Mitsubishi Has a Winner with the Destinator

The first car I ever bought was a 90s-era Mitsubishi Lancer GLi. I got it from an old colleague and drove it everywhere—Tagaytay, Pampanga, to work, to countless night-outs, and even once all the way to Zambales. It got me through my 20s and early 30s and had it for much longer than I should have. I finally gave it up when I upgraded to a newer, slightly bigger compact SUV. But you know what they say: you never forget your first.

Except for a couple of times my friend let me drive her Mirage, I’ve never been behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi. Until last week when I was handed the key to the new Destinator, the Japanese brand’s seven-seater crossover SUV. Except maybe for the familiarity of driving a Mitsubishi, there’s not a lot of similarities between this and my old Lancer.

ALSO READ

Mitsubishi's All-New Triton Might Just Be Your New Pickup

The Mitsubishi Montero Sport is an SUV with Sedan Smarts

First off, from the outside, the Destinator carries the confident stance Mitsubishi has become known for. The front grille is more boxy than tapered and follows the brand’s bold Dynamic Shield design. It also has ahigh ground clearance, over 200 mm, which immediately signals that this vehicle isn’t afraid of less-than-perfect roads.

Because I moved out of the city and into suburban bliss down south, that’s a plus. The roads can get a bit uneven in some parts where I live, but the Destinator handled it like a champ. In fact, I actually drove the unit through the full range of everyday scenarios: city traffic, highway cruising, and a few detours down uneven provincial roads. The 1.5-liter turbocharged engine delivered more than enough power for daily driving, while the CVT transmission kept things smooth and quiet.

Mitsubishi also included multiple drive modes—Normal, Wet, Gravel, Mud, and Tarmac—which subtly adjust how the vehicle handles different road conditions. While I didn’t exactly take it off-roading, I did switch between driving over paved roads and rougher surfaces, and the unit felt planted and confident either way.

The Destinator felt dependable, predictable, and composed, whether I was crawling through rush hour or cruising down open roads.

Inside, Mitsubishi focused its attention on practicality.

There are three rows and seating for seven. While I was not able to test out the unit with that many people inside, it did feel though that there’s generous space should the cabin reach maximum capacity. The second row slides and reclines, making it easy to balance legroom between passengers, while the third row, often an afterthought in many SUVs, is actually usable here, not just for small children but even for adults on shorter trips.

On the days that I had the unit, I experimented with the seating configurations. I folded the third row down and there was a large cargo space that could fit groceries, gym bags, and a week’s worth of errands. When I folded both rear rows flat, there’s even more room for whatever else you could think of.

For a family of five or more, this flexibility is priceless. I could just Imagine a typical week, with school bags and groceries in the cargo area, two kids in the middle row, another in the third row, and still enough room for other stuff. The Destinator handles that scenario without breaking a sweat.

One other thing I like about the Destinator is the multimedia infotainment system, which is ridiculously intuitive and easy to use. At the center of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch touchscreen, paired with an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect seamlessly. I like also that the system plays the last song that I played and that it does so automatically. No need to navigate back to the music app.

Reading up on safety, I found out Mitsubishi packed the Destinator with features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, blind-spot warning, and a multi-around camera system, which all added reassurances for drivers transporting their loved ones and friends. (You’d also be glad to know the vehicle earned a five-star rating from ASEAN NCAP, underscoring its commitment to safety).

After driving the Destinator for a few days, the appeal was obvious. I was a fan of the brand by virtue of it being my first-ever car, but Mitsubishi clearly went above and beyond to stack this new model up with all the best for a smooth, uncomplicated drive. It doesn’t try to be flashy or overly complicated; instead it focused on barebones practicality: space, reliability, comfort, and everyday usability.

Even a single guy like me living in the suburbs can appreciate that. But for a household with five, six, or even seven passengers, the benefits are even more pronounced.