Remembering the Mitsubishi Montero SUV in India

Full-grown luxury SUVs are becoming a style statement nowadays with very less focus on their capabilities i.e offroading. Well, the Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi has looked at the segment in a totally different way. On one side, carmakers like jaguar focussed more on luxury, Mitsubishi was busy working on ruggedness, this is where Montero was born. Mitsubishi with a totally different route made to the premium SUV segment in 2009. It is worth mentioning that Montero has won the toughest Dakar rally for more than 12 times. The fun part here is, the road spec Montero gets has the same DNA as the race-spec.

Just for you to know, Mitsubishi Montero is the facelifted Pajero. Montero and Pajero were sold in the Indian market India. Mitsubishi Montero was launched in 2009 in India with one of the best off-road technologies that still is a dream for some. Before wasting any more time, here is what Montero came with!

The Montero had a capable powertrain and drivetrain

When heading into the woods, one needs a perfect engine and transmission combo. This is where Mitsubishi came to life as for the time it got a fairly powerful engine with an equally good gearbox. This tough SUV gets a 3.2-litre 4-cylinder DIG diesel engine that pushes 121 ps and 383 Nm of peak torque. The motor was mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission, capable of sending the power to all the 4-wheels.

Later in 2016 Mitsubishi again tried to take over the sales with Montero by pitching it against premium soft road SUVs like Volvo XC90, and Jaguar F-Pace. But this time around it was introduced as a CBU. Yes! it was a CBU hence the prices were skyrocketing.

The 2016 Mitsubishi also got an engine upgrade and that was a 3.2 litre turbocharged DOHC common rail DI-D engine. The power was bumped up to 192ps and the torque went up to a massive 441 Nm. This time too, the SUV was mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Montero and its off-road capabilities

Those seeking adventure with a bit of luxury opted for this beast. The SUV with the superb engine and transmission combination proved to be a companion out in the wild. Montero was built on monocoque construction, unlike its rivals which were ladder on frame construction. With all the technology put into the SUV, it was capable of going anywhere and everywhere. Mitsubishi Montero got selectable driving modes. the modes included 4-wheel drive high, 4-wheel drive low, 4-wheel drive low with diff. lock and 2-wheel drive high.

What did the Mitsubishi Montero offer, feature-wise?

For the time the Montero came with a lot of techs but was not in the competition with its rivals. Well, Mitsubishi Montero was not a soft-roader in the first place. With that said, this rugged SUV came equipped with all the necessary features such as a decent music player, automatic climate control, and a MID for the driver. Montero gets leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, with chrome accents in various places which added to the luxury essence of the SUV. Talking about safety, it got a dual-airbags upfront, with ABS and EBD, and Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body.

The Mitsubishi Montero was indeed head-turning

A car manufacturer has to work hard in India to design a well-rounded package. You might have seen a Montero running on-road and one has to agree that it surely looks stunning. At the rear, the tailgate-mounted spare wheel enhanced the ruggedness of the vehicle with the number plate mounted on top. The taillights under the clear lens look soothing and the same theme is carried out in front. The headlights get a chrome finish with projector headlights.

In 2016, Montero got a couple of additions such as a premium 12-speaker sound system, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and headlight washers.

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Why did the Mitsubishi Montero Fail?

Well, this question has nothing complicated attached to it. As the Montero was a CBU all the taxes and import duties increased the price by 2 folds. Furthermore, the features offered on the interior were from the previous era making the Montero feel dated. Montero’s rivals offer a lot more bang for the buck, in turn, decreasing the overall value of this Mitsubishi.

SUV makers focused more on luxury while Montero was more inclined towards performance. Mitsubishi set a price tag of 37,00,000 on Montero in 2009 which increased to 68,00,000 in 2016. A significant increase in a span of 7 years! What do you think about the SUV? Was it good? Let us know in the comments section below.