Mitsubishi recently unveiled its new seven-seater unibody SUV, the Destinator. It straddles different vehicle segments and has no direct rival, but it will definitely be cross-shopped against other three-row vehicles that fall within its wide price range.
For this comparo, we’ll be pitting the new Destinator against Toyota’s Zenix, and Geely’s refreshed Okavango. We’ve selected the range-topping variants to represent each vehicle.
The Destinator measures 4,680mm long, 1,840mm wide, and 1,780mm tall, which makes it 75mm shorter, 10mm narrower, and 10mm lower than the Zenix. When compared to the Okavango, the Destinator is 155mm shorter, 60mm narrower, and 5mm lower. Note that the overall height is measured from the shark fin antenna.
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The Destinator rides on a 2,815mm wheelbase, making it 35mm shorter between the axles than the Zenix and exactly the same as the Okavango. The Mitsubishi has 214mm of ground clearance, 29mm more than the Toyota and 20mm more than the Geely. All Destinator variants are equipped with 27.7-inch-diameter 225/55 R18 tires, which is larger than the Zenix’s 26.9-inch-diameter 225/50 R18 rubber and exactly the same size as the Okavango.
Here’s a quick overview of the featured vehicles. The new Destinator is a front-wheel-drive three-row unibody (crossover) SUV, which Mitsubishi considers midsize. But looking at the dimensions, it’s only a bit bigger than the Xpander. The Destinator blends the practical interior packaging of a small MPV with the rugged aesthetics of an SUV.
Unlike its naturally aspirated subcompact SUV and MPV siblings, the heavier and bulkier Destinator is powered by a more powerful turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine that puts out 161hp and 250Nm of torque. The Zenix, on the other hand, is the latest evolution of the Innova. The front-wheel drive MPV is built on a stretched TNGA-C platform. The Zenix is available with two flavors: the standard variant with a 172hp 2.0-liter gas engine, and a hybrid variant with a 2.0-liter gas unit paired to an electric motor delivering a total system output of 184hp. The refreshed Okavango Elite is Geely’s mildly updated midsize three-row crossover. Much like the Destinator, this seven-seater blurs the lines between an MPV and an SUV. The Okavango is motivated by a 1.5-liter turbocharged mill with a 48-volt mild-hybrid assist that pumps out 188hp and 300Nm of torque.
What do you think of the new Mitsubishi Destinator? Would you choose it over the Toyota Zenix and Geely Okavango? Let us know what you think in the comments.
