We waited nearly a year for this. After seeing it in concept form as the DST during the 2024 Philippines International Motor Show, the Mitsubishi Destinator has finally made its world premiere. To say it’s the Diamond Star’s most important launch this year is an understatement, as it needs to succeed in key markets.
That said, it might be easy to dismiss this all-new model as merely a stretched XForce. After all, it has similar styling elements, especially with those T-shaped lights and boxy roofline. The thing is, the specs tell a completely different story. With that, here are 5 reasons the Destinator isn’t just an expanded (Xpanded?) XForce.
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1) It’s much larger.
In terms of dimensions, the Mitsubishi Destinator measures in at 4,680mm long, 1,840mm wide, 1,780mm tall and sports a 2,815mm wheelbase. In comparison, the XForce is 4,390mm long, 1,810mm wide, 1,660mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,650mm.
2) The interiors are night and day.
Mitsubishi could’ve saved some money by simply slapping on the XForce’s dashboard and add a bit of filler to make up for the width difference. That’s just lazy work, and we’d be disappointed if the company took that route.
In the case of the Destinator, it appears more premium and serious compared to the more playful design of the XForce. There’s more subdued color tones inside, along with more brightwork for that upmarket look. The center stack and console, while similar to the XForce, has a more driver-oriented look.
3) There’s room for more.
The larger exterior dimensions mean more space inside. But that’s not the only reason why the Destinator is markedly different from the XForce. Thanks to 290mm stretch, it’s allowed Mitsubishi to fit an extra row of seats at the back. Yep, this new crossover is a seven seater. If anything, it also makes it an indirect rival for the Toyota Zenix.
4) It’s got an advantage in ground clearance.
When it comes to going through floods, every millimeter counts. As it is, the XForce already has an impressive amount at 193mm. It’s one of the most in its segment and is one of the crossover’s selling points. However, the Destinator wades in at a whopping 214mm, easily more than most of its rivals, namely the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
5) You have a different engine under the hood.
Still not convinced it’s not different enough? A peek under the hood should quell any skepticism. A good amount of commenters were worried that the Destinator might use the same 1.5-liter engine from the XForce. While enough for that and the Xpander, 103hp and 141Nm sounds a tad underpowered in a vehicle that’s nearly 4.7 meters long and one that needs to carry seven occupants.
Frankly, we were also crossing our fingers that it wouldn’t be the case and, thankfully, it isn’t. Motivating this crossover is a 1.5-liter direct injection turbo with 161hp and 250Nm. Dubbed the 4B40 engine, it's lifted from the Eclispe Cross and should be more than enough to offset the 245kg weight difference that the Destinator has over the XForce.
That’s cool and all, but when is the Mitsubishi Destinator coming to the Philippines?
By the time you read this, several units of the Destinator have rolled off Mitsubishi’s assembly line in Indonesia. It’s built in the factory as the XForce, so getting up to speed on production shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Obviously, Indonesia will be the first market to get it as order books have opened for it. It will also be sold in Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. As for the Philippine market, it’s been confirmed that it will be sold here. Given that our market is one of the most important ones for Mitsubishi, there’s a good chance that we won’t have to wait too long after its world premiere.
