Carlos Ghosn spotted testing the upcoming Mitsubishi XM 7-seat crossover

Likely to launch in Indonesia at the GIIAS 2017 in August.

At his first visit to Mitsubishi's Okazaki facility in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Carlos Ghosn, the new chairman of Mitsubishi Motors (as well as CEO of Groupe Renault and Chairman of Nissan Motor), was spotted sampling a pre-production test mule of the Mitsubishi XM 7-seat crossover.

MMC is hoping to garner success in markets like Indonesia, where 7-seat MPVs and crossovers represent a bulk of total demand. It is expected to launch in Indonesia this August, at the GIIAS 2017, the same venue where the concept XM was unveiled in 2016, and bookings are rumoured to open in July. The design of the Honda BR-V/Toyota Avanza rival will be 80 percent similar to the concept version, a Mitsubishi officer confirmed.

The XM is also claimed to offer ample interior space, with three rows of seats. It will reportedly ride on an all-new monocoque platform and pack a 1.5-litre 4-cyl N/A petrol engine paired to a manual or automatic transmission that will send power to the front wheels. Reports suggest that a diesel variant or the option of an all-wheel-drive system will not be offered in the XM, so we expect it to be priced highly competitively. The XM will be manufactured at Mitsubishi’s new plant in Bekasi, Indonesia.

Also Read: Mitsubishi could sell rebadged Renault models in South East Asia – Report

Nissan purchased 34% stake in Mitsubishi in October 2016 and formally incorporated the brand into the Renault-Nissan alliance. Moving forward it commits to joint purchasing, deeper localization, joint plant utilization, common vehicle platforms and share technology. Reports from Bangkok claim that Nissan will rebadge the Mitsubishi XM to compete in the South East Asian markets. Aside from the fleet-focused Evalia/NV200, Nissan’s only light MPV with three-row seating in ASEAN is the ageing Grand Livina.