Sporty probably isn’t a word anyone would describe the Mitsubishi Xpander. Yes, it’s practical, sensible, and has everything that everyone expects in a family car. But sporty? Not even close.
Still, it didn’t stop Mitsubishi from giving its subcompact MPV a little bit of flair. Meet the Xpander Play, and it a, er, playful version of the popular model.
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The Play adds a rather chunky body kit to the Xpander. It gets a deeper front chin, a pair of side skirts, and a kit at the back with diffusers. Okay, those diffusers don’t really do anything for performance. Well, the entire package doesn’t add any performance goodies, but at least it’s, er, different. It’s worth pointing out that the ground clearance is reduced, though.
Aside from that, this version gets heaps of gloss black finishes on the exterior. It’s present on the badges, bits of trim, and the wheels. It even gets a gloss black roof for good measure. And to truly separate it from its ‘standard’ counterpart, it gets a different set of clear tail light lenses.
This package is also available for the Xpander Cross. That said, it doesn’t get the kit but gets the two-tone paint scheme, gloss black trims, and clear tail lights.
So, should this version of the Mitsubishi Xpander be sold locally? In hybrid form, we say absolutely. If anything, we’d love to see the electrified version of the MPV be offered here as soon as possible. There are no hybrid small MPVs sold here at the moment, and Mitsubishi has all the potential to corner that market early on.
Quick rundown of the specs? It uses a 1.6-liter Atkinson Cycle engine paired with a 1.1kWh battery that charges up the single electric motor. Total system output is rated at 114hp and, more importantly, 255Nm of torque.
