The Mitsubishi Destinator Sounds Like a Car You’d Steal in GTA

Mitsubishi has been making headlines in recent months by teasing several rebadged models. It’s rolling out its own version of the Nissan Leaf and a new Eclipse Cross based on the Renault Scenic E-Tech. But not everything comes from its alliance partners. There’s also a new Outlander Sport, and now, a larger three-row SUV with a peculiar name that wouldn’t feel out of place in Grand Theft Auto.

Essentially, the Destinator is the production version of last year’s DST concept. It honestly doesn’t look half bad for a budget SUV, and Mitsubishi earns bonus points for keeping physical buttons inside the cabin. But the dashboard is somewhat unusual, featuring a thick, glossy black frame that surrounds the digital instrument cluster. It wouldn’t seem as strange if the eight-inch driver display sat level with the adjacent 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Instead, it’s deeply recessed into the dash, making the chunky bezel resemble an early 2010s tablet.

A front-wheel-drive-only affair, the Destinator is powered solely by a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine. The four-cylinder delivers 161 horsepower and 184 pound-feet (250 Nm) of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Mitsubishi keeps things simple with a torsion beam rear suspension, though it does offer disc brakes on all four corners. It rides on standard 18-inch wheels, and without any form of electrification, curb weight stays reasonable at 3,296 pounds (1,495 kilograms).

The seven-seat SUV measures 184.2 inches (4,680 millimeters) long and 72.4 in (1,840 mm) wide, making it slightly shorter and narrower than the Outlander, but also taller, at 70 in (1,780 mm). A generous 110.8 in (2,815 mm) wheelbase gives it a significantly longer footprint between the axles compared to the Outlander. While it lacks four-wheel drive, the Destinator offers decent ground clearance of 8.4 in (214 mm), or 9.5 in (244 mm) with the underbody cover removed. Multiple drive modes are available, including Gravel, Wet, and Mud.

Though designed as a sensible family hauler, the Destinator doesn’t cut corners on features. Mitsubishi includes a panoramic sunroof, a Yamaha sound system, 64-color ambient lighting, and USB ports across all three rows. Rearmost passengers also get dedicated air vents, while the second row splits 40:20:40 and the third 50:50. Both rows can be folded flat for maximum cargo capacity.

The Destinator debuts in ASEAN markets, becoming the third model from Mitsubishi’s Indonesian branch, following the Xpander minivan and the Xforce compact crossover, which is sold as the Outlander Sport in some regions.