The Mitsubishi Destinator enters the local market as a seven-seater SUV clearly shaped by Philippine driving realities. It is designed to handle the daily grind of city traffic and unpredictable road conditions without drama. I tested the Destinator GT over several days, approaching it with a perspective shaped by long years of Mitsubishi ownership and time spent around weekend rally events.
Coming from years behind the wheel of a Montero Sport, I tend to pay attention to initial comfort, how consistently a vehicle behaves, and how well it holds together over extended use.
Design: 4/5
From the outset, the Destinator communicates its purpose clearly. It has the proportions of a proper seven-seater, offering a reassuring road presence without feeling unwieldy. The 214mm ground clearance is immediately noticeable; as someone who frequently drives out of town, I know this isn’t a luxury—it’s a requirement for local terrain.
The GT variant adds a layer of refinement with its two-tone Quartz White Pearl and black roof. Inside, the driving position is upright and commanding—a trait I’ve always appreciated in my Montero Sport. While the DNA is different, the ergonomic “honesty” of a Mitsubishi remains. The GT’s synthetic leather and panoramic sunroof add a premium touch to a cabin that remains, at its heart, a practical tool.
Hardware: 4/5
Under the hood, the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and CVT deliver 163ps and 250Nm of torque. From an engineering standpoint, the tuning feels deliberate. Having spent time around performance-tuned rally cars, I can appreciate when a manufacturer prioritizes a smooth, predictable power band over peaky, erratic delivery.
The GT offers five drive modes (Normal, Wet, Gravel, Tarmac, and Mud). While I don’t approach this SUV like a rally car, having that electronic flexibility is invaluable when transitioning from city asphalt to unpredictable provincial surfaces. The Mitsubishi Motors Safety Sensing suite also deserves mention; it provides a layer of driver support that significantly reduces fatigue on the long hauls I’ve grown accustomed to in my larger SUVs.
User Experience: 4/5
In daily Metro Manila driving, the Destinator is easy to live with. The steering is light and the visibility is excellent, making it far less stressful to maneuver than its larger siblings. On the highway, the engine stays composed and the cabin remains quiet—a testament to improved insulation.
Passenger comfort across all three rows holds up well. On my test run, the Mitsubishi Smartphone Link display provided seamless navigation and monitoring, which is a real advantage for long-distance travel. We managed a healthy 12.5km/L during expressway cruising, proving that this seven-seater can be a practical, long-term companion for the Filipino family.
Value: 4/5
With the GT variant priced at PHP1,939,000 (PHP1,954,000 for the Quartz White Pearl color), the cost is easier to justify when you look at it through the lens of long-term ownership. Mitsubishi has a reputation for building “tanks,” and the Destinator feels like it belongs in that lineage.
The added safety tech, drive modes, and refined interior aren’t just cosmetic upgrades—they are functional improvements that you will appreciate every single day for the next ten years. For a buyer transitioning from a sedan or looking for a more urban-friendly alternative to a mid-sized SUV, the value proposition is high.
Bottomline
The Mitsubishi Destinator GT is a well-judged SUV designed for real-world conditions. It doesn’t try to be exciting for the sake of it. Instead, it offers quiet confidence, thoughtful engineering, and everyday usability. As someone who appreciates the balance required in performance driving and the ruggedness of the Montero Sport, I find the Destinator GT to be a sophisticated evolution of the brand’s dependable character.
Reviewed by Barry Ortiz
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE Volume 26 Issue No. 7