Getting reacquainted with the Montero Sport

After months of teasing and leaked spy shots, the 2020 Mitsubishi Montero Sport has finally made its global debut in Thailand—known there as the Pajero Sport—last July.

The timing of the mid-cycle refresh was just about right considering that this third-generation mid-size SUV has been in the market since 2015 (except here in the Philippines where it was introduced in January 2017).

Both the front and rear sections of the SUV underwent visual upgrades, the most obvious of which are the grille, headlights and bumper segments. Mitsubishi designers kicked things up a notch by applying the updated corporate design dubbed “Dynamic Shield” that we’ve already seen on the all-new Strada pickup as well as the Xpander MPV.

Designers also refined the interior, putting in more soft-padded surfaces throughout this seven-seater while revising everything in the front seats—a new 8-inch digital instrument cluster and an updated 8-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system that could now support smartphone connectivity.

Powertrain retained

Owners of the current Montero Sport who might already be itching to own the new model should know that this refreshed version is still powered by the same 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine that generates maximum 178 horsepower and 430 Newton-meters of torque, and channeled to the road via an eight-speed automatic gearbox (paired to a Super Select system for the 4-wheel drive variant) or six-speed manual transmission.

Even the suspension setup remains unchanged: double wishbone coil springs in front and three-link torque arm with coil springs and stabilizer bars at the rear.

From this mechanical standpoint, this writer has been lucky enough to have recently driven the 2019 Montero Sport and got reacquainted with all its endearing features.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I needed to go to Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte. We knew this road trip would be a tough one as we only had a few days off from work. Needing to cover 450 kilometers, we estimated we had about 12 hours to cover this distance, taking into account the traffic situation along the route and the few short stopovers we had to make, especially for our pets that tagged along with us.

While this trip was a personal one, we figured that visiting a couple of famous landmarks wouldn’t hurt, considering that it has been almost a decade since we last toured the Ilocos region.

Starting from the historic city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, we ended up in the winding Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Of course we did cram a visit to the centuries-old Paoay Church and the mesmerizing Windmills of Bangui into our tight itinerary.

Fun to drive

Simply put, the Montero Sport is fun to drive—it handles smoothly over rough patches of the road, has responsive brakes, and is just as great for driving around town as it is on the highway.

Even in its current iteration, the Montero Sport’s interior is already well-designed with standard luxury details that include leather contoured seats with multi-layer cushioning of different firmness, keyless operation system with engine start/stop button, steering wheel controls, and electronic parking brake switch.

In spite of its size, the Montero Sport is an easy vehicle to maneuver on the road with excellent outward visibility and a high-set seat that isn’t a chore to climb into.

The Montero Sport is indeed well suited for comfortable long-range cruising. There is little on-road wallow and harshness from the suspension setup.

Providing car-like handling, it offers technologies and luxuries that can transform even the most mundane road trip into a serene experience.

Providing greater safety

We are in a new era of vehicle safety where focus is more on preventing a crash from happening rather than reducing death and injury in a vehicle collision.

The one I drove was the GLS 2WD 8 A/T variant wherein aside from being equipped with driver and front SRS airbags, and 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (with double pretensioner and adjustable anchor for the driver), it also has electronic brake force distribution technology, brake override system, reverse sensor and a rear-view camera.

The top-of-the-line variant GT 4WD A/T, is perhaps the safest in its segment as it is loaded with active safety features including Adaptive Cruise Control; Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS); Forward Collision Mitigation System (FCM); and Blind Spot Warning System. The combination of these features alone makes the Montero Sport a cut above the rest of its worthy rivals.

The UMC reduces the chance and severity of hitting anyone, other vehicles or any structure when the driver accidentally presses the accelerator when stationary or at speeds of up to 10km/h.

The system uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstructions in front of or behind the Montero Sport and will regulate engine power while emitting an audible warning.

The FCM on the other hand, employs a radar-based automatic emergency braking system when there is a risk of collision. The system issues a visual and audible warning to alert the driver of the threat. Moreover, brakes are pre-filled, boosting braking pressure should the driver respond to the warning and apply the brakes.

The BSW uses ultrasonic sensors to detect vehicles near the side and rear quarters of the Montero Sport.

Whenever you drive spiritedly on slippery road surfaces or during emergency maneuvers, the built-in Mitsubishi Active Stability & Traction Control or M-ASTC (available in the GT and GLS Premium variants) will utilize a comprehensive network of sensors to monitor each wheel, engine speed, acceleration, steering and vehicle altitude to manage engine output, power distribution and braking force.

For example, whenever the M-ASTC system detects that proper grip cannot be maintained at each tire, braking force is applied to one or more wheels while at the same time, engine output is automatically adjusted to help the driver maintain control.

In addition, sensors monitor the tire traction and work with the anti-lock braking system or ABS to counteract slipping on a wet or slippery patch of highway.

Even in its current version, the Montero Sport exceeded my expectations as it offered the best balance of comfort, convenience, and more importantly safety. It’s a charming ride for the family, a great choice for a family-hauler in the P1.6 million to P2.4 million price range with the ability to take them any place where there is a road or semblance of it.