Mitsubishi Challenger Reviews

Mitsubishi Challenger is a genuine 4WD, not a soft-roader dressed up to look like the real thing. In its early days, back at its Australian introduction in 1998, the Challenger was virtually a Mitsubishi Triton pickup with a station wagon body.  Sold as a lower-cost option to the Mitsubishi Pajero, Challenger shared

Mitsubishi Challenger returned to Australia in 2010 after an absence of five years.

Diesels have a lot going for them and sales are up in Australia. But they battle to sway buyers put off by agricultural noises from under the bonnet. It's hard enough to convince people in the middle of the weekday when the diesel chatter can be drowned in the hubbub of city noise. But at 5am on a public holiday when you're about the only car on the road, it is deafening. As I drove through the suburbs to start the road trip, the chatter felt loud enough to wake up the locals."Are you going to have to put up with this all day, dad?" asked one teenage daughter. "It'll be fine. Once I get out on the highway, it'll be right," was my hopeful reply. To be fair, once you're on the open road, get used to the noise - and turn up the sound system - you can forget you are in a big, noisy 4WD.The $56,990 5-seat Mitsubishi Challenger XLS was added to the range this year to sit below the Pajero, but above the Outlander, as a serious 4WD that buyers could still live with around town. It has been hailed by writers who took it offroad, but has come in for flak from those who tested it as a big urban runabout. I was trying both in one trip.Around the city the Challenger does feel agricultural, with the 4WD transfer gear stuck next to my left leg, but its size and high-seating position are handy in traffic. On the Hume Highway its a smooth though cumbersome cruiser. It's no sportscar and even old-model small sedans fly past. But the next day when we tackle a rough trek through several abandoned gold mining towns in the mountain forests of the Great Dividing Range the world changes for the Challenger.Faced with a challenge it responds in style. It chugs up the dirt roads that follow the Goulburn River with aplomb. However the onboard satnav is soon searching for answers. Not far out of civilisation and it shows we are driving in the river.And then it goes blank, well green actually. According to the screen we are lost in a forest somewhere. You'd think climbing to the top of the Great Dividing Range you'd actually be getting closer to the satellite but this proves to be uncharted territory. Not so good for an offroad machine.The road deteriorates seriously as we reach the tiny towns of Gaffneys Creek and A1 Mine Settlement - once bustling but now largely abandoned. The Challenger though takes the steep climbs on the narrow dirt roads easily.After passing through the hamlet of Woods Point we climb to the fabled town of Matlock (remember the old TV cop show Matlock Police from the 1970s, but there's no sign of actor Paul Cronin and his police motorcycle now though).What we are confronted with in the dusk is a sign to Walhalla that I think reads 24km. But it actually says 74km and the road becomes atrocious. It's basically a narrow collection of rocks hardly changed since the days of the packhorse. Great 4WD territory but the average speed drops to barely 30km/h as we battle to avoid the gaping potholes. We bounce away around the plateau and begin the descent into the valleys of upper Gippsland. There's no sign of wheel slip on the rocks and the Challenger's high seating position is valuable for peering off the edge of the road into the valley.While this is supposed to be a test of the Challenger's all-round capabilities it also becomes praise for the ability of a humble Toyota Camry. Because around the corner, coming up the hill in the dark we meet a Camry-driving couple with two kids in the back who not only tell us they are aiming to be hundreds of kilometres away near Albury that night, they are low on fuel and the kids are hungry...With the trip now taking a couple of hours longer than Google maps forecast, we roll on through the darkness. The lazy roar of the engine sounds like a bear. The last 10 kays, on the edge of a cliff with a river below, is a narrow one-lane descent. The satnav has given up all hope now. Occasionally a place name appears, drifts around the screen aimlessly and disappears.Finally we arrive at our destination of Walhalla, where the bitumen starts again. The Challenger, now totally covered in dust, has proved its worth as a versatile hauler. Folding the back seats over has given us enough room in the boot for two mountain bikes and our luggage, but you would need a bike rack with the rear seats in use.Fuel economy has been good but not great with the diesel. It averaged about 15L/100km around town but came down to nearer 10-11L/100km on the open road. But it is more frugal than the petrol model.Returning to Sydney via Canberra shows that the Challenger is also a comfortable highway driver. However, it will mostly suit people who are regularly heading off the blacktop. There are better buys on the market, including the Toyota Kluger and Ford Territory, if you rarely leave suburbia.It's a high step to get in and out of the car but once there the leather seats were comfortable and easily adjustable. The reversing camera was invaluable and should be a basic in cars of this size. Overall, it's a big machine, with heaps of lazy power, a bit too noisy, but a delight in the tough stuff.

