There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the Mitsubishi XForce. It’s perfectly understandable, too, as more and more car shoppers are looking at budget crossovers for a family car. In recent years, the market has exploded with such options, so it’s no surprise that Mitsubishi came up with such a product.
The XForce promises to be crossover that will be within reach for many. That’s a tall order given that the Chinese have been undercutting the Japanese in the affordable sector of the market. So, does the XFC have the potential to, at the very least, match the Chinese in price and cost below its similarly-sized compatriots?
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We can (sort of) answer that by looking at the XForce’s prices...in Indonesia, that is.
Over there, the XForce is available in two variants, the Exceed and the Ultimate. The Exceed is the entry-level model, while the Ultimate is the range-topper. The Exceed retails for 382,500,000 Indonesian Rupiah, and the Ultimate starts at 419,100,000 Indonesian Rupiah. At current conversion costs, the XForce starts at approximately P1,400,000 and tops out at around P1,550,000.
Mind you, those conversion prices won’t necessarily be the exact prices once it’s out in the Philippines. It could still go lower (or, God forbid, higher) than the Indonesian pricing, and it’s worth pointing out that car prices in Indonesia are typically higher than what we get here. With that, thepossible prices put it toe to toe with the likes of the Toyota Yaris Cross, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Creta.
It doesn’t undercut similarly-sized Chinese crossovers, and if Mitsubishi wants to succeed in the subcompact crossover market, it must have a couple of surprise and delight features. It doesn’t have advanced driver assist systems, but it does come with multiple drive modes (Normal, Wet, Gravel, Mud). However, these drive modes are only available for the Ultimate variant.
Other Ultimate exclusives? There's ambient lighting on the inside and a Yamaha eight-speaker audio system. There’s also a power liftgate at the back, along with dual-zone climate control with Nanoe X cabin filtration.
That's not to say the base model is bare and barren. The Exceed comes with include Active Yaw Control, stability control, hill-start assist, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. It also has four airbags with two at the front and one for each side.
It doesn't get the ‘base car’ look from the outside since the two available variants appear identical, right down to the 18-inch alloys. Both trim levels use a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 103hp and 141Nm of torque, exactly the same as the Xpander. The lone transmission choice is a CVT. Oh, and there’s 222mm of ground clearance, the highest in its class.
Worth it? At those (possible) prices, it’s too early to tell right now, and the XForce is up against still competition. For now, we’ll have to wait until official Philippine prices are out, and that might take a while given that production will start in late 2023.
More photos of the Mitsubishi XForce 2024:
