For the budget conscious: The Philippines' most fuel-efficient MPVs

Something important to many families now is stretching every peso, and that includes fuel expenses. If you’re a family of seven, and you need a new hauler, then instead of big heavy SUVs, the MPV is a viable option.

Here are some of the most fuel-efficient ones on the market today.

Haima 7X - 9.8 km/L City, 16.4 km/L Highway

The Haima 7X starts off our list as the fifth most fuel-efficient MPV on the market, coming in at 9.8 km/L in the city, and 16.4 km/L on the highway, which sets quite a high benchmark.

On most other fronts, however, the Haima didn’t skimp on any luxuries and niceties that seem to be missing from its competitors.

For starters, under the hood of the Haima 7X is the industry standard 1.5-liter inline 4 engine, but this time sharing real estate with a turbocharger, giving this seven-seater MPV 162 PS and 240 Nm of torque while turning a six-speed automatic transmission.

Inside, the Haima 7X gives passengers a highly premium-feeling cabin, with faux leather and soft-touch plastics around all the touch surfaces. Everything is also well laid out – not claustrophobic by being driver-focused, but not too far that you need a co-driver to operate the radio.

As for technology, the Haima 7X is fairly well-equipped, though missing the features that would make it a true modern contender. While it may have cruise control, traction control, Hill-start Assist, and Brake Assist, it lacks advanced driver aids like Lane-Keep Assist, Forward Collision Mitigation, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Sadly, it’s also missing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which it needs to reasonably compete with other options in this segment.

Pricing for the Haima 7X sits at ₱1,199,000 for the singular variant. While that may be reasonable, there are unfortunately better equipped vehicles for the same amount. That said, few will compare to the aesthetic appeal of the Haima 7X.

Toyota Innova - 8.2 km/L City, 18.7 km/L Highway

No list about MPVs would be complete without the Toyota Innova, arguably the most common MPV in the Philippines to date. Sitting quite pretty on its near 20-year hold on the MPV market in the country, this diesel-powered seven-seater is a family favorite for the middle class, taking both passengers and cargo with ease.

Under the hood, the Toyota Innova is powered by a 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel inline 4 engine, churning out 174PS and 360Nm. That performance goes through the Innova’s six-speed automatic, or five-speed manual.

While a diesel is normally pretty good on fuel, the body-on-frame construction of the Toyota Innova isn’t doing it any favors, giving the car only 8.2 km/L in the city. It gets better on the highway at about 18.7 km/L, giving the Innova a combined city-highway fuel consumption of 13.45 km/L.

Interior-wise, the Toyota Innova may not have power seats upfront, but the top-of-the-line V variant has Captain seats in the middle for that extra luxurious touch. Tech-wise, the Innova does lag slightly behind other MPVs, with the only modern feature being the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay it comes with.

Price-wise, the Innova is textbook Toyota, coming in at ₱1,799,000 for the top-of-the-line variant, down to ₱1,226,000 for the Manual J variant. Quite a lot to pay compared to others on this list, but still quite a reasonable price for a car that can do it all.

Mitsubishi Xpander - 8.3 km/L City, 22.5 km/L Highway

The newest MPV to hit the streets of Manila is the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross. But the Xpander line of seven-seaters, Mitsubishi’s bestselling nameplate in 2021 and 2022, is set to give its rival the Suzuki Ertiga a run for its money in fuel consumption.

Powered by a 1.5-liter inline 4 producing the better part of 105 PS and 141 Nm of torque, the Mitsubishi  Xpander is motivated by a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, both of which are robust, punchy, and easy to maintain. No complicated CVT or turbocharging here, the Xpander’s engine is designed to do only one thing – save fuel. That’s a mission it does fairly well, getting 8.3 km/L in the city, and 22.5 km/L on the highway.

Not only will the Mitsubishi Xpander save you money at the pumps, it’s also reasonably priced, coming in at ₱1,068,000 for the manual GLX, and just ₱1,198,000 for the top-of-the-line automatic, making it one of the cheapest options on the market.

Hyundai Stargazer - 13.3 km/L City, 18.2 Highway

The Stargazer is Hyundai’s first foray into the MPV market, and it’s hitting the ground running.

It comes in secpnd-best on this list because it does 13.3 km/L in the city and 18.2 km/L on the highway. Now that may not be as high as others on this list, but the reason it’s second is that the average combined fuel consumption is nearly 16 km/L, compared to the others which hover around 14. That number gets more impressive when combined with the fact the engine – a 1.5-liter inline 4 making 115 PS and 144 Nm of torque – is mated to an i-CVT designed to maximize fuel efficiency.

A great bonus with the Hyundai Stargazer is the list of features you get when you buy it. Mercifully, it comes with cruise control, but more than that, it gives buyers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Forward Collision Avoidance,Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane-Keep Assist, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, and even Driver Attention Monitoring.

All those features, however, can only be found on the top-of-the-line Hyundai Stargazer, which comes in at ₱1,258,000. For those who may not want to spend so much, the base model- which is sans the advanced safety features as well as no Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – is ₱1,038,000 which is quite cheap on its own. Besides, if you think about it, that price is a downright bargain for something as handsome as this.

Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid - 10 km/L City, 26 km/L Highway

Starting in 2019, the Suzuki Ertiga has been one of the most popular models in the MPV segment. Despite its unremarkable appearance, it has remained one of the industry's top-selling models due to its robustness, simplicity, and surprising comfort.

Powered by a 1.5-liter inline 4 engine mated to a robust four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, the Suzuki Ertiga has to make do with just 105 PS and 138 Nm of torque, which is a far cry from many of its rivals. However small the output though, the Ertiga does have fuel consumption on its side, especially now that it is sold as a mild-hybridized model, the first that Suzuki has launched in the country.

That fuel consumption is a class-leading 10 km/L in the city, and an unprecedented 26 km/L on the highway, thanks in no small part to the car’s mild hybrid system, which switches the engine off at stoplights and runs the auxiliaries using a hybrid starter-generator and a small 48V battery.

The Ertiga isn’t perfect, however, lacking some of the more advanced features found in its more well-equipped contemporaries. For instance, while there may be cruise control, it lacks Adaptive Cruise Control, and other essential features like Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Cross-traffic Alert.

It does make up for it by being the cheapest hybrid on the market, starting at ₱954,000 for the base manual version, and going all the way to ₱1,153,000 for the most expensive GLX Automatic. Hybrids simply don’t come any cheaper, even if they're of the mild variety.