Words, pictures and even videos cannot convey the same appreciation of a vehicle’s capabilities in the same way as personally driving it, and Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) understands that. To provide the experiences of its products, it has had events where the public can get behind the wheel to take a test-drive in specially prepared courses. To show more extreme capabilities of models like the Triton, they even brought in Dakar Rally champ, Hiroshi Masuoka, to provide ‘taxi rides’.

During the first quarter of 2023, there are opportunities to experience their bestselling model, the XPANDER 7-seater crossover, at the Mitsubishi XPANDER Venture Event. The first one will be held this weekend (January 14/15) at Dataran Karnival, Perkarangan Shah Alam, Selangor. The location is next to the Shah Alam Stadium (click here for directions).

What you will experience
At the event site, visitors can register to test drive the XPANDER through a course which shows off the capabilities of the vehicle. To start off, they will feel the comfort of the XPANDER going over simulated bumps. It’s not surprising that it can cope well with rough surfaces as the model was developed for ASEAN conditions where road conditions vary greatly.

Next, drivers will get to see how the turning radius of 5.2 metres gives the XPANDER good maneuverability. Together with its compact size, it should be easy to move around in congested urban areas and in shopping centre carparks.

After the maneuverability test comes the demonstration of Traction Control, a standard feature in the XPANDER. Normally, such a test would be done on a wet surface that is slippery but in Malaysia, with our heat and sunshine, the Bomba truck would run out of water very quickly wetting the road! So the MMM people have set up a roller platform which allows the wheels to spin. When Traction Control activates, power to the spinning wheels is decreased and wheels with grip move the vehicle forward safely and surely. This keeps the vehicle stable on slippery surfaces, an important contribution to safety.

Then comes something which may not be encountered often – a Side Traverse section where the XPANDER gets tilted as it moves along the side of a slope. MPVs are usually tall but the XPANDER has a carefully chosen height to ensure stability even when it is tilted – which also happens during hard cornering (though you might not realize it).

Finally, you can take the XPANDER ‘swimming’… a test which shows that it can cross flooded stretches of road (or rough ground). This is due to having ground clearance of 205 mm, which is high enough for flash floods so you don’t have to wait by the roadside for the water to subside. A word of advice when you do cross flooded roads: gently press on the brake pedal after you reach dry road to ‘wipe’ water off the brake pads.

Lucky draw prizes for test-drivers
Besides the driving experience (for which you get an exclusive cap), there are also other activities and promotions at the site from 10 am to 6 pm. Each person registering for a test-drive can participate in a lucky draw with prizes like Nintendo Switch, G Shock, and North Face Jacket. Celebrities Sherry Alhadad, Sharifah Shahirah and Bell Ngasri will also be around to meet fans.

And if you are convinced after the drive and want to buy an XPANDER, there are special offers during the Chinese New Year festive period. These include a special trade-in program that offers RM2,000  support for customers who trade in their existing vehicle for a new XPANDER.

Two other venues
On February 4/5, the XPANDER Venture event will be held in Johor Bahru at the Toppen Mall Outdoor Carpark, and on March 4/5, at Kompleks Sukan Likas in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

For information on Mitsubishi models in Malaysia, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my.

MMM believes in letting the public personally experience its vehicles and periodically has unique events to show off their capabilities.