WHILE YOU’RE BUSYING READING THIS AND SIPPING YOUR HOT TALL LATTE; pause and offer a prayer of thanks to the Sport Utility Vehicle. Long before soccer moms used it as a means to carry the kids and long before P. Diddy dressed them in everything that sparkled, the SUV was a defender of peace and freedom. In fact, it’s still as ubiquitous on the battle field as an Abrams Assault Tank. And while it’s still being used to hunt Osama Bin Laden, the SUV is under attack from another sort of foe—one of the corporate kind. You see, this instrument of peace-keeping is now being transformed into a mere jacked-up family wagon. Now, there’s a large myriad of SUVs to choose from: crossovers, car-based, all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive—you name it, the companies have it. But what if you don’t care about sunroofs, electric seats or a fancy sound system? What if, all you want is an SUV built like the way they were used to: tough and capable—a venerable mountain goat on wheels? Well, heavens be praised, there’s the Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
While its rivals have all gone soft, the Montero Sport maintains a go-anywhere, do-anything attitude. Size wise, the Montero Sport slots in between the legendary Pajero and the stylish Outlander. However, don’t let the “middle-size” classification fool you; it’s more than perfect for Manila roads. It has the compactness to fit into tight city streets, but still has the gravitas to let people know you’ve arrived. It has a 500 mm wading depth, enabling it to tackle most Metro floods but a short overall height enables it to clear most, if not all, underground parking structures.
In terms of styling, the Montero Sport blends the traditional with the modern. The former is visible with the large headlamps, squat stance and squared-off body—details also seen in Mitsubishi’s other SUVs. On the other hand, the chopped roofline, triangular shaped grille, monotone body color scheme and rear deck spoiler lend it visual drama that’s unmistakably futuristic. Appending ‘Sport’ to the Montero name doesn’t just end with a badge job. This SUV is well kitted with athletic apparel such as a functional hood scoop, 16-inch alloys with wide 255 mm cross sections, front fog lamps with faux brake cooling ducts and a rear spoiler with integrated rear lamp. Overall, it’s a perfectly proportioned, well-detailed SUV except for minor pitfalls. For instance, the side step board is beautiful to behold, but is very slippery even on a scorching dry day. Another is the location of the key fob, which is below the door handle—a styling cue that dates the Montero Sport to the 1990’s.
Speaking of the 1990’s, the Montero Sport is actually a product born from that era. So, entering its cabin is like being sucked back in time. Interior materials are rather crude—some actually shared with Mitsubishi models long gone. Don’t let that dishearten you though: the cockpit is an ergonomic design—a throwback to Mitsubishi’s golden age. Every control is logically placed from the ventilation knobs to the fog lamp switches. The titanium-faced instrumentation and three-meter combination center cluster adds some machismo inside, while the 2-DIN Alpine audio unit is a joy to use and can actually be operated without reading the owner’s manual. The use of “black marble” accents instead of fake wood is commendable and looks absolutely spot on with the rest of the interior, especially with the black leather seats. Though the seats are well-designed and comfy, the Montero Sport seats only five instead of the usual seven or eight found in its rivals.
Unlike its rivals though, this is one SUV you’ll appreciate flipped over. The front Double Wishbone comes from the multi-awarded L200 pick-up, while the Rigid Axle, 3-Link with Coil Spring rear end is lifted from the Baja Desert conquering Pajero. In addition, the Montero Sport also benefits from Mitsubishi’s Easy Select 4WD drive system. This enables the driver to shift on the fly from 2H to 4H from speeds up to 100 km/h thanks to a free-wheel front differential. There’s also a 4L mode for getting out of sticky situations. All in all, the resulting combination is nothing short of robustness and durability. On the open road, the Montero Sport feels every bit an SUV: solid and robust. It simply glides through any sort of bump whether small or crater-sized. The downside to this kind of suspension design is the rather cruel ride. Unlike car-based crossovers or those gargantuan American SUVs, the Montero Sport rides firm with a capital ‘F’. Entire lunches can be barfed out under the tremendous shudders that plague this SUV’s cabin.
However, if you wait 45 minutes after every meal, the Montero Sport can turn to a good driving experience. At its heart is a durable 2.8-liter diesel inline-4. Turbocharged and intercooled, it generates a modest 125 horsepower and 289 Nm output. Mated to a 4-speed automatic, the Montero Sport accelerates well from standstill. In can tackle highway speeds, but expect progress to slow down beyond the century mark. Even so, the Montero Sport handles pretty tidily thanks to good, weighted steering. Shortfalls are relatively minor on the Montero Sport’s performance. First has to do with the overly audible engine, which makes conversations a bit harder under a lead foot. Not that’s entirely discomforting, but it’ rather annoying. Second has to do more with the Montero Sport’s cumbersome cornering ability on tight bends. Though it’s to be expected in this sort of vehicle, it requires a lot more steering effort to turn into those MMDA U-Turn slots.
In the end, it’s obvious that the Mitsubishi Montero Sport isn’t perfect in any one aspect, whether it be styling, performance or whatever. However, taken as a whole, it comes out as an excellent vehicle—especially for those who venture the great outdoors. It may not be as sophisticated or suave as its rivals, but then again, that hasn’t been the allure of the Montero Sport nameplate. Part of its almost mythical identity has to do with this SUV’s popularity in the biggest SUV market in the world, the United States. Now that it’s officially available in the Philippines, it’s not hard to see why. The Montero Sport is a no-frills vehicle. It doesn’t have any passenger car pretensions. It’s robust, sturdy, capable and solid; the very adjectives that should describe a proper SUV.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
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