Mitsubishi Grandis 1st generation (2004 to 2010): Disdained as a minivan - and misunderstood?

Anyone who looks around Germany's roads today will primarily see... SUVs. Soon, another representative of this ever-popular soft off-roader will be hitting the market. Its name is the Mitsubishi Grandis (see video after the second paragraph). If this model name sounds familiar, there's a reason. There was a Mitsubishi Grandis before. Back in the 2000s, when the minivan segment, rather than the SUV segment, was experiencing a boom. That was back then, in the 2000s, when not only the newly begun millennium sparked euphoria, but families also preferred compact MPVs to jacked-up station wagons.

In keeping with its popularity, there was a wide variety of models at the time. The most important representatives were the VW Touran, which is still in production today, and the now-discontinued Opel Zafira and Ford S-Max. Importers also played a significant role in the compact van segment: From France and Italy, the almost identical minivan quartet consisting of the Citroën C8, Peugeot 807, Fiat Ulysse, and Lancia Phedra found their way to us. US manufacturer Chrysler sent the Voyager across the pond, and the Japanese delighted us with models like the Toyota Previa, Mazda 5—and the Mitsubishi Grandis.

Mitsubishi Motors is one of the pioneers of the compact van segment, but after three generations of the consistently angularly styled Space Wagon, it wanted to set new design accents. In 2003, the Japanese company launched the more rounded, streamlined Grandis, which also came to Germany in 2004 and set its own unique tone with its "spaceship look."

The lines of the Grandis are flowing, with the front end merging into the A-pillars and windshield with almost no bend. The roof and shoulder lines run largely parallel and curve downwards toward the rear. There, you'll find the upright lights typical of vans of the time, positioned at the edges of the rear window, and a small roof spoiler. Tinted windows beyond the B-pillars protect against prying eyes and, thanks to the large window areas, are designed to keep the interior climate bearable even in strong sunlight.

The old Grandis throws any pretense of being pleasing aside once you get inside. Hard plastic, often in mouse gray, dominates the scene. Contemporary tests, however, attest to the Japanese compact van's simple and functional handling. And it boasted considerable versatility: The Grandis was available as a six- or seven-seater, with the two or three seats in the second row sliding forward to maximize trunk space. If, on the other hand, you want to use the Mitsubishi as a people carrier, the third-row seats simply fold out from the floor. They're more than just jump seats; they're also easily roomy for adults.

There was no such variance in the engine options. Gasoline or diesel: Once this fundamental decision had been made, only one of each was available. The gasoline option is a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, whose specifications promise brisk performance: 165 hp and a maximum of 217 Newton meters should propel the Grandis from zero to 100 km/h in 10.0 seconds and to a maximum of 200 km/h. In practice, however, the engine, although blessed with variable valve timing, proves to be rather sluggish and thirsty, especially when the power is transferred to the front wheels via the four-speed automatic transmission, available at an extra cost. The standard five-speed manual transmission was clearly the better choice.

At a time when not only compact vans but also diesel engines were experiencing a heyday, the turbocharged diesel engine, which was also available, was the more suitable – because it offered more torque – engine for the 1.7-tonner. The two-liter diesel engine in the Grandis, however, was not a Mitsubishi in-house development, but was purchased from Volkswagen. Depending on the model year, the EA 188 engine delivers 136 hp and a maximum of 310 Newton meters, or 140 hp and a maximum of 320 Newton meters, both managed via a manual six-speed transmission. And before any suspicions of a diesel scam arise: This is still the good old pump-injector diesel engine; the well-known manipulations affected its common-rail successor, the EA 189.

Looking at the registration figures, it quickly becomes clear why the Mitsubishi Grandis is only now returning (and with a different concept) and why there was no second generation back then. The compact van was offered in Germany for almost six years. Despite affordable prices starting at just under €25,000, fewer than 10,000 units were sold in this country during that time.

Accordingly, the current supply of used Grandis is limited, dominated by examples with mileage well over 250,000 that have suffered from previous driving habits. However, some used Grandis starting at around €2,500 might be worth a closer look. A robust, versatile, and still reasonably modern-looking bargain might be lurking here.