Among legacy carmakers, Mitsubishi is perhaps the most conservative one. Edgy marketing aside, their product line-up can be best described as “safe.” No one, not even your mother-in-law, will question you for getting an Xpander, Montero Sport, or L300. They’re quite alright, if a bit pulseless when it comes to overall design and execution. Lately, they’re trying to shake that image off and that’s why you get vehicles like the all-new Triton and the Xforce.
The Xforce is primed for success. It is, after all, competing in the small SUV (or in CarGuide.PH parlance, the compact crossover) segment—a segment that’s pretty much taken over the mid-sized SUV segment in terms of sales volume growth in the past few years. How does it fare against the others in its segment? Read on.
As it stands, the Xforce’s biggest weakness is its powertrain. While the 1.5-liter 4A91 and CVT combo does produce excellent fuel efficiency numbers—10.41 km/L—it does so at the detriment of performance. There’s an illusion of peppiness as the low-end response is quick. The throttle is light, jumpy even, and the gearbox seems to quickly shuffle its ratios down to pull the 1,255-kilogram curb weight. However, as the speeds climb or the number of passengers increases, it quickly loses steam. Overtaking is a particular weakness, and while the gearbox is smart enough to hold its ratios to maximize its power, you’ll need to wring the life out of the powertrain to get some decent pace going. No doubt about it, the Xforce needs the hybrid to work.
And that’s a shame since the Xforce’s on-road behavior is actually pretty good. It may be based off the Xpander, but Mitsubishi engineers have managed to give their five-seater crossover a different character. The steering feels both more stable at high speeds and more maneuverable at low speeds. Body lean is controlled through tighter bends, while retaining a well-sorted ride. Heck, it won’t even bottom out even when fully-loaded with passengers and luggage.
As a two-wheel drive crossover, off-roading’s the last thing on your mind, but Mitsubishi understands that ASEAN customers want their cake and eat it too. That’s why they’ve equipped it with the Drive Mode system. With just the flick of a switch, the Xforce goes through one of four available modes adjusting several parameters like steering effort, accelerator pedal responsiveness, Active Yaw Control and Traction Control intervention. Mind you, it’s no substitute for a real all- or four-wheel drive system, but it manages to make light trails a piece of cake.
The cabin still uses the Horizontal Axis as its overall motif, but it’s been peppered with thoughtful details specifically for the ASEAN market.
First up, there are the seats. Because Asians aren’t exactly vertically gifted, the front seats are mounted quite high. This gives everyone, especially petite individuals, excellent visibility all around. Of course, those who prefer to sit low, will find the front thrones a bit too high, even at their lowest setting. A gander at the seat mounting points reveal their trick. Instead of being bolted onto the floor, they’re mounted to a bracket on the inner side.
Also, thanks to the hot temperature year-round, Mitsubishi has gone ahead and imbued the seats with an “anti-temperature rise finish.” Having driven them with zero tint in the middle of the day, it can be concluded that they work.
Second, Mitsubishi’s done their homework when it comes to interior packaging. Again, showcasing the fruits of their ASEAN FGDs, it can seat three adults comfortably at the back thanks to its wide shoulder room and even more impressive knee room. The rear seats are also reclinable 16 degrees in eight steps.
Finally, the Xforce also rates high in terms of fit and finish for its price point. The application of the light mélange fabric on the dashboard itself is enough to give designers a chef’s kiss, but the gold accents simply knock things out of the ballpark. All the switchgear feels delightfully solid too and operate with a nice, crisp feel.
Compared to other typical Mitsubishi models, the Xforce also has a high level of tech and this may partly explain the high price tag. Digital gauges are always a big draw for would-be crossover buyers and here, it’s a generously-sized one. Now, the beauty of these gauges is that, compared to analog ones, it’s supposed to relay important information at the relevant time. Unfortunately, in both available views, it’s a case of information overload; it could use better legibility.
It’s the same story with the center 12.3-inch infotainment screen. The home screen and the large, scrollable widgets give it some BMW vibes. It’s also customizable too down to the type of wallpaper you’d have. It’s got tons of displays too, but regardless of the screen, the responsiveness leaves a lot to be desired. And despite the relative high-res nature of the screen, the Xforce only has a rear camera.
The much-hyped 8-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium speaker system is great for an OE sound system. And while it’s let down by the Xforce’s thin windows and lack of sound insulation, it does its best to produce near-perfect sounds at any speed.
The icing on the cake is the exterior design. The Xforce is athletic and peppered with interesting design cues, including what could be one of the largest front turn signal lights and smallest rear turn signal lights ever fitted in a production vehicle. Small issue? The rear camera placement near the license plate makes for a clean look, but it also means it’s susceptible to splatter rendering it close to useless in the rain.
At this point, the Mitsubishi Xforce clearly wins for its looks, interior packaging, and high levels of specs, while it loses out when it comes to outright power and some iffy tech execution. All things considered, why aren’t there many more of them on the road? The simplest and most direct answer to that is price. At P 1.581-million, the top-of-the-line Xforce GT finds itself at the higher tier of the small SUV price-wise. A quick look reveals that its chief rivals—the BYD Sealion 6, the Honda HR-V, and the Toyota Yaris Cross—shows that they’re all either more affordable or, for slightly more dough, equipped with a hybrid powertrain. Mitsubishi may bank on its brand to sell the Xforce, but the sheer complexity of the segment also means that as a product, it struggles to meaningfully stand out. If anything, Mitsubishi will need to think out of the box some more to make the Xforce a worthwhile choice in this segment.
