2022 Xpander: Why didn't Mitsubishi upgrade the gearbox?

When the facelifted Mitsubishi Xpander was first revealed in Indonesia late last year, the automaker replaced the 4-speed automatic with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). With it, we expected the PH-spec version to also come with the new transmission (apart from the standard 5-speed manual).

But when Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) officially revealed the Xpander to the country, it still comes with the good ol' 4-speed auto. Puzzled by this, we asked MMPC why they decided to not replace it with the newer CVT.

CVT selector for Mitsubishi Xpander in other markets

According to Mark Parulan, Assistant Vice President for Sales and Marketing, the reason the PH-spec Xpander continues to have a 4-speed automatic is due to customer demand. When Mitsubishi was conducting customer feedback regarding the new Xpander, the automaker said that customers wanted to focus more on styling and feature upgrades.

When it came to the transmission choices, however, Mitsubishi claimed that customers didn't find anything wrong with the 4-speed slushbox. This meant that the automaker didn't have to change the self-shifting transmission for the GLX and GLS variants. But does this mean Mitsubishi will not offer the CVT in the future?

New CVT for Mitsubishi Xpander

Parulan added that while it's not yet available, Mitsubishi is currently studying bringing the CVT to the country with future models. But for now, all A/T models of the 2022 Xpander will be fitted with the 4-speed automatic.

Do you think MMPC should have gone for the CVT or is the 4-speed still a good transmission despite having only a limited set of gears? Share your comments below.