All-new Mitsubishi Montero Sport GT Premium is ready to lead

By Botchi Santos November 18,2015
DAKAR Rally champion Hiroshi Masuoka with the final production-spec units of the  Montero Sport at the Fuji Gane Off-Road and 4x4 Park in Yamanashi Prefecture, Minamitsuru-gun, Japan.ardie lopez

DAKAR Rally champion Hiroshi Masuoka with the final production-spec units of the Montero Sport at the Fuji Gane Off-Road and 4×4 Park in Yamanashi Prefecture, Minamitsuru-gun, Japan.ardie lopez

WHILE it was the pickups that made headlines in 2015, I believe that 2016 will be the year of the pickup-based SUVs.

 

We’ve been teased by Toyota and Mitsubishi for their latest SUVs, and Ford has drawn first blood with the release of its all-new Everest, while Nissan remains coy about its Navara-based SUV.

 

I’ve yet to drive the all-new Everest, and the all-new Fortuner is still a few months away, but Mitsubishi graciously gave select media a chance to sample the final production-spec Montero Sport in Japan, of all places, at the Fuji Gane Off-Road and 4×4 Park, beside the beautiful Mt. Fuji at the Yamanashi Prefecture, Minamitsuru-gun, as a side trip to the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.

 

The all-new Montero Sport is very impressive. It sits on a class-leading improved-from-its-predecessor 2,800-millimeter wheelbase, which gives it impressive interior room, allowing slightly better space for the third-row occupants.

 

It has a decent ground clearance of 218 mm (most vehicles in the segment range from 210-220 mm), with a fording depth of 700 mm—100 mm better than its predecessor.

 

The Montero Sport also has a 30-degree approach angle, 24-degree departure angle and 23-degree ramp-over angle, making it highly capable off-road and in adverse road and weather conditions.

 

Thankfully, too, the Montero Sport comes with the tightest/smallest turning radius of 5.6 meters, whereas most of its competitors are over six meters. A quick U-turn on a narrow road is easy for this impressive SUV.

 

The engine is also new. Code-named 4N15, it displaces 2.4 liters yet delivers a massive 430 Newton-meters of torque plus 181 horsepower.

 

WITH MT. FUJI in the background, the Montero Sport flexes its off-road might.ardie lopez

WITH MT. FUJI in the background, the Montero Sport flexes its off-road might.ardie lopez

It’s not the fastest or the most powerful, but thanks to the new Aisin-sourced 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, Mivec variable valve-timing, VGT turbo technology and the lightest curb-weight in its class, it accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in roughly 11 seconds, delivers better handling both on- and offroad, plus arguably the best fuel efficiency in the segment.

 

This segment is also becoming more demanding and sophisticated, so Mitsubishi armed the latest Montero Sport with hill descent control, allowing the driver to crawl down a steep gradient at speeds of 2 to 20 kph.

 

ABS-EBD brakes are standard, as well as traction and stability control, to keep the Montero Sport on the straight and narrow path forward. There’s also Mitsubishi’s Super Select II 4WD system that has 2H, 4H, 4L and 4Llc modes.

 

Mated with the Off-Road Mode selector, the Montero Sport has very impressive abilities on tough surfaces, as the selector adjusts engine, transmission, ABS and traction control setting to help improve grip and stability.

 

To emphasize a point, Mitsubishi also added a locking rear differential as standard on the 4×4 models to really boost its offroad performance, to negate criticism that the Montero Sport is only a soft-roader.

 

It’s a pretty safe SUV, too. All models get at least two airbags, while the GT top-model variant gets seven, plus there’s Blind Spot Warning System and Forward Collision Mitigation and the aforementioned ABS-EBD brakes with brake assist and traction/stability control.

 

It also comes with things many luxury car feature as standard: push start/stop button, LED daytime running lamps and HID headlamps, leather interior with powered seats, the four-spoke steering wheel with auxiliary buttons for the multimedia system, GPS-SatNav with smartphone mirroring, a 360-degree-view camera which helps to maneuver it in tight spaces, 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/60R18 all-terrain Toyo Open Country tires, and the new Mitsubishi design theme called Dynamic Shield, which is meant to project a feeling of safety and security along with a bold and confident stance.

 

Specs-wise, the Montero Sport is impressive. But how is it to drive? In a word: amazing.

 

Get in, and you’ll notice how the seating position is far more comfortable, far more car-like, and far more spacious than its predecessor. The previous model had a slightly cramped foot well, a steering column angle made for short people, and not enough thigh support for tall drivers. The new model fixes all these faults.

 

Start the engine, and you’ll also realize how smooth the 4N15 engine is. Mitsubishi engineers made huge efforts to keep the new engine smoothly running, and doubled their effort to minimize NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) intrusion into the cabin. It’s pretty quiet inside.

 

Prod the throttle, and the 4N15 responds eagerly. Move off and the eight-speed automatic feels smooth, almost CVT-like, in its operation.

 

At Fuji Gane, the first obstacle is a steep uphill climb, and the Montero Sport conquered it confidently. It was followed by a sharp left, then by a short but steep drop, and then multiple mounds to get the suspension of the SUV working.

 

Therein lies another revelation: the Montero Sport has surprisingly good suspension travel. Mitsubishi engineers designed much more droop and suspension travel into the Montero Sport, even compared to the Strada pickup, which shares the same basic architecture as the Montero Sport. The Montero Sport kept its tires in contact with the ground at all times.

 

After the multiple mounds, you’ll reach the steep downhill descent, and let the hill descent control software do its work. We tried as low as 5 kph and as fast as 20 kph and the Montero Sport just breezed by casually in this section.

 

We came to another multiple-mounds section, and here you could really see how smooth and impressive the long-travel suspension is.

 

By the fourth lap around Fuji Gane, the throttle was pinned to the carpet and the Montero Sport was literally jumping and flying through this section.

 

The Montero Sport was unflustered as it literally sailed through the mounds before coming to a sharp left turn with a 30-degree banking to test its driving abilities on a sloping terrain, before finally hitting the moguls, which are both axle and chassis twisters of the worst kind.

 

Again, the Montero Sport displayed how solid its chassis felt, as the chassis box sections have grown in size to improve rigidity and stability.

 

The double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension kept the Montero Sport moving forward, even when one of the tires would lift completely, as we were instructed to crawl through this section to experience the Off-Road Mode Selector and Super Select II 4WD system working in perfect harmony. Even a newbie offroad driver wouldn’t think much about it!

 

The Montero Sport points to the future of this segment. It feels far more refined, luxurious and premium than its predecessor, has very car-like driving manners yet very highly capable offroad.

 

And the electric power steering has significantly lightened steering effort to make it a doodle to drive, even for female drivers.

 

It’s also very fuel-efficient and clean-burning. The 4N15 meets Euro IV emissions standards, the regenerative braking system saving as much as 17 percent in fuel consumption on long drives, and the carbon emission dipping below 200 grams per kilometer, the lowest ever in its class.

 

With its impressive spec sheet, improved driving dynamics and competitive pricing, the Montero Sport has what it takes to be the SUV king. Year 2016 will be an even more intense and exciting year for the automotive industry.

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