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Carsales Staff26 Mar 2013
REVIEW

Mitsubishi Challenger 2013: Road Test

There's a reason why Mitsubishi's workhorse large SUV looks and feels old -- because it is

Mitsubishi Challenger LS
Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $47,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Four-star ANCAP
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 259
Also consider: Holden Colorado 7 (from $46,990), Ford Territory (from $39,990), Kia Sorento (from $37,490), Nissan Pathfinder (from $48,890)

Pitched at family buyers who need to tow and like going bush, the Challenger has its uses but there's no getting away from the fact that's it's an old car.

If you don't mind a rough-around-the-edges experience, the car might appeal but compared to other vehicles on the market, the Challenger is beginning to show its age.

Tested here, the five-seat Challenger LS variant is found to be a comfortable cruiser with a high ride height, which benefits the driver's view around town and its off-road prowess in the bush, while a large interior improves its load-lugging ability.

Ride quality is neither outstanding nor terrible, offering middling levels of comfort, but bearing in mind that the vehicle is based on a light-commercial utility vehicle (Triton), it's easy to live with. However it should noted that while the Challenger shares its front suspension with the ute, the rear part of the chassis is different, making use of more compliant coil springs where the Triton gets load-bearing leaf springs.

Considering the Challenger's ability to ably navigate rough terrain, it does a good job in the handling department. The large 4695mm long vehicle is capable of tracking through roundabouts and sweeping corners with a modicum of poise.

On the road, the steering is best described as light and woolly but it's off-road where the car really makes it mark. Together with a (braked) towing capacity of 2500kg, the Challenger has ground clearance of 220mm, with approach, departure and rampover angles of 35.6, 24.6 and 23.1 degrees respectively, giving it the sort of scope to venture deeper than a lot of modern SUVs.

With above-average wheel articulation and Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system, the Challenger happily traverses rough fire trails and instils confidence in the driver to tackle nasty-looking passes and gnarly climbs that might otherwise look too challenging.

On top of the regular high-range 2WD used for sealed roads, the Super Select part-time 4WD system packaged with the five-speed auto has a few modes to play around with when heading off the beaten track, including high-range 4WD which suits graded gravel roads and high-range 4WD Lock, which locks the centre diff to deliver further traction gains for use on slippery ground.

While the above three modes can be engaged at speeds of up to 100km/h, the low-range 4WD mode requires the vehicle to be stationary, and is suited to really tricky terrain such as low-speed rock climbing and steep inclines.

The Challenger has solid off-road capabilities and the capacity to tow significant trailers is another boon, but that's where the positives end.

The diesel engine is best-described as agricultural in the way it functions. Brands like Hyundai and Nissan to name two offer refined, muscular diesel engines that operate relatively quietly, while the 2.5-litre four-cylinder oiler in the Mitsubishi Challenger is the opposite -- loud, clattery unsophisticated and far from brawny.

Mitsubishi has opted for a five-speed automatic gearbox which does a decent job keeping the engine on the boil, doing so with relative ease, but the engine simply doesn't inspire. Its 131kW/400Nm is certainly not class leading, and though we didn't get a chance to tow, it strikes me that there are far better options out there for towing.

Fuel efficiency wasn't bad. We managed about 600km from the first tank of a fuel (70-litre capacity), with about 100km worth of stop-start urban driving and the rest a mixture of smooth commuting, free/tollway driving and a few short off-road stints.

While the 11.6L/100km average is not quite the 9.8L/100km Mitsubishi quoted, it's not bad considering the car's 2051kg kerb mass, though is not as frugal as Holden Colorado's claimed 9.5L/100km.

The few times the stability control chimed in to put an end to wheel slip/slide on sealed roads, the car's age was again clear as day, the abruptness of the system jolting the car on one occasion.

This long-toothed feel extends to the interior which is in dire need of an overhaul, something that is unlikely to happen until after the next generation Triton (www.motoring.com.au/news/2013/commercial/mitsubishi/triton/geneva-motor-show-triton-concept-unveiled-35419) arrives, which is expected in 2014.

There's a dated-looking digital compass and the centre console features equally dated-looking stereo and HVAC controls. I also thought the seats felt a bit low, or perhaps the floor was too high. Whatever the case, vertical space is at a premium.

Everything works and is easy to operate from the driver's seat -- the car gets must-haves such as cruise control and steering wheel audio controls -- and is generally easy to drive. There's also a good swag of features as standard, such as leather trimmed steering wheel, park brake, gear and transfer levers. There is also remote central locking, CD/MP3 stereo with USB socket, plus exterior add-ons like side steps and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/65 tyres.

Cloth seats are nothing to write home about and there are seven seat versions of the Challenger available that would suit family buyers but the five-seater on test was a handy vehicle during the week, making light work of shifting a few bulky pieces of furniture across town thanks to easy fold/tumble second-row seats.

It should be noted however that the rear wheel arches impinge on cargo width toward the rear, and the car was also tough to park in underground carparks.

Based on a vehicle that first broke cover in 2006, the 2013 Mitsubishi Challenger looks and feels a bit arthritic. It's probably not the worst vehicle in its class -- the Holden Colorado's diesel engine is a shocker -- but the simple fact of the matter is that this car is a generation behind.

The main reason we’d buy this car is for towing or off-roading, but the fact of the matter is other vehicles do both these things better, and are safer at that. Try before you buy.

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Written byCarsales Staff
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