The arrival of an all-new SUV should be a free kick for Mitsubishi in Australia.  It has always done well with four-wheel drives and the latest Challenger, just off the boat, should be a serious threat to anything in the running with serious off-road credentials. But that is two 'shoulds' with no certainty.  The new Challenger looks tough, and it is well equipped with plenty of gear and five or seven seats, and yet ...After driving the latest Toyota Prado, even though it sits a long way up from the Mitsubishi on price, the Challenger does not rate as highly as I expect. And there is something about the lack of refinement in the on-road package, and the lack of go from the turbodiesel engine. . .Still, Mitsubishi Australia is selling the new Challenger against the Nissan Navara, the Holden Captiva, and even the Ford Territory, and so its off-road and towing power will be a significant drawcard.  It is priced from $44,990 with five seats, or $48,890 with a third-row bench, and Mitsubishi has decided to go all-diesel on the engine front with automatics on everything beyond the basic LS model. Moving up through the line-up brings everything from leather seats and giant alloys to a reversing camera.The Challenger is actually a comeback car in Australia, as an earlier model was sold from 1998 and 2006. It now drops back in below the Pajero and above the Outlander wagon.  The previous model was all about off-road work but Mitsubishi says things have changed with the new one.“Owners of the previous model Challenger prized the vehicle for its real-world four-wheel drive ability, rather than its on-road comfort.  When it came to designing the new model, the clear intent was for the design to offer the best of both worlds – and we think we’ve nailed it,” says Rob McEniry boss of Mitsubishi in Australia. “This vehicle is completely new in every aspect and drives like a dream, both on- and off-road.”The Challenger takes a traditional approach to four-wheel drive work, with a body sitting on a ladder frame. It's suspension has wishbones at the front with coil springs in the rear and stabiliser bars to control roll. There is, of course, a set of low-range crawler gears.The 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine makes 131 kiloWatts with 400 Newton-metres of torque, with a claimed fuel economy as good as 8.3L/100km and a tow rating of 2500 kilograms.  The Challenger has a basic LS specification that still includes six airbags and ESP stability control.It's no surprise when Mitsubishi drops a fully-loaded Challenger XLS seven-seater into the Carsguide garage, still wearing battle scratches from a serious off-road drive at the Australian press preview. It looks tough in basic black with side steps and big allows, and a lot nicer than the latest Prado.But then I turn the key. And the diesel engine is much noisier than I expect, both from Mitsubishi and from 2010.  It is also lacklustre on the long climb away from home and the steering is vague, with far too many turns of the sporty little wheel. I'm hoping for better as I spend more time with the Challenger.Things definitely get better when we load the seven seats, and explore the luggage space - with the third row up and down - and the Challenger feels it can easily handle the worst of Australian roads and bush tracks. It's a serious off-roader and you can feel it, even around the 'burbs.But I do not like the shapeless seats, or the too-high driving position, and I can never feel comfortable with the effort needed to get the engine to go. It is a disappointment for day-to-day commuter use, even with the automatic gearbox.  I do like the final finishing, and the design of the dash and cabin, and to know that I could easily go towing or head out into the bush. But I spend almost all my time in day-to-day family work and I can think of plenty of other SUVs I would pick ahead of the Challenger for my needs.I know it will be great for off-road work, and is a great saving on a Pajero or Prado, but the Ford Territory is just as big and nicer for commuting and, provided you don't need to tow and only drive on gravel roads, something like the Toyota Kluger would be more relaxing and easier living.The Mitsubishi Challenger is just that - a challenge to drive.  I find the steering, handling and overall performance a bit sluggish and heavy.In fact, the steering is like driving a barge, except barges I have handled on the water are better. And the engine is as noisy and rattly as the Toyota HiLux I remember from long family trips in the 1980s.Even the rear-vision mirror wobbles in time with the engine, which is something new for me on a test car in 2010. On a positive note, the Challenger is great in the back seats with plenty of storage compartments for extras like shopping. The boot is a great size and could fit plenty even with the rear row seats being used, the reversing camera is big and clear, and the leather trim in the test car is well finished.The Challenger looks good, too. Nice and grunty, without being too futuristic.I like seven seats, with the last row being reasonably comfortable with own air-con vents and cupholders, as well as six airbags, so its a good attempt by Mitsubishi but one that I don't think challenges its rivals enough.The Bottom Line: Looks tough, too tough to drive.

