Motoring Reviews Guide to the Mitsubishi Challenger 4X4

The new version of the Mitsubishi Challenger has retained all the off-road technology features of its predecessor and packaged them into a very stylish new package. Unlike many of the medium sized four by fours (commonly called soft-roaders in Australia) this vehicle is made to handle the rough stuff in style. You can go anywhere in virtually any four wheel drive, including the soft-roaders, but it is the getting back than can sometimes be a little difficult and the Mitsubishi Challenge will get you back every time.

Selection to four wheel drive is through a selector lever mounted conveniently on the transmission hump together with a hi range – low range selector and differential lock. The ride is extremely comfortable due to the coil springs on each wheel. While most of the competitiors have moved to the pressed metal monocoque chassis, because of the weight and safety issues, Mitsubishi, calling on their extensive experience in four wheel drive vehicles, has built the Challenger on a ladder chassis that is almost bullet proof.

The Challenger has a lot of similarities to the Triton utility, sharing the engine, transmission and interior styling. The double wishbone front suspension performs well in the roughest of conditions and together with the three link rear suspension helps to keep all the wheels in contact with the driving surface. The extensive list of options include leather seats, a reversing camera, satellite navigation and a three row seating configuration to seat 7 people.

The Challenger is made in the Mitsubishi plant in Thailand and has only the one engine available in all models. The old 3.0 litre turbo diesel has been replaced with a much more powerful 2.5 litre 4 cylinder turbo diesel putting out 131kW of power. The manual gearbox version has an output of 400Nm while the auto is reduced to 350Nm. The fuel economy has been improved through better engine technology and savings through weight reduction and at 8.3 litres/100km it is excellent for a four wheel drive vehicle of this weight.

Priced between forty four and a half to fifty seven thousand for the top of the range all models come with four wheel disk brakes, six air bags, stability control,alloy wheels with full size spare, lift up tailgate and roof rails. I found it a little awkward not having a steering wheel reach adjustment but within ten minutes I was comfortable with where it was anyway. The Challenger looks good parked at the coffee shop at the beach and performs well in the harsh conditions of the Australian outback.

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Tags: Bullet Proof, Coil Springs, Differential Lock, Double Wishbone, Engine Technology, Four Wheel Drive Vehicles, Fuel Economy, Leather Seats, Manual Gearbox, Mitsubishi Challenger, Mitsubishi Plant, Motoring Reviews, Reversing Camera, Rough Stuff, Satellite Navigation, Seating Configuration, Technology Features, Time Selection, Turbo Diesel, Weight Reduction, Wheel Drive Vehicles