trim to spruce things up. There are analog gauges that are easy to read with a small display in the middle, and the newest update brings a larger nine-inch display.

One of the biggest draws to the Xpander has always been its spacious interior.

The fabric seats are comfortable (if a bit basic), and the second row can be configured in many ways. Recline the bench pretty far back, move it fore and aft, and fold the middle backrest down to turn it into an armrest with cupholders. Same with the third row, which is spacious enough for adults to fit in the back.

And when you need to carry stuff around? Sure, fold down all the seats and you have up to 1,630L of room to stuff long items into. With the third-row seats up, it still gets 253L space, and countless cubbyholes await your previous knickknacks. It’s called the Xpander for a reason.

But as for driving, well, it won’t get the heart pumping. Visibility is good as it is a large box with lots of windows, and the driver is in an SUV-like seating position.

Steering is a little on the heavy side, and the ride is a little firm, but well cushioned enough to still be comfortable—with decent noise, vibration, and harshness performance at highway speeds.

But the biggest qualm would have to be the powertrain. The 4A91, a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline mill ticks under the hood of this MPV with a humble 103hp and 141Nm being sent to the front wheels.

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that the ancient four-speed automatic transmission here affects drivability in a few ways, like it having higher-than-usual engine speeds for puttering about the city, especially with a fully loaded cabin. Highway driving will have you constantly on the throttle to overtake.

This means that fuel economy is also compromised. It’s a rather thirsty people hauler, with me achieving figures of at least 6-7km/L within the city, and 12km/L at most on the highway.

But still, it’s relatively affordable for what it delivers. For P1,268,000 for the top-spec GLS variant, this offers everything that the average Filipino would need out of a reliable family mover.

If you want extra kit, you can always look at the Xpander Cross for a little more, but the biggest shake-up would be its much-anticipated (proper) hybrid variant called the Xpander HEV.

Otherwise, you’re looking at a relatively frugal, no-frills people mover that can withstand the test of time.