The change is refreshing when it comes to getting into something with drive to all four wheels that can actually use it.  The new Mitsubishi Challenger has been a while coming back to the market but it has been worth the wait.With plenty of the good bits from its LCV Triton cousin, the Challenger turbodiesel - in this case an LS five-seater - sounds a little trucky when first started, but it's not thrashy or too rough from within.The $44,490 base-model five-seat LS (the auto starts from $46,990) sits on 17in alloy wheels, including a spare to match, has side steps, climate control, wheel-mounted cruise and sound system controls, power windows, remote keyless entry and central locking, a six-speaker CD sound system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter and cloth trim.The centre display shows the current radio station but also has a compass, trip computer, exterior temperature display, altimeter and even a barometer, although the last two are a bit naff - unless you're planning on drawing topographical maps or doing your own weather forecasting.There's dual front, side and curtain airbags, stability control and anti-lock brakes, so the equipment list is decent.But the best bits on the features list are what the company calls Super Select 4WD and the rear diff lock, the latter being standard fare.  The wagon can be run in 2WD or 4WD with the centre diff unlocked - the rear-wheel drive mode will give a slight reduction in fuel consumption but means you have to be a lot more judicious with the right foot, as 400Nm of torque can set the rear wheels talking.Run in 4WD mode, with plenty of city and country running, with some dirt work, the fuel consumption from the 131kW/400Nm 2.5-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder was still returning around 10 litres per 100km, despite hauling two tonnes around.Throwing the Challenger at unsealed surfaces didn't cause any concern at all, with the 4WD system offering ample traction. Rougher dirt showed the ladder-frame chassis still feels a little rubbery but the ride quality is good, the payoff being that it rolls around a little bit and the steering needs plenty of twirling in tight stuff.Locking the centre diff, employing the rear diff lock and getting into bumpier stuff doesn't deter the Challenger either, with more than enough gumption to get way off the beaten track, even on road-biased rubber.Complaints with the Challenger - the powerplant needs a solid prod of the throttle and 2000rpm on board before it hits its straps.  The 70-litre fuel tank is a little on the small side for a serious off-roader - even if it was running at 8.3l/100km it's range is well under 900km, which is below par for the category - the new Prado's tanks carry 150 litres.Rear vision is a little restricted, which would make parking sensors a must - a desire not unique to this model, but a safety feature that would be a good addition to all SUVs and wagons.If you have any desire get the wheels dirty on your family wagon, the new Challenger is priced competitively and will go much deeper into the scrub than most of the medium SUV offerings.

