There aren’t a lot of vehicles competing in the entry-level 7-seater MPV segment, so should you be fishing around in this pond there are three main culprits you’ll be dealing with. Today we’ll only be focusing on two of them - and for good reason, two out of the three are essentially the same vehicle.
If you weren’t aware, Toyota and Suzuki are in a coalition and share technology as well as vehicles in certain models. Like the Suzuki Baleno and the Toyota Starlet, or in this case the Toyota Rumion and the Suzuki Ertiga. We chose to exclude the Suzuki in this comparison seeing as it’s represented by the Toyota Rumion, which was previously the Avanza. Now, both the Mitsubishi Xpander and Toyota Rumion offer 7 seats in an MPV-style vehicle, and for around the same asking price. Both vehicles use nearly identical engines and transmissions. So how do they compare?
Mitsubishi Xpander
Being the newest of the two (by a few months), the Mitsubishi Xpander was the last to enter the battle of the 7-seater MPVs, and what sets it apart from the other two (or one, depending on how you want to look at it) is its looks. It was designed with aesthetic appeal in mind and embodies Mitsubishi’s current design blueprint both in its face and rear end. It’s all in the front and taillamp design, and the result is a vehicle that looks like a family passenger car instead of a transportation vehicle.
At this level, you get the basics, and that’s the obligatory smartphone connectivity through Apple and Android, Bluetooth, and a single USB port. In the top-spec Mitsubishi Xpander you still get cloth seats, whose upholstery doesn’t give reassurance that it will withstand years of scuffs and backsides sliding in and out. On the upside, both the second and third rows of seats can be reclined for more comfortable seating. You can also move the second row forward and backwards to give those in the final row some legroom.
Toyota Rumion
The Suzuki, sorry, the Toyota Rumion’s styling is more functional than aesthetic, and it's evident that a small percentage of the budget was allocated to the design team. Nonetheless, these vehicles are made desirable by their functionality and price, looks come second. There’s not much to add here either than that the Toyota Rumion is a rebadged Ertiga. Here too, the interior has space for seven, and the chosen upholstery is fabric. In the second row, you can recline the backrest for a more pleasant seating position, and you also get smartphone integration for Apple and Android, what’s more, is that the Rumion is fitted with Toyota Connect with Telematics and the vehicle’s own Wi-Fi hotspot, which comes with a complimentary 15GB of data from Toyota. Considering the connected era we live in, in-vehicle Wi-Fi might be a unique drawcard for customers should you decide to use this as a business vehicle for transporting people. The Rumion also has ventilated cupholders.
Beneath the bonnet is where both of these vehicles reach a stalemate. Although not the same engine, both vehicles use a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with 77kW, mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox. This engine spec is the common thread between all three vehicles in this niche space. The only difference, and a very minor one, is the torque output. Toyota states a figure of 138Nm while Mitsubishi, in a bid to gain the edge over the competition, gave the Xpander an additional 3Nm, for a total of 141Nm. No real difference there if you ask us.
Verdict
There isn’t much to compare with when shopping in this lower end of the MPV segment, and with the three main players being so evenly matched on nearly everything including engine specification and output, it makes weeding out a true victor that much more difficult. The way we see it, the Toyota Rumion or Suzuki Ertiga will appeal to buyers looking to use the vehicle in the transportation business. The Xpander on the other hand, with its aesthetic appeal will serve the private buyer who wants the functionality of having a 7-seater MPV but wants to be distinguished from the transport sector. For this, they will pay an additional R9 795 for the top-spec Mitsubishi Xpander over the equivalent Toyota Rumion.
Mitsubishi Xpander 1.5 auto R364 995
Toyota Rumion 1.5 TX auto R355 200
Gugu Masuku - CHANGECARS
