New Mitsubishi Challenger teased further
Mitsubishi reveals more of its new Challenger ahead of its August 1 world debutMitsubishi released the first official teaser image of its new-generation Challenger last week and now it has revealed more of its redesigned off-road SUV two weeks out from its world debut on August 1.
There's no fresh info on the third-generation Challenger, which is based on the fifth-generation Triton ute and will be shown for the first time at the 2015 Bangkok International Grand Motor Sale in Thailand, where it will be produced.
However, it's safe to assume the new Challenger – known as the Pajero Sport in Asian markets -- will be powered by the same 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel as the Triton.
And, as this teaser video shows, the MkIII Challenger will wear totally different front-end styling to the Triton – just as the Toyota Fortuner's face is differentiated from the HiLux on which it's based.
Other key ute-based rivals will include Ford's Ranger-based Everest, which arrives here in October along with the Fortuner, as well as Holden's Colorado-based Colorado7 and Isuzu's D-MAX-based MU-X.
Nissan is also planning a spiritual successor for its previous-generation Pathfinder, based on the new NP300 Navara, but it's not guaranteed to be sold in Australia.
Like all of those rugged ladder frame-based seven-seat SUVs, the Challenger will ride on coil-sprung multi-link rear suspension rather than solid leaf-sprung rear-ends found in their ute siblings (except the Navara, which is all-coil), bringing improvements in on-road ride and handling.
Apart from its Outlander-style nose, also evident from the video is the new Challenger's rising rear window line and muscular wheel-arches, and – like the latest Triton -- we expect its interior to take a dramatic step upmarket over its predecessor.
Due on sale Down Under early next year with pricing from about $40,000, positioning it beneath the evergreen Pajero, Mitsubishi has high hopes for its new Challenger in the healthy large SUV market, to which it will bring a locally developed chassis tune – just like the Everest and Fortuner.
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