Disclaimer: Mitsubishi Motor Philippines very kindly lent me a 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross for one week. It came with a full tank of gas and an Autosweep RFID card with load. AutoFun Philippines paid for additional fuel, toll fees and a car wash.

Family recipes are always interesting.

These are often passed down from generation to generation, with some minor tweaks along the way. For instance, my family has a magnificent recipe for “Food for the Gods,” a crumbly, cake-like pastry made with butter, sugar and flour. 

Although we’ve made a few adjustments over the last 20 years, it is still a must-have for those who want the ultimate indulgence (but a must-avoid for people worried about their cholesterol or blood sugar)!

These recipes stand the test of time not only because of some outstanding flavor characteristics, but also because these evoke memories and ignite emotions.

Think about the 2007 animated film "Ratatouille," when the cynical Anton Ego takes a bite into Remy’s rendition of the French vegetable dish ratatouille. He is hurled back into his Mom’s kitchen, where she serves that very dish to cheer him up.

Such an approach is sometimes used by carmakers with their models – while some throw out the entire cookbook and start from scratch, some choose to make refinements because the core flavors and sensations have a broad and powerful appeal.

And so we come to the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, a seven-seater, multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that some would say is outmoded and outgunned by its younger and fresher rivals, such as the Hyundai Stargazer and Honda BR-V. 

But given that Mitsubishi Motors Philippines sold these by the bucketloads over the last few years, it’s easy to see why they didn’t overhaul the menu for its latest iteration.

Chunky styling

The 2023 Xpander Cross carries over the “Dynamic Shield” design used in the old Xpander Cross and in the larger Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

Its LED daytime running lights still sit high up on the front end, looking like furrowed eyebrows. Meanwhile, the LED headlight array has been restyled, along with more chrome and gloss-black paint to give the nose a classier look.

Down the side, the Xpander Cross still has matte-black cladding on the wheel arches and the bottom of the doors. However, the tacked-on appearance takes away from the elegance of the pearl-white paint and the contrasting black roof, along with making the 17-inch alloy wheels look tiny.

At the rear, a prominent tailgate spoiler gives the MPV a touch of sportiness, while the wraparound LED taillights and the more refined lower bumper give this updated Xpander Cross a cleaner appearance.

Functional cabin

Getting in and out of the Xpander Cross is dead easy, even with its class-leading 225 mm of ground clearance, thanks to the tall roof.

Once inside, you’re almost perched on a driver’s seat that offers good thigh support, but lacks side support. All-around visibility is excellent because of the large windows and side mirrors.

The cabin is a model of common sense, wrapped in navy blue leather. The dashboard and door cards also get some nicely stitched navy blue vinyl, although the hard and scratchy plastics take away from the MPV’s more premium aspirations.

The Xpander Cross comes with a neat 8-inch digital gauge cluster that clearly shows your RPM, speed and fuel consumption. Meanwhile, the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system has Bluetooth so that you can play your favorite tunes.

The second row is very spacious, especially with its flat floor. On the ceiling is the rear air-conditioning system, which seems to be just a fan as it blows out hot air from the front cabin.

Meanwhile, the third row is just big enough for two people who are no taller than 5’4”. Nonetheless, the second row can be slid forward to provide more legroom.

The 2023 Xpander Cross also carries over its class-leading cargo space. It offers 495 liters with the third row up and 781 liters with the third row down, with plenty more available when you fold the second-row seats flat.

Not the best drive

Powering the 2023 Xpander Cross is the familiar 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine that also resides in its Xpander twin.

This produces 105 PS and 141 Nm of torque, mated to a rather antiquated 4-speed automatic transmission. It produces good torque at around 3,000 rpm and pulls smoothly to the 6,500 rpm redline.

However, the tall gearing of the traditional slushbox means acceleration in 2nd gear is lackluster, especially when the MPV is loaded up. A manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic would really make the most of what the Xpander Cross offers.

I also found the brakes quite weak, with a mushy pedal feel. However, the suspension on this latest model is excellent.

As we have reported before, the 2023 Xpander Cross uses the rear shock absorbers of the Montero Sport. This provides a much smoother ride, particularly on rough and rutted dirt roads where this MPV may travel on.

Something that could also use more improvement is the steering. The Xpander Cross is easy to drive in the city, but the numb steering means you need to make constant corrections at 100 km/h.

Fine fuel economy

So, the 2023 Xpander Cross is roomy, comfortable and uses proven mechanicals.

But is it good on gas? For an MPV that can seat seven, it does OK – I got 7 to 10 km/l in the city and 17 to 20 km/l on the expressway.

Again, adding more gears to the automatic gearbox would improve the fuel consumption, especially since the Xpander Cross cruises at 100 km/h at a rather high 2,400 rpm.

Nonetheless, the lack of a turbocharger means not only easier maintenance, but also more realistic fuel-economy figures.

Last of its kind

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines clearly understands the palate of its target buyers.

It’s for those who aren’t ready for electric revolution or don’t need overly complicated tech. They just want a durable, functional seven-seater MPV that’s easy to drive in the city and can survive the worst provincial roads.

That may partly be why the 2023 Xpander Cross still has a 4-speed automatic instead of a continuously variable transmission available in other markets – it’s proven technology that can handle heavy use and is easier to fix.

But at ₱1,328,000, it’s in the company of other MPVs that offer quite a lot more. For instance, the top-of-the-line Honda BR-V VX is ₱1,390,000, but has a more powerful engine and the Honda SENSING active-safety suite as standard.

In other words, the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross may be a very good improvement on a traditional family recipe, but other brands offer more tantalizing dishes with the same ingredients.

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