Challenger project manager Kazuhiro Notani described the new PB Challenger as an ‘all-round SUV’ with good performance in the city and bush, versatile accommodation for families and stylish looks.  He says it was developed for the growing SUV markets in Australia, Russia, South America, the Middle East and Asia where demand for large SUVs had decreased but small and medium SUVs were growing."Growth is higher in the serious off-roaders rather than in soft crossovers," he says.  "In Australia you need a serious SUV but it needs to be stylish, too.Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) CEO and president Robert McEniry says the Challenger fits between their Outlander and Pajero, but is not a soft crossover.  "It's not a pretend off-road vehicle like a lot of its competitors," he says."It has style and is an urban living vehicle but also a real 4WD vehicle."  Challenger product manager James Toll says the main rivals were the Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder.  "It's not too big and not too small," he says.  "We see this car as breaking down the stereotypes of SUVs."Variants and pricingThe Challenger hits the market at a starting list price of $44,490 for the LS five-speed manual. Add $2000 for the five-speed auto and a further $2400 for the auto with seven seats. The XLS range — available only in automatic — adds leather upholstery, satellite navigation, reverse camera and parking sensors, mud flaps, privacy glass, headlight washers, Bluetooth, upgraded sound system with video input, some exterior and interior bling and five-year premium roadside assistance.  The five-seater XLS costs $56,990 and the third row of seats adds $1600.DrivetrainWhile the previous model from 1998-2006 was powered by a three-litre V6 petrol engine, this one only comes with the 2.5-litre common-rail turbo diesel powerplant from the Triton.  It delivers 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque 2000rpm in the base model manual, but 350Nm of torque at 1800rpm in the four automatic models.Platform and abilityAlthough it is built on a new platform, other similarities with the Triton are that it is also built in Thailand, and has the same front suspension, front chassis, transmission, rear axle and Super Select 4WD system.  Challenger has a lift-up tailgate rather than a swing door, which Tol says made it better for towing.It also features a 2500kg braked towing capacity compared with the Triton's 3000kg, but Tol says that could be increased to 3000kg under warranty after further testing.  Off-road capabilities are enhanced by its ladder-frame chassis, Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system with a central diff and a push-button locakable rear diff with a 1.9 ratio low range, high clearance, massive wheel wells and good approach, departure and ramp breakover angles. High-range 4WD can be selected from 2WD at speeds up to 100km/h.Design and fit-outThe exterior is stylish with a high waistline, narrow windows but good visibility, high-set headlights and taillights and flared guards. It sits high on its wheels, but this is well disguised by the high silhouette. It comes in eight colours.  Inside is equally stylish with a healthy range of features in the LS and a bounty of creature features in the XLS.Seats are comfortable, head and shoulder room is good, and legroom is plentiful even in the third row which features a 50-50 split. Behind that there is still room for a couple of large old-fashioned suitcases with the spare tyre under the rear.Seven-seater models also get rear airconditioning and under-floor storage compartments.  Standard safety features include six airbags, and stability and traction control.  Tol says there were no options, but a wide range of accessories.Sales outlookMcEniry says dealer response to the Challenger had been "excellent".  "I'm confident we will have success with this model," he says. "The order lines are open and we have already exceeded our wildest expectations."Tol says the LS would represent about 75-85 per cent of sales.  He says they could attract customers from Outlander moving up, Pajero owners downsizing or owners of large cars such as Falcon, Commodore and Mitsubishi's former 380 and Magna models.DrivingTo highlight its ‘serious’ off-road potential, the vehicle was launched in Queensland with demonstrations at the 290-hectare Scenic Rim Adventure Park, near Beaudesert.  The park features steep terrain, sandy loam soil, rock climbs and dramatic drop-offs.  The Challenger met all challenges with ease.Surprisingly the Bridgestone Dueller H/T (highway terrain) tyres had plenty of grip even on the steep downhill loam sections, yet also remained quiet on the tar highway transport stages of the launch.   While the tyres were quiet and the wind noise low, the diesel powerplant groans loudly and coarsely under load and the automatic transmission accompanied it with vibration noises.The auto box also flared and hunted a bit through its soft change points. It is better to ‘manually’ select the ratios in sport mode.  The manual transmission was quiet, but the shift gate is huge and the clutch throw is heavy and long.  Steering is quite sharp on the road, but turning circle is wide. The wheel is adjustable for height only, not reach.Brakes are a bit spongy and lack bite for road conditions. They are more suited to off-road conditions where you don't want sudden response.The ABS system changes its character when the vehicle is in high-range four-wheel drive and again when low range is selected.Similarly, the stability control changes character, while traction control remains permanently on. The driver can manually switch off the stability control for mud and sand conditions.  On the tar it pitches and rolls as you would expect of a two-tonne SUV with a high stance.However, ride is excellent. It is smooth over the roughest of terrain, soaking up the big bumps yet the springs rarely let it hit the bump stops.  It certainly fits Mitsubishi's description of a comfortable all-rounder with a serious side.Mitsubishi PB ChallengerPRICES: $44,490-$$58,590ENGINE: 2477cc, 4-cylinder, common-rail turbo dieselPOWER: 131kW @ 4000rpmTORQUE: 350Nm @ 1800rpm (auto), 400Nm @ 2000rpm (LS manual)TRANSMISSION: 5-speed auto, 5-speed manual (LS), Super Select 4WD, 1.9 low ratioECONOMY: 9.8L/100km (auto), 8.3L/100km (LS manual)CO2 EMISSIONS: 259g/km (auto), 219g/km (LS manual)RIVALS:Ford Territory ($39,490-$66,420)Toyota Kluger ($41,490-$66,490)Nissan Pathfinder ($56,490-$63,240)

After being missing from the market for almost three years, the Mitsubishi Challenger has made a welcome return to the Australian 4WD scene.