Mitsubishi Destinator: Calm, capable, and cleverly engineered
The Mitsubishi Destinator focuses on comfort, traction, and everyday usability, blending rally-derived tech with family-first features in a segment crowded with style-led SUVs
The Mitsubishi Destinator enters Bangladesh at a time when the SUV segment is overflowing with vehicles that look tough but rarely deliver substance beyond design and screen size.
Officially available through Mitsubishi Motors Bangladesh, the Destinator takes a refreshingly different approach. Instead of chasing sporty pretensions or touchscreen overload, it focuses on comfort, usability, air quality, and mechanical confidence, values Mitsubishi has historically been known for.
Visually, the Destinator carries Mitsubishi's current design language with restraint. The polished grille lends it a premium face, while the T-shaped LED daytime running lights and rear light signature add character to an overall stance that feels upright and confident rather than aggressive.
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The same can band confident rather than aggressive. There is a certain maturity to the design that avoids unnecessary drama, allowing the proportions to speak for themselves.
It rides on 225/55 R18 Bridgestone tyres, mounted on 18-inch machined-cut alloy wheels, a setup that balances ride comfort, grip, and road presence. More importantly for local conditions, ground clearance stands at a healthy 214 mm, making it well suited to broken tarmac, flooded streets, and poorly designed speed breakers that define everyday driving in Bangladesh.
The Destinator is offered in six exterior colour options, paired with a two-tone interior theme, giving the cabin a lighter, more premium feel without going overboard.
Step inside, and it becomes immediately clear where Mitsubishi has invested its effort. The interior layout blends metallic silver accents, piano black trim, and soft-touch leather surfaces. While the piano black elements may attract fingerprints, overall build quality feels solid and well assembled.
The leather-wrapped seats are soft, supportive, and provide excellent lumbar support, particularly up front. Both front seats are power-adjustable, allowing drivers to quickly find an ideal driving position.
Rear-seat comfort is a major highlight. Second-row passengers get individual fold-out tables with integrated cup holders, a feature rarely seen in this segment.
Rear climate control, USB-C and USB-A charging ports, and ceiling-mounted air-conditioning vents ensure everyone stays comfortable. Unlike vents placed behind the centre console by many competitors, the Destinator comes with dedicated ceiling-mounted AC vents for both the second row and third row, delivering far better air circulation across all three rows, a crucial factor in Dhaka's humid climate.
Adding to this is nanoe™ X technology, which actively removes odours, suppresses bacteria, and improves interior air quality. On polluted city roads, this feature makes a noticeable difference, creating a calmer, fresher cabin environment.
Third-row passengers aren't ignored either, with dedicated charging ports provided. The panoramic sunroof opens fully, unlike some rivals that offer fixed glass panels, enhancing both ventilation and the sense of space inside.
The dashboard design remains refreshingly functional. Physical buttons dominate the centre console, making everyday use intuitive. There's wireless charging, a cooled central armrest compartment, multi-colour ambient lighting, and a Yamaha-tuned sound system that delivers clean, balanced audio without excessive bass distortion.
The 12.3-inch infotainment screen supports wireless Apple CarPlay, and instead of leaning purely into entertainment, the interface prioritises functional driving information. Displays include a compass, tilt angle, G-force meter, real-time torque distribution derived from the rally-winning Mitsubishi Pajero, and a built-in tyre pressure monitoring system shown directly on the screen.
A 360-degree camera system, paired with modern parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), and blind spot warning, significantly enhances driving confidence, especially in congested urban environments.
Behind the steering wheel sits an 8-inch LCD digital instrument cluster, which also visualises Active Yaw Control (AYC) data. A technology, originally developed for Mitsubishi's legendary Lancer Evolution, the AYC actively manages torque distribution during cornering, improving grip, stability, and steering response. Seeing this system operate in real time adds genuine engineering credibility to the Destinator and reminds you of Mitsubishi's deep motorsport heritage.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre turbocharged MIVEC petrol engine, producing 163 PS at 5,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The torque delivery is the real highlight here, providing strong low- and mid-range response that suits both urban traffic and highway cruising. Power is sent to the front wheels through a CVT, tuned for smoothness rather than aggression, making city driving effortless and relaxed.
Driving modes are intelligently configured, offering Normal, Wet, Mud, Gravel, and Tarmac modes. Each mode alters the throttle response and torque delivery to provide a noticeably more engaging driving experience. Combined with Mitsubishi's rally-derived traction systems, these modes allow the Destinator to adapt convincingly to varying road conditions, rather than merely offering cosmetic driving presets.
Suspension duties are handled by MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, tuned firmly towards comfort. Broken roads, expansion joints, and uneven surfaces are absorbed confidently without the vehicle feeling floaty.
For safety, the Destinator features six curtain airbags, a monocoque body frame for enhanced crash protection, and boasts a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, putting it among the safest offerings in its segment.
An important practical advantage for Bangladeshi buyers is taxation. With its 1,499 cc displacement, the Destinator falls under the lowest annual income tax bracket of Tk25,000, significantly reducing long-term ownership costs.
The Mitsubishi Destinator isn't trying to impress with gimmicks or oversized screens. Instead, it delivers comfort, intelligent technology, rally-derived traction systems, strong safety credentials, and features that genuinely matter on our roads.
For families navigating looking for a SUV that can also be driven every day, the Destinator makes a compelling case for choosing thoughtful engineering over superficial flair.
Contact Mitsubishi Motors Bangladesh if you want to learn more about the vehicle.
