Montero Sport

With the renowned Chocolate Hills in the background, the media group aboard the New Montero Sports make a pit stop.

Not long after the New Montero Sport’s lavish unveiling at the Grand Ballroom of Okada Manila last October, was the motoring media given the chance to test the capabilities and experience the riding comfort of the mid-life refresh of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.’s (MMPC) third-generation mid-size SUV.

MMPC brought a group of motoring journos to select sites in Bohol and its satellite island, Panglao for the first drive of its SUV model which also coincided with the launch of the brand’s “Ryoko” series.

A Japanese word for “journey” or “travel,” Ryoko will be MMPC’s catchphrase for every ride and drive event it will organize from now on.

“The Mitsubishi Ryoko Bohol is very special as this is the first of many that (MMPC) will organize for our Motoring media partners, offering them a glimpse into the Montero Sport owner’s lifestyle and at the same time, experience our latest SUV’s driving dynamics and luxurious refinement,” explained Alvin Dalida, MMPC First VP of Sales and Marketing Division as he welcomed the participants in Panglao.

Indeed, just as we’ve expected, there’s more to this SUV than just a facelift. But of course, the updated design is the New Montero Sport’s most appealing feature.

Dynamic Shield

People readily notice it, which is key. Just as BMW is instantly recognizable when one sees its kidney grille or the Lexus for its spindle grille, Mitsubishi is now readily identified by its Dynamic Shield front fascia styling, where the headlamps, large grille, and bumper garnish form an X-like shape.

Located at the rear panel of the center console is a new 220, V 150-watt AC power outlet, as well as two USB charging ports.

The Dynamic Shield now appears on all of Mitsubishi’s latest vehicle models, acting as its own badge or emblem. The man behind this is Tsunehiro Kunimoto, the Corporate VP of Mitsubishi Motors’ Design Division, who painstakingly transformed each of the model to feature one unifying design character. So when the public sees this design, there’s no mistaking about that automotive façade, it’s definitely a Mitsubishi.

Tech-savvy

Aside from sporting Mitsubishi’s next generation Dynamic Shield design language, the New Montero Sport is one of the most tech-savvy models the company has made, to date.

Debuting in the GT 2WD variant of the New Montero Sport is a stunning digital instrument cluster—usually seen on a handful of expensive cars today—to complement the updated 8-inch infotainment system that is now compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You’ll never run out of juice as there are a total of four USB ports inside the New Montero Sport (two just below the aircon controls).

This variant is also equipped with Smartphone Link Display Audio technology that even allows several functions to be displayed in the pop-up screen of the 8-inch LCD instrument cluster.

This feature makes driving safer as drivers can access a wide array of features without touching their mobile device, or taking their eyes off the road.

For motorists with Androidpowered devices, Android Auto allows them to enjoy Google Maps-powered navigation system, which provides step-by-step directions and automatically finds an alternate route if it detects heavy traffic. This navigation system also ports over saved destinations from your mobile device, so you don’t have to manually type in the address for “Home,” “Work,” or your favorite destinations.

The New Montero Sport’s taillights get revised LED internals and now stop at the rear bumper, rather than extending into it like before.

The GT 2WD 8AT variant is priced at P1.998 million while the GLS 2WD 8AT, equipped with analog meters and gauges, is priced at P1.769 million.

Even the tailgate of the New Montero Sport is now equipped with a power operation that allows the rear door to be closed and locked automatically with a switch. There’s also a height memory function wherein the tailgate opening height can be set based on the user’s preference.

This tailgate also features movement sensors that are positioned at the corners of the rear bumper. This allows the user to open and close the tailgate automatically by placing his or her foot in front of the sensors in an up-down motion.

Unchanged

The New Montero Sport’s engine remains unchanged: the 2.4-liter MIVEC Clean Diesel direct injection engine generates 179hp and maximum torque of 430Nm. Notwithstanding, this engine is now mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, which is a first in its class.

As our convoy covered the 74-kilometer distance from Bohol–Panglao International Airport, to Chocolate Hills Adventure Park in Carmen, Bohol, (our first stop for the Ryoko drive), we noticed, as driver and as passengers, how the New Montero Sport felt a bit different, perhaps a result of Mitsubishi calibrating the rear suspension (three-link coil spring with stabilizer bar) to deliver a more comfortable ride and toughness whenever one needs to drive this SUV off the paved road (this is not yet a 4×4 variant).

For those not yet familiar with the island, Bohol now boasts fine driving roads. After passing Tagbilaran City— Bohol’s capital—we went northeastward to Curella-Balihan Road that slices through the island’s mountainous interior. Afterward, we turned southeast to Carmen-Sagbayan-Bacan Road where it becomes more twisty as we neared Chocolate Hills Complex.

Debuting in the GT 2WD variant of the New Montero Sport is a stunning 8-inch digital instrument cluster.

Pressing down on the accelerator while executing hard turns, the New Montero Sport’s slightly tweaked suspension produced just a little lean when cornering at speed.

From a driving perspective, the SUV doesn’t feel like a big, heavy one, rather the New Montero Sport feels more maneuverable than it should be. Our ride is well damped and the body was well adjusted for comfort as it doesn’t make any intrusive noises.

One of the stopovers of the Ryoko drive, this twokilometer Bohol man-made mahogany forest is located at the border of Loboc and Bilar towns.

While the seven-seat interior is all what we would expect in an SUV, Mitsubishi added several more features including two USB ports and a 220-volt power outlet located at the console in front of second row occupants.

With all these updates for 2020, the New Montero Sport, first launched in 2016, is expected to perform even better sales-wise. The SUV presents great overall packaging and with more advanced equipment, it was a pleasure to have driven this SUV while enjoying Bohol’s windy and narrow country road.