Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Nope, you’re not seeing double. This review is not a repeat of the previous one where we test drove the all-new Mitsubishi Destinator GLS. You see, in that previous review we wrote, “We hope to get to drive the higher-spec GT variant, which comes with several suites of advance driving assistance system (ADAS), a panoramic sunroof, and more luxurious features”. Within a few days of posting our Destinator GLS story, Paolo Gabarda of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines (MMPC) immediately sent us a 2026 Mitsubishi Destinator GT for a weeklong test drive during the Holy Week. (Thanks again, Paolo! We’re now beginning to desire to OWN a Destinator, GLS or GT. We love it! – Ed.)
Though both the previous Destinator GLS (above) and our current GT test drive units (below) are finished in Lunar Blue Mica, the different time, lighting and locations of our photoshoots make the paint look different. Note the body-colored front bumper garnish of the GLS compared to the silver one of the GT.
For readers who are not familiar with the Lenten exodus here in the Philippines, Holy Week is when people drive out-of-town to either spend time with the relatives in the provinces or drive up to Baguio City to escape the summer heat in the metropolis. Our Lunar Blue Mica Destinator GT (same color as the previous GLS) arrived on Holy Monday (March 30th) and the initial plan was to drive north to Pangasinan to go to the church of Our Lady of Manaog. However, we realized that we might get stuck cuing on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) along with thousands of other motorists heading north, so we decided to stay in Metro Manila, as we’ve always done every year.
We were planning to go to Pangasinan to take the Destinator GT on a long drive but changed our mind when we realized that the traffic at NLEX would be heavy during the Holy Week exodus.
Three Funerals and an Iceberg
On Holy Tuesday (March 31st), my wife Shawie and I picked up our colleague Joseph Ong of World News and Chinese Commercial News, and drove from Quezon City to Philamlife Village in Las Piñas to pay our respects to the late Antonio Salazar, father of our motoring media colleague, Tessa Salazar. Afterwards, we drove back to Quezon City to the St. Peter Memorial Chapels along Commonwealth Avenue where a wake, mass and eulogy was being held for Peter Jason Pagbilao, the late husband of Shawie’s sister, Sweet Balan-Pagbilao. Coincidentally, a wake was also being held at the same venue for Ester Gutierrez, the departed mom of a good friend, Jon Gutierrez, who’s the VP for Aftersales Service of the Synergyauto Ventures Corporation (SVC).
Shawie Dizon, Joseph Ong and the author at the wake of Tessa Salazar’s father, Antonio Salazar (inset), at the St. Matthew Chapel in the church of Our Lady of Fatima inside Philamlife Village, Las Piñas.
After going to three funeral wakes, Joseph asked to stop at any commercial establishment to perform a common superstitious practice known colloquially as “pagpag”, supposedly to “dust off” or ward off any spirits of the departed that followed or clung to us after we left the memorial chapels. Since it was a hot day, we ended up at Icebergs along Timog Avenue for some cold snacks – halo-halo for Joseph, mais con hielo for Shawie, and a Black Forest Parfait for me. Our Holy Tuesday drive reminded us of Hugh Grant’s 1994 movie, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, so Shawie came up with the catchy title for this segment.
Holy Tuesday: We drove to three funerals – one at Our Lady of Fatima church in Las Piñas and two at St. Peter Memorial Chapels in along Commonwealth, Quezon City – and then stopped for “pagpag“, err… snacks at Icebergs afterwards.
Light Holy Week Traffic
On Holy Wednesday (April 1st), Shawie, my mom Norma and I drove to Karuhatan in Valenzuela City to attend the annual pabasa (the uninterrupted chanting of the Passion of Christ) in honor of Señor dela Pacencia, the miraculous image of Jesus Christ, of which my mom and I are devotees. On Maundy Thursday (April 2nd), Shawie along with our kids, Vette and Chevy, her mom Mariam and her mom’s helper, Riza, and our Persian cats, Colby and Romano, drove to San Mateo in Montalban, Rizal to visit her widowed sister Sweet to see how she’s doing and try to cheer her up. They also got some stuff that were sent by their U.S.-based sister Hidee and her husband Barry Hunter.
Holy Wednesday: We drove the Destinator GT to Karuhatan, Valenzuela City for the annual pabasa in honor of Señor dela Pacencia (Our Lord of Mercy).
