15/03/2026

Contributing Editor Keshy Dhillon / keshy@piston.my Editorial

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SUNDAY | MAR 15, 2026

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Simply practical Mitsubishi Xforce gets the fundamentals right but not much more

The Xforce has an imposing appearance and arguably looks the best among its peers.

middle class.” Mitsubishi is the latest player to throw its hat into this crowded ring with the Mitsubishi Xforce. One would imagine that being a lower volume brand, jumping headfirst into a segment loaded with some of the major players offering impressive models would not be the smartest move. The Xforce will line up against heavy hitters such as the segment’s best-selling Proton X50 and the best-selling non national Honda HR-V. Furthermore, the influx of Chinese brands has brought the Chery Tiggo Cross and upcoming Jaecoo J5. Lest we forget, Perodua also just introduced the Traz. Initially, on paper, one would be for

BY DINESH APPAVU

MOTORISTS have developed an abso lutely ravenous appetite for SUVs glob ally, and in turn carmakers have duly delivered a sports utility vehicle for every segment, price bracket and person that derives no joy from driving whatsoever. That last one was a joke… mostly. One such segment that burgeoned from the influx was the B-segment SUV sector. It could be argued that this is the sin gle, most oversaturated segment in the car industry, based not just on the num ber of options but also the level of quality in terms of value. This is after all where each carmaker is constantly fighting over the “aspirational

Power comes from a proven and reliable 1.5 litre 4A91 Mivec inline-four-cylinder engine, with a 105PS and 141Nm of torque.

given for thinking the Xforce is in over its head. In a segment with turbocharged engines, dual-clutch transmissions and hybrid powertrains, the naturally-aspi rated Mitsubishi looks out of place. After all, it is very easy to be different but very difficult to be better. So what exciting take could the Xforce offer that would help it stand its own ground? Taking on the Chinese brands in terms of pricing would not be feasible, nor would filling it with technology as Honda and Proton hold their own in that respect. It does have appeal though, as over 1,000 bookings within a week of the order books opening paints a different picture. Therefore, we approached the Xforce during the media drive with an open mind. WHAT SETS IT APART? The early mistake was running on the false assumption that the Xforce had to better the competition at something spe cific, such as the drivetrain or spec sheet,

that we forgot it simply just had to be an SUV that ticked all the core boxes. Practicality, spaciousness and decent handling was all it needed. Of course, it does not hurt that the Xforce looks the most rugged and SUV-like as well and does the basics really well. Additionally, Mitsubishi engineered it from the ground up to tackle Asean roads, which sometimes are not the most forgiving. On top of that, it also has impressive ground clearance to overcome floods, some excellent foreshadowing, given the Malaysian weather recently. WHAT IS UNDER ITS RUGGED SKIN? There is nothing extreme about the Xforce. It sits on a shortened platform of its cousin, the Mitsubishi Xpander, meaning that they share quite a few com ponents, especially the suspension and powertrain. However, some adjustments have been made with the suspension geometry to compensate for the short ened wheelbase.

While both variants get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the Ultimate variant houses a larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen.