2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross To Make PH Debut On January 26

If you’re in the market for a seven-seater entry-level MPV with SUV looks, you might want to hold on your checks for a bit. That’s because the facelifted 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross is about to be launched here in the Philippines soon.

How soon? Well, there are only 22 days left before it arrives in our market as of this article’s writing. The newly-refreshed Xpander Cross is arriving on January 26 based on invites they’ve sent to the media. The invite says “Get Ready To Cross The Current”, along with a darkened image of the Xpander Cross’s grille, which confirms what model the Japanese automaker is about to launch.

Making its global debut in Indonesia in August of 2022, the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross received a facelift that puts it in line with the Xpander. The refresh gave the Xpander Cross a revised Dynamic Shield grille that’s connected with the black body cladding, along with new T-shaped LED headlights that mimic the ones from the Xpander. There are also new LED daytime running lights as opposed to the previous version’s park lights, and also a new set of 17-inch wheels. Minor revisions were also made to its side and rear, such as the LED taillights and the shape of the black plastic cladding to further strengthen its SUV-inspired looks.

Inside the 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, the changes over the pre-facelift model are more significant compared to the standard Xpander. That’s because while both models benefit from a new dash design with soft-touch materials, the Cross gets a new 8-inch digital gauge cluster lifted from the Montero Sport and a new 9-inch infotainment system with wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Other creature comforts include two-tone black and blue leather seats with HeatGuard, an electronic parking brake, and digital manual aircon controls.

Under the hood of the new Xpander Cross is the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine as the pre-facelift model, which means it should still produce 105 hp and 141 Nm of torque. This is mated to a CVT for global markets, but in the Philippines, the Xpander went for a 4-speed automatic instead of the more modern transmission. It remains to be seen whether that will also be the case for the Xpander Cross.

The Xpander Cross also sets itself apart from the standard model with the addition of Active Yaw Control (AYC). It’s basically the Japanese automaker’s version of torque vectoring that applies selective braking on the inside wheel for better cornering. A 360-degree camera is also fitted to this variant as well–a safety feature that’s absent in the Xpander.

Currently, the Xpander Cross is priced at P1,280,000. We won’t be surprised if the new model will see a price bump once all details have been revealed on January 26.