Maundy Thursday: Shawie drove the Destinator GT to Montalban, Rizal to visit her sister Sweet along with our son Chevy (in red), daughter Vette (with Colby, our Persian cat), her mom Mariam (center) and her mom’s helper, Riza.
After their drive from Montalban, Shawie and Vette took the Destinator GT and drove nearby to Junction Park between Quirino Highway and Tandang Sora Road for a walk in the park and some groceries. On Good Friday and Black Saturday (April 3-4), the Mitsubishi was just parked in our garage because we just stayed home as we usually do during these days. On Easter Sunday (April 5th), we drove the Destinator GT to church for the traditional mass celebrating Christ’s glorious resurrection, where we are always reminded that there is life after death. And that there will be recovery after this economic disruption caused by the war in Iran. We all just have to hope and pray that the war won’t escalate any further. (Damn you, Trump! – Ed.)
Shawie, her mom and her kids got some boxes of goodies that were sent by her sister Hidee and husband Barry Hunter from Georgia, USA. There was plenty of room for 5 human occupants and two Persian cats even with the 3rd row seatbacks folded and loaded with boxes.
After Montalban, Shawie and Vette then drove to Junction Park along Quirino Highway in QC, where Vette took these artsy photos of the Destinator GT against the orange sunset.
Surprising Discoveries with the Destinator GT
Because of the high fuel prices caused by the war, it was reported that local tourism was down during Holy Week 2026. Fewer people went out of town while a large majority preferred to stay in the city. Some simply chose to stay home. Because of the light traffic, we were surprised at the fuel mileage of our Destinator GT, which averaged more than 20 kilometers per liter on the highway and around 10 km/L in the city. Driven conscientiously, our 5-door compact crossover multi-purpose vehicle/sport utility vehicle (MPV/SUV) is fuel-efficient enough to drive through this economic crisis that we unwittingly find ourselves in. (Damn you more, Trump! – Ed.)
During our Holy Week drive, traffic was quite light, which helped improve the Destinator GT’s average fuel mileage.
The Destinator GT proved to be fuel-efficient on the highway, returning 20.5 km/L, while we tried to stay within the posted speed limit. We took a photo to prove our claim.
Despite the sudden clamor for EVs and hybrids because of the spiraling fuel costs, our Destinator GT is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that pumps out 161 horsepower and 250 Newton-meters of torque. Its continuously variable transmission (CVT) comes with 5 shift positions while its drivetrain offers 5 Drive Modes – Normal, Wet, Gravel, Tarmac and Mud – that calibrate throttle, traction and steering for outstanding performance. On the highways, we utilized the GT’s adaptive cruise control (ACC), maintained the 80 km/h speed limit on the Skyway, and set the automatic dual zone climate control with NanoEx micro air filtration system to a cool and comfortable 25°C, which helped us achieve the surprising 20.5 km/L fuel mileage.
Under the hood is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 161 hp and 250 Nm of torque.
The CVT automatic transmission offers 5 shift positions while the drivetrain offers 5 Drive Modes – Normal, Wet, Gravel, Tarmac and Mud.
Strong, Dynamic and Sporty
Like what we wrote in our Destinator GLS review, this front-wheel drive (FWD) MPV/SUV is slotted between the Xpander FWD MPV and Montero Sport RWD/AWD SUV to complete Mitsubishi’s 7-seat 3-row model line-up. Its “Gravitas & Dynamism” exterior design concept gives the family-oriented Destinator a unique presence, wide stance and seemingly energetic capability to tackle anything. The Dynamic Shield Facia design with T-shaped headlamps, the sculptured fenders and doors, the 5-spoke 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels wrapped in meaty 225/55R18 Bridgestone Turanza radial tires, and the rear Hexaguard Horizon design with T-shaped tail lamps all work together to convey the Destinator’s strong, dynamic and sporty look.
The front of the Destinator GT features the Dynamic Shield Facia design with T-shaped headlamps. The sculptured fenders are augmented by the sporty 5-spoke 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels wrapped in meaty 225/55R18 Bridgestone Turanza radial tires.
The Hexaguard Horizon rear design with T-shaped tail lamps work with the other design elements to convey the Destinator’s strong, dynamic and sporty look.
