I was excited when the Mitsubishi Xforce finally landed in the country. It was Mitsubishi’s first crossover after the ASX (that I still adore) and came after the current sub-compact crossover king—the Geely Coolray—encountered hiccups that lead to its demise from the rankings. The GAC GS3 Emzoom isn’t quite there yet to claim the empty throne and so Mitsubishi still has a chance with their new Xforce.
I raved a lot about it when I first drove it back in December last year, but I think I wore rose-colored glasses back then because it IS expensive for its size, and it’s got a non-hybrid powertrain. Now I spent more time with the top-of-the-line Xforce GT and things are a little different.
The design unmistakably makes the Xforce stand out on the road. I like the prominence of the Daytime Running Lights, with the LED headlights and fog lights neatly tucked in their rightful places. The side profile has enough bulk with character lines in the right areas. Contours also kept the minimalist rear from being vanilla. I love how they kept the otherwise big plain bumper by having a body colored panel to break the look.
Inside, Mitsubishi is schooling their Japanese rivals in cabin design. The two-tone interior theme is accompanied by a soft-touch cloth cover on the dash, elevating the Xforce’s aesthetic by a lot. There’s a supposed to be panoramic screen in front of the driver but Mitsubishi made the wise decision of pushing the all-digital gauge cluster deeper to avoid glare when on the road.
Things seem to be stellar until you adjust for your driving position. At almost P 1.6-million, there’s no powered driver’s seat in the Xforce. The Toyota Yaris Cross V, at around P 1.3-million, has that.
The Xforce is well mannered out on the road. The throttle is easy, the brakes found the balance of not being stiff but not being spongy as well, and the steering wheel is light, responsive, and has a good amount of feedback. Ride comfort is good as well despite the suspension being on the firm side.
The seats, once adjusted, are great even for long drives. It also has a commanding view of the road even in its lowest driving position. Passengers will also enjoy the abundance of space, availability of Type-C ports, and rear air vents in the Xforce. They also have a pocket behind the front seats that’s sized perfectly for smartphones today. The center armrest at the back also doubles as a passage for the cargo area so you can get things from the back without going down or going over the backseat. Really empathic touch from Mitsubishi.
As a musician, the best part of the Xforce for me is the Yamaha Sound System. It just sounds so good, especially in its “Signature” mode which works with all genres. The other settings—Lively, Powerful, and Relaxing, also blend well to different genres of music depending on your mood. Yamaha took their work seriously unlike others who would just implement a bass boost or treble boost, and call it a day.
To be honest, I felt like the Drive Modes were an unnecessary gimmick. Normal and Wet, sure. Gravel and Mud though felt unnecessary unless there’s an all-wheel drive system. They work, as we’ve tested last year, but feel useless in daily conditions. That is until I’ve encountered the more rural roads of Bulacan, and now I find they absolutely made sense. Despite being front-wheel drive only, the Drive Modes work with the car’s traction control system so you won’t get stuck, and that they do really well. You never know when you need them, so it’s nice that they’re there when you the situation arises.
What I can’t give a pass on is the Advanced Driver Assist System. Mitsubishi came up short in this area. There’s no 360-camera system, no Lane Keeping System, no Front Sensors, and a somewhat scary Emergency Braking System. It activates only when the car is really close to the one in front. It also doesn’t react to sudden objects like motorcycles or cars that are cutting into your lane.
The Adaptive Cruise Control also needs tweaking. It’s just too eager to reach its high point when resuming its set speed that it wastes a lot of gas. It will gladly go up to 4,000 rpm just so you can go back up to speed. I understand it’s not alone in being too eager. Other cars do that too, but they don’t need to rev that high.
Then, there’s the Vehicle Info Display. I feel like it’s a lot of effort wasted as common drivers won’t really use it. It’s not a race car enough for Avionics, not an All-Wheel Drive or 4-Wheel Drive for the Clinometer, and not a practice car in a driving school to make the Driver Score sensible.
Thankfully, it sips fuel rather slowly. I got 8 km/L in the city, while highway runs without the aggressive Adaptive Cruise Control yielded 19 km/L. Really positive numbers for a good-looking crossover.
All things considered, the Mitsubishi Xforce GT seems like a decent crossover that has too much pride. It’s priced too steep at P 1,581,000 for something that’s not as rounded as other offerings in that price point, especially now in an era of electrified cars.
Yes, it’s got redeeming qualities, but they’re all present in the GLS trim that’s P 217,000 cheaper. Both have dual-zone climate control, the same digital gauge cluster, touchscreen, rear camera, Stability Control, Traction Control, Yaw Control, and the sweet Yamaha Sound System. For sure, it will also yield the same fuel efficiency numbers. It’s safe to say that if you’re thinking of the Xforce, it’d be wiser to go for the GLS than this GT.
Words and Photos by Vincent Villa.
Haven't been seeing a lot of it, as well as the Toyota Tamaraw. Are they selling well?
ReplyDeleteI know a couple of people who bought the xforce but on the whole I agree, I have not seen a lot of them. The Tamaraw is fairly successful imo because I live in the province and have seen them a fair bit. If you are in/around NCR then I don't think the Tamaraw would be a common sight for you.
DeleteNah, I'd be wisest to go for the top of the line GT anyways.
ReplyDeleteCare to explain why you'd go for the GT anyway? You say it's the wiser decision. Then please let us hear that wisdom.
DeleteThe reason is because I want a wireless charger.
DeleteWhy wireless? Yes, wireless charging is convenient but do you know charging is way slower when compared to wired charging?
DeleteI used to love wireless charging but due to the slow charging, I went back to wired charging for faster charging.
Deleteif wireless charging is your reason just buy another cellphone, you will save 250k
Deletesana all, binili lang para sa wireless charger :')
DeleteI think it will even be more desirable as a hybrid vehicle. Let's see if Mitsubishi will put a more reasonable price tag on it.
ReplyDeleteThe best XForce to buy is called the Corolla Cross.
DeleteI was keen on checking this car out last year but the price is just unrealistic for its size and power output. The Territory is a better bargain for ICE but there are much much better deals on the PHEV and EV fronts like the Changan Nevo Q05, BYD Sealion 5/6, Omoda E5, BYD Atto 3, and several more.
ReplyDeletePrice really has been the glaring issue with this ever since it came out. If sales are not meeting expectations then Mitsubishi should take it as a lesson (at least that's what a competent company would do).
DeleteI personally wouldn't consider vehicles that are owned by the CCP Invasion Government.
DeleteKudos for the honest opinion
ReplyDeleteWith the upcoming Destinator, I think the XForce is dead. A few thousand pesos more, this may kill the XForce not unless it adjusts its price esp. for the GT.
ReplyDeleteDestinator is gonna be priced like a Montero Sport GLX and GLS
DeleteMitsubishi dealerships do give away 200,000 Peso cash discounts for the GT variant..XForce GLS can be bought at 1.2 Million Pesos now
ReplyDelete