Do I Mitsu?

Another Montero. But is it any better?

Mitsubishi is known to be a bit of a maverick in whatever they do. At a time when people dismissed the Evo as a four-door sedan trying hard to be a sports car, they proved everyone wrong by making it a hoot to drive, a handler par excellence and one that kicked up dirt in the eyes of even proven supercars.

It happened again in 2001, when cynics disapproved of Mitsubishi's plan to field the then-new third generation Montero for the gruelling Paris-Dakar using the combination of a monocoque, glued to a ladder frame. Not only did they think that Mitsu had lost the plot, they'd also given up the very essence of an off-roader with such a combination "" after all, body-on-chassis is what you need when you want to subject your car to a severe pounding.

But Mitsubishi had the last laugh. They not only won the title in 2001, but repeated it six times over. Now others are aping Mitsubishi's strategy, but are still struggling to get it spot on. Sure enough, with so many victories under the belt and the old adage that racing improves the breed, the fourth-generation Montero we see here should be a monumental jump. Ideally yes, but is it the case?

The erstwhile Montero was, what most would call, a relative of the disco era. It felt like it had too many curves and on a steroid diet with bulging wheel arches, fat body-cladding and mismatched panels. This one has taken the same theme, but the unwanted lines have been chiselled out and it's been made cleaner.

There's none of the biting lip bumpers anymore, instead, the sharper, more rectangular features make it more East European in appearance than oriental sushi. It's only the rear taillamps that feel a bit of an aftermarket fitment, but overall, this fourth generation Pajero feels more taut with a fine mix of lines, even if it shares the same greenhouse with its predecessor.

They've even smartened up the insides. Unlike the previous gen that felt a bit drab and also a bit lacking on kit and fit and finish, this one feels like it could make SUVs that cost twice as much feel naked. Both driver and front-passenger seats get power controls, but they have more to play around.

For someone like me who loves fiddling around, it is a tech delight. The digital trip makes algebra and geometry feel like child's play, plotting not only fuel efficiency and top speed figures on graph but also a compass, barometer and altimeter "" enough to take that detour to the beaten track rather than suffer the daily office commute traffic.

Then there are those seat warmers/coolers that make visiting the sauna a waste of money and a 12-speaker Rockford Fosgate system that allows you to hold a rock concert on your own. Mitsubishi have also provided rear parking sensors and a traction control button, both of which can be switched off. We suggest you keep the former on at all times, lest you end up paying the damages for someone else's car.

We headed to the outskirts of Mumbai to put the Montero through its paces. You immediately realise a few changes when you get behind the wheel. One, the instrument binnacle looks better. Two, when you crank it up, there's none of the excessive torque rock that the third-gen had, preventing all your grey matter from getting sloshed around.

This is thanks to the use of common-rail for the same 3200cc diesel block that now creates 164.5 bhp at 3500 rpm and 39.1 kgm of torque at 2000 rpm, making it a pony and two kgm down on both counts than its predecessor. The gearshift of the five-speed manual feels like the action is slightly balkier, though it still slots in place.

If you were to do standing starts in this car, the heavy clutch and the taller first gear would ensure that getting to 40 kph "" the speed at which the first gear maxes out "" takes too much time. Once you have slotted it into second and beyond does the torque wave and turbo really find the right set of ratios.

Through the gears, it builds up pace very well and given the right stretch of clear road, can notch up close to 175 kph as you near the horizon. Like the previous gen, here too the turbocharger kicks in without any lag, but the odd first gear also makes it a bit handcuffed around town, making it difficult to gauge what gear to stick in during bumper-to-bumper traffic situations.

As we sped up to our off-road location, the Montero was put through a set of twisties and even some bad roads before we hit pay-dirt. Where the third-gen Montero excelled was in ride and handling. It would glide over potholes like it never existed and handle the twisties with a bit of roll, yet provide ample amounts of grip.

But Mitsubishi's attempt at softening the car and making it more appealing to car owners looking to upgrade to an SUV has resulted in a trade-off. It still handles well and grips well, but there is more dive and pitch and it even has a tendency to roll more.

The steering feels heavier, and it is then that you realise that the additional 115 kg weight gain has negated the comfort benefits. Mitsubishi has stuck to the same double wishbone setup at the front and coil springs at the rear, but the suspension feels a bit loose and not as plush. The tweaking around with the package has actually dropped its on-road driving dynamics a notch lower and doesn't feel as capable as the erstwhile Montero.

None of it though is evident when you go seriously off-road. All that mechanical grip shows around the dirt track as you put one wheel on the grass and the other in the air. The sorted chassis makes it a joy to throw around while the semi off-road tyres give you tankfuls of grip. For all its salt and seven years' of victory worth, Mitsubishi haven't compromised on the off-roadability of the vehicle.

The high bumpers with their even higher angles of entry and exit allow you to push it hard, even though somewhere at the back of your mind, you know that it's a near Rs 36 lakh vehicle. Find a stream, put the wheels down and just let the advanced four-wheel drive do all the work. It's after all standard Monteros like these that have made European couples take a year out and travel the world on their set of four wheels.

Which brings me to the same question. Is it worth travelling the world in a Montero? Yes, it can be, given that it is still as capable off-road as ever and gives you close to 9.5 kpl overall "" which for a diesel SUV weighing in on the naughty side of 2.3 tonnes is an achievement. It's also very well loaded and offers a lot of kit for your money. As the sensible SUV for less than Rs 40 lakh, it does its job well.

But it is a bit too watered down for a Montero. It appeals too much to the senses of the urban dweller looking for the off-road fun once in a while, but doesn't live up to the perfect package Mitsubishi created with the previous generation. It will probably help Mitsubishi add yet another Paris-Dakar plaque to its showcase, but won't tingle the senses of an ordinary fella like me.