We also reported that Mitsubishi has mastered spatial maximization within the Destinator with its spacious and highly functional interior that offers lots of room in all seven seats. There’s a cool box in the center console, foldable tables and a folding center armrest for passengers in the 2nd row, space to accommodate two adults in the 3rd row, plus USB ports, drink holders and cubby holes for all the occupants. Our Destinator GT comes with two-tone leather seats and, of course, the large panoramic sunroof that our previous GLS variant with the black fabric seats did not have. Best of all, we love the cavernous interior that all Destinator variants come with!
The Destinator GT comes with a large panoramic sunroof that provides a light, airy feel to the already roomy interior…
… and two-tone leather seats that adds comfort, class and sportiness.
Same Destinator Plus Some Upgrades
Like the GLS we drove, our Destinator GT features the same Horizontal Axis Dashboard Design, same multi-function 3-spoke steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment, same 8-inch LCD instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment display housed in the same monolithic display panel, as well as the same overhead sunglasses bin, same wireless mobile phone charger in the center console, same tray under the front passenger seat, and the same front MacPherson and rear torsion beam independent suspension system that provides the same soft, comfortable and pliant ride.
Like the GLS, the GT has the same Horizontal Axis Dashboard Design, same multi-function 3-spoke steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment, same 8-inch LCD instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment display housed in the same monolithic display panel.
The Destinator GT has same front MacPherson and rear torsion beam independent suspension system and class-leading 214 mm (8-inch) ground clearance as the GLS that we drove recently.
Like the GLS, the GT is equipped with active stability control (ASC), traction control (TCS), hill start assist (HSA), blind spot warning (BSW), rear traffic cross alert (RTCA), lane change alert (LCA), multi around monitor (MAM), anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency parking brake (EPB) with Autohold, and Active Yaw Control (AYC). What differentiates the GT from the GLS is its additional suite of Mitsubishi Motors Safety Sensing advanced driving assistance technologies such as the abovementioned ACC with Stop and Go Function, Leading Car Departure Notification (LCDN), Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), Automatic High Beam (AHB) systems, and the innovative Mitsubishi Connect app that allows full control of the Destinator GT from a smartphone.
Aside from the RCTA that comes with the GLS, the Destinator GT gets Mitsubishi Motors Safety Sensing technologies such as ACC with Stop and Go Function, LCDN, FCM systems…
… a very thoughtful and courteous Automatic High Beam (AHB) system…
… and the innovative Mitsubishi Connect app that allows full control of the Destinator GT from a smartphone.
All these safety features plus the upgraded 8-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha audio system, smart rear view mirror, hands-free power tailgate and two-tone paint finish adds P340,000 over the GLS’ SRP, which prices our 2026 Mitsubishi Destinator GT at P1,939,000. The price tag might sound a bit hefty but like the GLS, the GT is attractive, fun to drive, nimble around the city, and surprisingly fuel-efficient. The GT’s additional features, such as the panoramic sunroof, hands-free power tailgate and 64-color ambient lighting takes it upmarket a couple of notches more, while the tried-and-tested Mitsubishi aftersales and service support makes it worth considering.
But wait there’s more! The Destinator GT’s 8-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha audio system makes our favorite music sound even more incredible!
It also comes equipped with a Smart Rear View Mirror that projects a clearer, better view of what’s behind the vehicle…
… plus a hands-free power tailgate opens with a swing of your foot under the rear bumper, which is useful when you’re carrying stuff like groceries or fat, sleeping cats, etc…
… plus a programmable 64-color ambient lighting system that will help get you in the mood to drive to farther destinations.
The two-tone paint finish adds P10,000 to the GT’s P1,929,000 SRP but it adds character and visual appeal.
If we were in the market for a 5-door, 7-seat, 3-row FWD compact MPV/SUV right now, the Destinator GT will be on top of our list. We know that there’s a fuel crisis and that an EV or a hybrid might make more sense, but after achieving 20.5 km/L, we now know that we just have to plan our trips for a quick, comfortable and fuel-efficient drive to any destination. (See? We’re really falling for the Mitsubishi Destinator. – Ed.)
Not to brag, but we achieved an average fuel mileage of 25.8 km/L on the Skyway but we think that we just got lucky. Traffic was unusually extremely light earlier that Holy Tuesday afternoon and we rarely needed to step on the brakes, which allowed us to drive very efficiently.
