since 1976
since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng
TO THOSE old enough to remember, Mitsubishi was among two Japanese brands to dominate the Malaysian SUV (sport utility vehicle) market in the early 1980s. This was the Pajero – it even came with ‘suspension’ seats back then - that provided an SUV lifestyle during those days before it became the rage that it is today.
Its market numbers, however, fell when Proton came into the picture in 1985 as taxes imposed on non-national brands were raised and the yen appreciated against the ringgit. It became progressively expensive with each model update and its volume dwindled.
It didn’t deter Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia from continuing to provide models as alternatives to what was in the Malaysian market over the years. The ASX and Outlander were some of the more memorable ones.
This trend continues this year with the Mitsubishi Xforce, a B-segment SUV, that looks attractively designed to take on rivals in the increasingly crowded marketplace. Since bookings were opened in early February along with preview drives for potential customers, some 2600 bookings were received.
It comes with two model variants – Urban and Ultimate – that are very competitively priced at RM109,980 on the road without insurance for the former and RM119,980 for the latter. These attractive prices are made possible as the Xforce is locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang.
These 2600 customers also enjoy the Early Bird promotions; RM5000 cash rebate for an even lower vehicle price and three free labour services that is said to reduce the five-year maintenance cost to ‘just RM3900’. A third benefit is the participation in the ‘Buy One, Free One’ contest. That means some lucky buyers would get to win another Xforce.
And if any of the 2600 Xforce customers is an existing Mitsubishi vehicle owner, there is an additional cash rebate of RM1000. For customers in the Klang Valley who trade in their vehicles, they enjoy the ‘M Switch’ programme. This offers a price lock guarantee in that once a trade-in value is agreed upon, it remains fixed.
Following its launch, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia says the first 800 Xforce SUVs would be delivered to customers. And the first 50 customers also enjoy the benefit of a 20-per cent discount on the three accessory packages offered, ranging from vehicle body garnishes (RM4100), roof rail package (RM2200) and practical package of luggage tray and mud guards (RM700).
Xforce – The Nitty Gritty
In looks, the Xforce has clean yet dynamic body lines and styling details that give it a distinctive appeal. The sleek taper of the angled LED (light emitting diode) headlamps is complemented by the lower slats, bearing a familiar pattern that reminds us of those on some Volvo vehicles. The rear has angled lamp clusters to complement the front, giving the Xforce a balanced look.
The engine powering the Xforce is similar to that in the Xpander, this being a 1.5-litre (1499cc) MIVEC double overhead camshafts 16 valves unit. Output is the same too at 77kW (105PS) at 6000rpm and 141Nm torque at 4000rpm. The difference is that the Xforce comes with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) to channel engine output to the front wheels instead of a four-speed automatic transmission.
Mitsubishi says the Xforce could cover up to 700 kilometres on a full tank (its capacity is 42 litres). Its average fuel consumption is given as 5.6 L/100km or 17.8km/l, which is pretty good and bears out the long mileage claim.
For the Ultimate variant, there are four drive mode options – Normal, Wet, Gravel and Mud.- that electronically control CVT operation and engine speed to handle the respective road and surface condition. Another handling feature is the Active Yaw Control (common to both variants) that manages wheel torque on both axles for a more confident drive through winding stretches. Its 222mm ground clearance (same as Xpander) should be ideal for those wanting to venture off road.
The suspension system also sees a similar arrangement as the Xpander in a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear. Both Xforce variants come with 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels that are shod with 225/50 R18 tyres (Toyo Tires were fitted on the Xforce Ultimate displayed at the launch event).
The interior looks roomy for a B-segment SUV especially for the rear legroom. With a wheelbase of 2650mm, it might be shorter than that of the Mistubishi Xpander (which is more MPV – multipurpose vehicle – than SUV) but it is longer than its SUV rivals here. The rear passengers also enjoy the benefit of an eight-step rake adjustment for the rear seatrest.
Mistubishi says the luggage volume is 410 litres, which should accommodate quite a lot of items for a weekend holiday. And if there are fewer people on board, the 40:20:40 folding rear seatrests would yield the space for some large items that might be acquired at IKEA.
The Xforce comes well equipped in features with the Ultimate being fitted with a higher level of standard fare; 8-inch Digital Driver Display against the Urban’s 4.2-inch TFT high contrast meter, 12.3-inch touchscreen centre display (8-inch unit) with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto (wired) and eight-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium System (six-speaker system). The centre console box with cooling function (for drinks) is common to both variants.
The range of active and passive safety features is wide but the Xforce Ultimate still has more to justify its premium standing. It has Forward Collision Mitigation that includes warning and stop functions, Leading Car Departure Notification, Automatic High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function.
Other exclusives are front and rear driving video recorder (only front for the Xforce Urban), six airbags against four, tyre pressure monitoring system, among others. That sums up the additional RM10,000 in price between the two variants, which seems to make the Ultimate a more attractive alternative. We won’t be surprised to find more customers choosing the Ultimate over the Urban.
