To Malaysians holding out for the recently-unveiled Mitsubishi Xforce, rest assured that the model will be coming to our shores, as confirmed by Takao Kato, the President of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC).

Speaking to media at the car's global debut in Indonesia recently, Kato has this to say: "In Malaysia, this car will be available. We have a plan to sell this car also in Malaysia. We haven't decided the timing, but it is possible."

When asked whether the model will make its way here as a locally-assembled (CKD) or fully-imported unit (CBU), Kato said that these considerations are still being studied.

"For the moment we have not decided yet. Right now we are studying which way would be better, either export or local production but in any case, we have already decided to sell in Malaysia," Kato continued.

Also read: Mitsubishi Xforce debuts in Indonesia - ASX successor guns for HR-V

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia currently sells two models; the Xpander is CKD in Pekan, while the Triton is CBU from Thailand. Having the Xforce assembled here will be beneficial for it in terms of pricing, and further solidify its position as a competitor to the strong Honda HR-V.

To recap, the Xforce is a car specially designed for the Southeast Asian market, built to take on the subcompact SUV category. Power comes from a naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre MIVEC 4-cylinder petrol unit (shared with the Xpander) that produces 105 PS and 141 Nm, while a hybrid variant is in the works.

Also read: Bound for Malaysia, here are 30 tantalising photos of the Mitsubishi Xforce as it takes on the HR-V!