Best Gets Even Better

MANILA, Philippines - By the end of the day, the Clark International Speedway filled with the smell of burnt rubber and petrol fumes. The dust had barely settled and another car tore through the tailor-made on-road/off-road obstacle course. This could have just been a regular rally cross; only in this instance, the fumes were purely diesel. If there were any doubts to the “Sport” in its “Montero Sport” namesake, then Mitsubishi Motors Philippines firmly quashed them all as another Montero Sport sped through the circuit’s start/finish straight.

After its debut in August 2008, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport has become the darling of the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) scene. It’s the country’s third best-selling vehicle, with 12,247 units sold in 2010 alone. For Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, the Montero Sport is an important vehicle in its portfolio, representing 37.8 percent of its sales. With a car that’s selling like hotcakes, Mitsubishi could have pretty much rested on its laurels as it waits for its competitors to catch their breath. But that’s just not their style. And now, serving as the final nail to its rivals’ coffins, the 2011 Montero Sport arrives.

For 2011, Mitsubishi appends a “V” to every Montero Sport equipped with an automatic transmission; the “V” representing a new engine residing in its hood. The 4D56 16-valve 4-cylinder diesel engine now sports a variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) with intercooler, bumping the Montero Sport’s power output to 178 PS and 350 Nm of torque from just 2.5 liters of displacement. Mitsubishi also reckons that the Montero Sport’s new VGT technology reduces the lag time and increases the engine’s overall efficiency across the entire RPM range. In fact, they’re quoting 13.5 km/L for the 4x2 GLS V and 12.0 km/L for the 4x4 GTV in a recent Department of Energy (DoE) fuel economy test. Meanwhile, the manual transmission equipped 4x4 GLS and 4x2 GLX soldiers on with the non-VGT engine, still good for 136 PS and 314 Nm of torque.

Though the GLS V model carries on with the 4-speed INVECS-II automatic as before, the GTV adds more driving excitement by pairing the VGT engine with a 5-speed INVECS-II automatic transmission with Sportronic manual override. And aside from the +/- slot on the transmission base, the GTV completes the package with Magnesium Alloy paddle shifters on the steering column.

The Montero Sport is underpinned by front double wishbones with coil springs and rear 3-link coil suspension with a long trailing arm design. With stabilizers fitted to both ends, the Montero Sport shows surprisingly controlled body roll during cornering. In addition, the rack-and-pinion steering system provides good road feel, better response and a class-leading turning radius of only 5.6 meters. Both the GLS V and GTV are fitted with 265/65 R 17 Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires mounted on multi-spoke alloys for excellent grip on and off the road.

Completing the GTV’s handling package is the very same four-wheel drive system found in the legendary Pajero: the Super Select 4WD system. Thanks to its synchronized free-wheel front differential, the driver can switch from two-wheel drive to high-range four-wheel drive even at speeds up to 100 km/h and back at any speed with just a movement of the lever. In addition, the hybrid-type limited slip differential provides additional assurance that power will be transmitted as positive traction to all wheels.

Inside, the 2011 Montero Sport gets new, modern appointments such as a red lit high-contrast instrumentation cluster, power folding side view mirrors and multimedia, multi-information system called 3-MID (except the GLX which has an Alpine audio system). The 3-MID features a 1-DIN in-dash CD/DVD/MP3 head unit with Bluetooth, USB and iPhone/iPod connectivity. And aside from the physical shortcut buttons on the head unit itself, the 3-MID can be controlled via a 7-inch LCD touch screen. The very same touch screen interface brings with it a wealth of other information including: outside temperature, fuel consumption, speed, range, direction (compass), outside pressure, elevation and periodic service maintenance reminder. Additionally, the GLS V and GTV come equipped with GPS navigation systems. The GTV also receives standard tire-pressure and temperature sensors.

Throughout the line, the Montero Sport gets a leather steering, piano black veneer paneling on the center console, metallic accents scattered throughout the cabin and water-repellant fabrics on the seats. The GTV meanwhile gets a touch of luxury with wood grain paneling and light gray genuine leather seats with 8-way power adjustment for the driver.

Though almost nothing changes with the Montero Sport’s exterior, those opting for the GTV will receive subtle, yet distinct changes to set them apart. The GTV flaunts a new sporty honey-comb grille with GTV emblem. Other features complimenting the new grille are HID headlamps with pop-up washers, front fog lamps with silver ring garnish, a rear fog lamp with integrated stalk switch, chrome side mirrors and tail pipe finisher and a carbon fiber finished rear spoiler.

All in all, the Montero Sport is now available at Mitsubishi dealers nationwide in eight colors: Gemstone Grey Mica, Cool Silver, Sedona Red, Savanna White, Pyrenese Black, Claysoil Beige, Lorenz Blue Mica and Quartz Brown. The Montero Sport GLS V is priced at P1,408,000 and P1,688,000 for the GTV.

At the very same venue, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines presented two new variants of the best-selling Strada pick-up: the 4x2 2.5 GLX V A/T and 4x4 GLS Sport V A/T. Like the Montero Sport, both of these new Strada variants are now powered by a variable-geometry turbo diesel engine that’s also good for 178 PS and 350 Nm of torque. Similarly, the GLX V A/T uses a 4-speed automatic, while the 4x4 GLS Sport V uses a 5-speed automatic with Sportronic manual override. These two variants also sport the 3-MID multimedia, multi-information system for unparalleled comfort and convenience. The Strada GLX V A/T retails for P1,030,000 while the GLS Sport V A/T sells for P1,295,000.

Though they’ve both been perennial best-sellers since their respective introductions, the arrival of the 2011 Montero Sport and Strada raises the bar even higher. Clearly, the arrival of these two new offerings from Mitsubishi leaves its rivals eating dust. Both the Montero Sport and Strada are ready to set the benchmark once again for performance, riding comfort and value for money in their respective segments.