The battle to see which SUV model is the best in the market today gets fiercer as automotive companies make sure that they equip their sport utility vehicles with the best powertrain components to achieve optimal road performance. But SUVs are not for all, especially for some Filipinos, as the goal for most of us lies in transporting people to places and not for off-road adventures. Although of course, the strong characteristics and capabilities of sport utility vehicles are sought after by car enthusiasts and adventurers.

How about Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs)?

The multi-purpose vehicle is not a common terminology as some people have the connotation that it is the same as the SUV. Yes, they are both people movers, but MPV has lesser off-road capabilities than SUV. Nonetheless, MPVs can pull several people from point A to point B, which is ideal for families. Two of the most popular MPVs available in the local market today are the Mitsubishi Xpander and the all-new Toyota Veloz. Which of the two is more promising on the road?

Toyota Veloz vs Mitsubishi Xpander

Even though Toyota Veloz and Mitsubishi Xpander share almost the same powertrain components, they differ in figures. The Veloz is powered by a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine mated to a CVT in a front-wheel-drive configuration, while the Xpander gets a 1.5-liter DOHC MIVEC gasoline engine paired to either a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission in a front-wheel-drive configuration. The engine of the Veloz produces a maximum of 105 horsepower and 137 Nm of torque output, while the Xpander makes 104 horsepower and 141 Nm of torque.

They may have a slight figure difference, but they perform differently on the road. When you drive them inside the city for errands, you could notice that they are both competitive in their way, as the torque power kicks in when you need it. But if you drive it outside the city with your family, there might come a problem if you use the Veloz, especially if you are going to take the Baguio highways. I'm not saying that troubles on the way are sure to come if you take a long drive out of town with the whole family in a Veloz. Upon test driving it, it gave the impression that it maybe isn't capable to make it with that scenario.

On the other hand, the Mitsubishi Xpander has a good return, when it comes to reliability. The vehicle feels stable and responsive because of the suspension and the Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control (MIVEC). However, the problem with the Xpander is that since it doesn't have CVT, fuel efficiency suffers, which is not ideal in the long run. But it does have better NVH than the Veloz.

Overall, even though Mitsubishi Xpander seems to have better feedback from its test drivers, the Toyota Veloz comes with its advantages that make it also stand out in the market.

Also Read: Three Highlights that Toyota Veloz is Proud Of