Mitsubishi Grandis review: the stylish seven-seater Bahrain forgot existed
2.9/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The Grandis is a genuinely pleasant seven-seater to drive, better resolved than its reputation suggests, and cheap precisely because almost nobody in Bahrain remembers it exists. Buy one only with a fat contingency budget for the balance-shaft belt and timing chain service that this engine family is known to need on schedule, and only if you have already ruled out a Toyota or Honda alternative for reasons that matter to you specifically.
Pros
- More car-like driving position and ride than a typical boxy seven-seat MPV
- Genuinely usable third row for adults on short trips
- Shares its well-proven 2.4L engine with the Lancer, Outlander and Space Wagon of the era
- Rare enough that a good example is cheap
Cons
- Balance-shaft belt and timing chain guides need scheduled attention this engine generation is known for
- Four-speed automatic feels dated next to five- and six-speed rivals
- Boot space with all seven seats up is genuinely tight at 268 litres
- Parts supply leans on general Mitsubishi stock rather than model-specific parts
Mitsubishi built the Grandis to look and drive less like a van and more like a tall estate car, and on both counts it succeeded. The swept roofline and low beltline give it genuine kerb appeal next to a Previa or an Odyssey, and the driving position sits lower than a typical MPV, which makes it feel more car-like from behind the wheel than its seven-seat, sliding-free-door layout suggests.
The 2.4-litre MIVEC four is the same well-proven unit Mitsubishi used across the Lancer, Outlander and Space Wagon families of the period, and it pulls the Grandis's roughly 1.6-tonne kerb weight adequately rather than urgently. It is not a car that struggles in Bahrain traffic, but it is also not quick, and the four-speed automatic feels a generation behind the five- and six-speed units its Japanese rivals had adopted by the time production ended.
Space and practicality
Second-row captain's chairs slide and recline generously, and the third row is usable by adults for short trips in a way many rivals only manage for children. Boot space with all seven seats up is tight, though, at 268 litres — plan on folding the third row for anything beyond a supermarket run.
Ownership reality
This is the harder conversation. Grandis numbers in Bahrain were never high, so parts availability now leans on general Mitsubishi 4G69-family stock rather than model-specific supply, and the balance-shaft belt and timing chain guides on this engine generation are a known service item that cannot be skipped without risking expensive damage. Budget for a specialist inspection before buying, not after.