Ahead of this year’s Gaikindo Indonesia International Motor Show (GIIAS) in Jakarta, Indonesia, the local arm of Mitsubishi Motors have teased a new MPV that will be making its debut there. Purported to be called the Expander, the 7-seater will be swapping punches with other affordable people movers like the Toyota Innova which are very popular in that market.
The images seen here make it plain that this ‘Expander’ will be a sporty-ish MPV destined to be built within the Southeast Asian country, despite it being somewhat of a successor to the more globally available Starwagon, at least in proportion. It will wear the brand’s signature bold face - called Dynamic Shield - with a set of dual illuminators on either side, some deep creases along its bodywork, squared and ruggedised wheel arches, and yet more protective cladding around the skirts and both bumpers.
Of course, Mitsubishi will want to keep as much of the Expander under wraps until its full reveal at the upcoming motor show, while still maintaining a high degree of public interest. As such, powertrain details remain scarce, but unconfirmed reports point to a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit residing under that bonnet (possibly turbocharged), mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that sends drive to the front wheels.
Given that Mitsubishi is taking a more cautious approach with regards to its finances, especially after its part acquisition by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, they are likely working to squeeze as much value out of their design and manufacturing ramps. The automaker is also currently developing a new modern crossover, the Eclipse Cross, and we’d be surprised if at least some of what we see on the Expander (either in body panels, power train, electronics, or platform) does not find its way to their other new products.
We suppose, then, that we’ll have to wait until GIIAS 2017 to get a real glimpse at the interior of this three-row Mitsu MPV, and that’s scheduled to take place in mid-August. A few years ago it would have been highly doubtful that a car like this would be sold outside Indonesia, some of its neighbouring markets, and other locales where bang-for-your-buck people movers are in high demand. Now however, with a new set of priorities at Mitsubishi, they’re going to be more open to new markets. Australia seems like a stretch, though.
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