Mitsubishi Introduces Destinator, Local Premium Family SUV

Mitsubishi’s Organic Strategy in Facing Indonesian Automotive Market Competition

PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Sales Indonesia (MMKSI) shows a strong confidence in facing tough competition in the Indonesian automotive market. With the presence of the All-New Mitsubishi Destinator, this Japanese company is trying to strengthen their position in the premium family SUV segment.

President Director of PT MMKSI, Atsushi Kurita, stated that product development is carried out by understanding the needs of Indonesian consumers in depth. This is different from the new brand approach that may not fully understand the characteristics of the local market.

“I don’t know how deep the Chinese brand is to study the character of the Indonesian market. But Mitsubishi, Xpander, and Destinator are specially designed for Indonesia. We believe, the price is in accordance with our strategy and remains attractive,” said Kurita when met in Sentul, Bogor, Saturday (20/7).

Although the official price is still waiting, MMKSI confirmed that the destinator will be sold at a higher price than the Xforce, but still below the Pajero Sport which is their flagship model. Kurita explained that the Destinator is an upgrade from the Xpander, so the price must be higher than the Xpander. However, he stressed that the price will remain affordable for consumers.

The Destinator will go on sale officially on July 23, 2025, along with the full announcement of the price and sales strategy. Currently, the price of the Toyota Innova Zenix as one of the 7-seater family SUVs is in the range of Rp. 413 million to Rp. 617 million.

Kurita emphasized that the destinator was the result of five years of development, as part of Mitsubishi’s long-term strategy in Indonesia. He quipped that this approach is different from some new brands that enter the market quickly but do not necessarily have the same research depth.

“We do not introduce new products rashly. This is the result of five years of development and is entirely for the Indonesian market. We believe, consumers can understand and receive the value of our products,” he said.

Even though it has just been introduced digitally, the enthusiasm of consumers is very high. Based on Mitsubishi’s internal data, as many as 70% of the total incoming responses are positive, and only a small part are neutral or negative. In addition, MMKSI also recorded more than 34 million views from their digital video campaign, an achievement that is said to be the highest compared to the previous model.

“We saw an increase in the number of visitors to our platform. Even well above the target. I believe conversion to sales will be good when the unit is available,” said Kurita.

Although many consumers compare the Destinator with the Toyota Zenix and the Honda CR-V Turbo, Mitsubishi emphasized that this product is not made for direct head-to-head. “We don’t want to compete frontally with Zenix or CR-V. We are trying to create new segments, not into their territory,” said Kurita.

With a 7-seater configuration, a 1.5L turbo engine, and a premium display, the Destinator is claimed to be suitable for Xpander users who want to upgrade, but are not ready to go directly to the Pajero Sport segment.

Although the trend of electrification continues to increase, MMKSI has not been in a hurry to lead to the hybrid for this model. The destinator relies on a 1.5L turbo engine that Kurita calls the ideal compromise between performance and fuel efficiency.

“As a premium SUV, we need high performance. With turbo, fuel consumption remains efficient because the system relies on exhaust circulation. From an environmental perspective, the turbo is actually better,” he said.

Kurita also opens the possibility of the presence of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant in the future, along with the readiness of Mitsubishi’s global technology. However, the realization will depend on the direction of the market and infrastructure readiness.

The launch of Destinator is not just presenting a new product, but part of the 55th anniversary of Mitsubishi Motors’ presence in Indonesia. “Destinator is a symbol of our commitment to grow with the Indonesian people and empower each of their journey. This is not only a product, but the result of our understanding of the growing Indonesian family,” he concluded.