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2025 Mitsubishi Xforce GT |
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| Bottom Line | |
| Pros | Exterior and interior design, spacious for its size, well-balanced ride. |
| Cons | Slow, iffy infotainment, pricey. |
| TL;DR | Mitsubishi needs to think more out of the box to make it a worthwhile choice in its segment. |
| Ownership | |
| Year Introduced | 2024 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 100,000 kilometers |
| The Basics | |
| Body Type | Compact Crossover |
| Seating | 5 |
| Engine / Drive | F/F |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 1.5 |
| Aspiration | Normally Aspirated |
| Fuel Delivery | EFI |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | I4 |
| Maximum Output (PS @ rpm) | 105 @ 6,000 |
| Maximum Torque (Nm @ rpm) | 141 @ 4,000 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Gasoline / ~91 |
| Transmission | CVT |
| Cruise Control | Yes, Adaptive |
| Fuel Economy (km/L) @ Ave. Speed (km/h) | 10.41 km/L @ 16 km/h |
| Fuel Tank Size (L) | 42 |
| Dimensions and Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 4,390 |
| Width (mm) | 1,810 |
| Height (mm) | 1,660 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,650 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 1,250 |
| Suspension and Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Torsion Beam |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Parking Brake | Electronic, w/ Auto Hold |
| Tires |
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 225/50 R 18 V (f & r) |
| Recommended Tire Pressure (PSI) | 33 (all) |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 6 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes, with EBD |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | Yes, Rear |
| Parking Camera | Yes, Rear |
| Front Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR w/ pre-tensioners x 2 |
| Rear Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR x 3 |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor | Yes |
| Advanced Driver Assist System |
Forward Collision
Mitigation System Leading Car Departure Notification |
| Other Safety Features |
Hill Start Assist Blind Spot Monitor Rear Cross Traffic Alert Tire Pressure Monitoring System |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | LED, w/ Auto High Beam |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, Front (LED) |
| Light Operation | Automatic |
| Wiper Operation | Rain-Sensing |
| Tailgate | Power |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjust | Tilt/Telescopic |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment (driver) | Manual, 6-way |
| Seating Adjustment (front passenger) | Manual, 4-way |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| 2nd Row | 40/20/40 Split-Fold |
| 3rd Row | None |
| Sunroof | None |
| Multi-Information Display / Size | Yes, 8-inch |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, w/ Fold |
| Rear View Mirror | Day/Night |
| Proximity Key | Yes |
| Climate Control | Dual Zone, w/ Rear Vents |
| Audio System |
Stereo USB Type A USB Type C Bluetooth |
| Wireless Charger | Front |
| Infotainment Display / Size | 12.3-inch |
| Smartphone Connectivity |
Apple CarPlay (Wireless) Android Auto |
| # of Speakers | 8, Yamaha |
| Steering Controls | Yes |
Mahal, mahina makina, 3 years lang warranty. Parang hindi nag-research ang company marketing group in terms of specs and pricing ng many other competitors...
ReplyDeleteIf they did...they didn't future-proof it enough.
DeleteJust my opinion, a hev would make this a worthy vehicle, that would fix your cons perhaps sir uly? I mean for its price, it's just an xpander in another suit. But who am i anyway, just an ordinary wigo owner, lol!
ReplyDeleteAn HEV for the same price point, yes. I think that would make the Xforce much more competitive.
DeleteA satisfying review for those who have this on their shortlist.
ReplyDeleteStandard for all vehicles over Php1M should be a provision for front and rear dash cam power supply.
This car will probably outlive its competition with the hybrid systems, as there could be a lot of buyer's remorse once those batteries age. But only time will tell!
overpriced af, really showing that Mitsubishi is a dying brand
ReplyDeleteIs the NVH closer to Yaris Cross than Corolla Cross?
ReplyDeleteI'd say somewhere in the middle. Build quality is miles better than Yaris Cross though.
DeleteInteresting that the build quality is better than the Yaris Cross. The Xforce's interior door cards feel like cheap hollow plastic while Toyota put more effort by utilizing soft-touch plastic which feels more substantial. But yeah, exterior build quality the Yaris Cross has one of the worst sounding doors, it sounds like an Avanza when closed!
DeleteSoft touch plastics don't exactly tell the whole picture. Both have hollow sounding doors haha, but the Xforce is better...less tinny.
DeleteAs long as (local) buyers kept buying Mitsu cars, there is no motivation to keep it at par with competition. MMPH just needs a model that is nice to look at, cheap to build and can move from pt A to B and that is it. Now match it vs global cars that CN aims to produce and sell it. By comparison, Mitsu products seem like CN cars from early 2000. Not sure how this JP brand will survive in 10 years or so. It is sad actually.
ReplyDeleteMitsubishi car dealerships sell this SUV at 1.4 Million Pesos now as they give a away huge cash discounts for it.
ReplyDeleteThis SUV is meant to compete with the Hyundai Creta,China made Seltos and low end variant of the HRV
If they priced the GT at around P 1.398M, it would make it more competitive.
Delete1.4M is OK but still underpowered compared to HRV and Creta which also has a 100k discount
DeleteSlow seller Creta will be replaced by a newer updated version which is gonna be around 150,000 Pesos or more expensive as it's a N-Line 1.5 liter gas variant made in Indonesia
DeleteThe updated version of HRV isn't available at 100,000 Peso cash discounts yet as HCPI doesn't want to loose huge profits from it
This Mitsubishi you buy for the looks. The Yaris cross hev for the efficiency. The hrv turbo for performance. The byd sl6 for pretending to be rich. Choose wisely.
ReplyDeleteSir Uly, during launch of this model you previously commented about the rear signal lights. Have you changed your opinion on this?
ReplyDeleteI'll smoke whatever the guy in charge who priced this is smoking
ReplyDelete