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Mitsubishi Montero: A car not to miss
August 13, 2007
They've even smartened up the insides. Unlike the previous gen that felt a bit drab and also a bit lacking on kit and fit and finish, this one feels like it could make SUVs that cost twice as much feel naked. Both driver and front-passenger seats get power controls, but they have more to play around.
For someone like me who loves fiddling around, it is a tech delight. The digital trip makes algebra and geometry feel like child's play, plotting not only fuel efficiency and top speed figures on graph but also a compass, barometer and altimeter -- enough to take that detour to the beaten track rather than suffer the daily office commute traffic.
Then there are those seat warmers/coolers that make visiting the sauna a waste of money and a 12-speaker Rockford Fosgate system that allows you to hold a rock concert on your own. Mitsubishi have also provided rear parking sensors and a traction control button, both of which can be switched off. We suggest you keep the former on at all times, lest you end up paying the damages for someone else's car.
We headed to the outskirts of Mumbai to put the Montero through its paces. You immediately realise a few changes when you get behind the wheel. One, the instrument binnacle looks better. Two, when you crank it up, there's none of the excessive torque rock that the third-gen had, preventing all your grey matter from getting sloshed around.
This is thanks to the use of common-rail for the same 3200cc diesel block that now creates 164.5 bhp at 3500 rpm and 39.1 kgm of torque at 2000 rpm, making it a pony and two kgm down on both counts than its predecessor. The gearshift of the five-speed manual feels like the action is slightly balkier, though it still slots in place.
If you were to do standing starts in this car, the heavy clutch and the taller first gear would ensure that getting to 40 kph -- the speed at which the first gear maxes out - takes too much time. Once you have slotted it into second and beyond does the torque wave and turbo really find the right set of ratios.
Through the gears, it builds up pace very well and given the right stretch of clear road, can notch up close to 175 kph as you near the horizon. Like the previous gen, here too the turbocharger kicks in without any lag, but the odd first gear also makes it a bit handcuffed around town, making it difficult to gauge what gear to stick in during bumper-to-bumper traffic situations.
As we sped up to our off-road location, the Montero was put through a set of twisties and even some bad roads before we hit pay-dirt. Where the third-gen Montero excelled was in ride and handling. It would glide over potholes like it never existed and handle the twisties with a bit of roll, yet provide ample amounts of grip.
If you were to do standing starts in this car, the heavy clutch and the taller first gear would ensure that getting to 40 kph -- the speed at which the first gear maxes out - takes too much time.
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