Head to Head: Mitsubishi Xpander vs Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid

When the MPV segment first blew up, Mitsubishi and Suzuki both went to war. The two models duked it out constantly, with the Ertiga being one of the best and most affordable budget MPVs out in the market, while the Mitsubishi stayed true to its brand image, it still fielded a very respectable and practical MPV for the Philippine car buyer. 

Now, fast forward to 2023, and both models are all-new and ready for the road. The Suzuki looks like it hasn’t gotten a big update in recent years, but the Ertiga now has a hybrid system under the hood. Meanwhile, the Xpander retains its tried-and-tested powertrain, but with an all-new look to go with it. So how would either of these cars fare against each other in a head-to-head? Well, let’s stop introducing both and get to the meat of the matter. 

It’s pretty much a no-contest here, it’s clear to see that Mitsubishi has definitely put in the work in order to improve the Xpander. The model looks way better than before, and it’s now a more mature design. The Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid plays its safe with a very familiar design that we’ve all come to know and love, to a certain extent. 

While the Xpander gets all-LED lights, the Ertiga still has the same old halogen reflector technology that looks like it won’t cut it anymore in the highly competitive MPV segment. While some may argue that halogen headlights are enough and cheaper to replace, the LED technology in the Xpander is not only functional but also impressive in the looks department. Both models have DRLs and automatic on and off among other features, just going off the exterior features, we can safely say that Mitsubishi’s done a better job than Suzuki (who appear to have made the design department take a little break) 

That’s not to say that the Ertiga is all bad. Fans of the model will continue to laud its very sedate styling, but side-by-side, it’s hard to really give the Ertiga a one-up against the Xpander in the exterior category of this comparison. As such, the Xpander takes the exterior category hands down. 

Winner: Xpander 

The same rings true for the interior section of both cars, save for one thing that really got our attention in the Ertiga. 

The Xpander has a somewhat new style to its interior. Yes, we can still pick out the legacy styling cues that we found in the previous-generation Xpander but with a slightly different twist. The new dashboard is certainly a nice update over the previous generation’s, and the placement of the new infotainment system is what gets our attention. It also doesn’t hurt that the gauge cluster got a bit of an upgrade, as is the case with the steering wheel that harks back to memories of more exciting Mitsubishis. 

Then we head on over to the Ertiga, with new trimmings and a new head unit that appears to have been lifted from the XL7. We’re familiar with this unit, but it is bigger than ever before, which is good for the driver and the passenger, but everything else is the same more or less. There are a few touches like the new faux wood trim, but that’s about it. We will say that the new radio got us excited, but it feels like it’s not enough to really net the Ertiga a win considering the effort it must have taken to just allow the better display to trickle down. 

It seems like we’re beating too much on the Ertiga, but believe us, it’s going to come back in a few rounds. Trust us. 

Winner: Xpander 

For this category, it seems like both of the models are in a deadlock with each other except maybe for one or two exceptions. It’s no secret that both cars are parred for the course in terms of technological amenities now with both head units able to connect to smartphones via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but there are a few key differences that you might need to consider on the tech front, and by few, we mean only a few. 

The Xpander has a standard number of airbags, two. There is one for the driver and one for the front passenger. We will note that it has a number of USB ports that any occupant can use to charge phones or tablets as well. Also standard for the Xpander is stability control, and ABS with EBD and brake assist, paired with hill-start assist. There is also an emergency stop signal system that warns drivers around you if you’re braking hard, and also a reverse camera for when you’re parking in a slot. 

Meanwhile, it’s the same story with the Ertiga. The model at its top-of-the-line trim comes with pretty much everything that the Xpander comes with, ABS with EBD (no brake assist, however), parking sensors, a reverse parking camera, and hill-start assist. The difference is that because of the mild-hybrid system, the Ertiga gets an engine auto-stop feature that helps save you fuel whenever you’re stopped for a short amount of time. 

While the Xpander looks like it has more features than the Ertiga, it still appears as if Suzuki had most of its bases covered. The real clincher comes with the fuel-saving features that come with being a mild hybrid. We can see that the Ertiga is mounting a bit of a comeback here, but that’s still not prime time for the Suzuki MPV just yet. That’ll happen in the next section. 

TIE 

Hands down, we have to say that the Suzuki Ertiga is the winner. It’s really not a contest. While the model still retains its prior power figures, with the assistance of the mild hybrid system, the ride became much smoother and more effortless. 

The Xpander still has the same engine as it did all those years ago. A 1.5-liter engine with an output of 103 hp and 141 Nm of torque is all well and good, but it’s nothing spectacular nor is it nothing new. Plus, the transmission is still either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. 

The Ertiga, on the other hand, has about the same figures from its powertrain, 103 hp, and 138 Nm of torque, but with the 1.5-liter engine paired with the mild hybrid system, it’s no contest. Even if the transmission is still a carryover from the pre-hybrid era of the Ertiga, we reckon that even the five-speed manual will feel a little better to drive than before. 

Suzuki has improved here, and Mitsubishi hasn’t touched the powertrain to deliver better performance. Objectively speaking as well, what the Ertiga has, the Xpander doesn’t, so with that, the Ertiga comes swinging and handily beating the Xpander in this round. 

Winner: Ertiga 

All of this must come at a price, right? Well, not exactly. Even with the mild hybrid system, the Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid is cheaper to buy than the Xpander at the top of the line. On top of that, you don’t even have to get the most expensive Ertiga to buy yourself a hybrid as the powertrain is standard throughout all variants in the lineup. 

That said, the Xpander comes in at a price of up to P1,198,000 for the top-spec trim, while the Ertiga Hybrid goes for just P1,153,000. Even the most affordable manual trim levels of these cars echo the same pattern, with the Xpander costing P1,068,000 and the Ertiga Hybrid costing P954,000 at its lowest spec. 

Winner: Ertiga 

When it comes down to it, a tie is well deserved. Given how both cars have been staples in the MPV segment for quite some time now. The Xpander had a lot of things going for it at the start, but checking the specs, it’s the same car with an all-new look. Now, that’s not necessarily bad, it’s just that we had hoped that something would have improved or changed in tandem with the new design. It appears as if both companies had the same budget when executing the updates to their MPVs. 

Instead of putting its money into the design department, the Ertiga got a mild hybrid system instead. We only wish that Suzuki updated the look aside from new wheels and a new grille plus a few hybrid badges around the body of the car. 

At the end of the day, we reckon that you’d still be able to get the same amount of utility out of both models. The Suzuki will not look flashy at all, but you will save a lot more money at the pumps. If the marginal day-to-day driving costs don’t really concern you so much, and you really prefer the look of the Xpander, there is nothing wrong with that as well. Just know what your money is going into when you buy either and you will end up a happy customer. As such, we feel that you can’t go wrong with either choice here, and thus this head-to-head ends in a tie.