Update: 2010 Mitsubishi Challenger Review
The brand new Mitsubishi Challenger is now available in Australia from a starting price of $44,490 and to celebrate the launch of the new medium-sized SUV, Mitsubishi Motors Australia invited the motoring press to Queensland to experience the Challenger range first hand.
The original Mitsubishi Challenger launched in Australia in 1998 and was dropped from the company’s showrooms in 2006. During its eight years on the market over 14,000 Australians took a Challenger home and a quick search online will tell you that there are still many happy owners out there enjoying their reliable and trusty Mitsubishi.
According to Robert McEniry, Mitsubishi Australia president and CEO, the previous model was more regarded for its off-road ability than its on-road comfort. The new 2010 Mitsubishi Challenger however, is designed from the ground up to sit between the Outlander and the Pajero, offering all the best soft-roader bits of the Outlander and all the off-road performance of the Pajero. But does it?
To find out we started our journey from Brisbane airport heading towards Albert River Wines vineyard through Beaudesert and the Mount Lindsay highway. As an on-road medium sized SUV, you can be forgiven for thinking it’s a little rugged looking.
From the outside, it doesn’t look like a typical soft-roader or something you’d drive around the city everyday. With a 215mm ground clearance it sits relatively high and the black rear bumpers give it an even more prominent and aggressive stance.
Although it’s not entirely based on the Mitsubishi Triton design, it shares the same engine, transmissions, front end and some suspension. Hence there is only so much sophistication you can build into a workhorse turned medium-SUV.
Nonetheless as far as Japanese SUVs go, it’s one of the better looking ones. Mitsubishi says it has blended seemingly contradictory elements to create an exterior look that is both cool and hot or tough and smart. And it works. In some ways it looks like a car that you’d only take off-road whilst in many ways it doesn’t look out of place in a city environment either.
Mitsubishi has adopted the family design for the Challenger which looks very similar to the Outlander and Lancer from both the front and rear, which is a good thing as the Lancer is the most attractive model in Mitsubishi showrooms.
A lot of thought has gone into the design, for example the front is built to allow high-speed off-roading (more on this later) by protecting against flying debris.
Exterior design aside, from the inside the Challenger is more modern than you may think. The high-end variants come with reversing camera, satellite navigation, bluetooth and a pretty darn good sound system.
There is ample headroom and storage compartments and you can pick either a five-seat or seven-seat setup with the ability to fold away the second and third rows for more storage capacity.
My main complaint with the interior was the “leather-look” insert in the door trims and around the centre console of the high-end variants. It looks a little out of place and unnecessary, the Challenger base-model interior which makes do with shiny plastic (but no leather seats) has a more classy feel to it as a result.
As far as the optional third row goes, having sat in the seventh seat for about 10 minutes, I’d say they are pretty good for children or small adults, however if you’re 180cm or taller you’ll still fit but you’ll be hoping it’s a short journey.
Driving feel on-road is exactly what you’d probably expect, leave the transmission in 2H (which means the power is being directed to the rear-wheels only) and you’ll get around the city just fine. Although the car measures nearly 4.7M long it has a turning circle of 11.2m (kerb-kerb) so getting in and out of places isn’t all that difficult. Front suspension is double wishbone type and the rear comes with a three-link design utilising coil springs.
After a two hour on-road drive we arrived at Scenic Rim Adventure Park which is designed primarily to test the ability of four-wheel drive vehicles. Usually when car companies invite the media to test their cars in an off-road environment it always feels rather controlled and a tad too easy. Not this time. After about 30 minutes of heavy rain we were all excited to tackle what seemed like a reasonably difficult course.
The Challenger has a 36 degree approach angle (25 degree departure angle) which makes it very useful off-road, but just how useful left us all amazed. As much of a city car this Challenger wants to be, when in its native environment it’s an even more impressive machine. We spent four hours climbing and navigating our way around the four-wheel drive course which was certainly not made for the faint-hearted.
One of the better programs of the day was being taken around the 4WD course by Hiroshi Masuoka at extremely high-speed. Now if you can only imagine how someone who has won the Dakar rally outright two years in a row would drive around a 4WD course, you may understand what I mean by the Challenger being capable off-road.
My initial thought was the car he’d be driving was going to a specially prepared Challenger, but it wasn’t, it was just a basic Challenger that you can buy today.
Driving through a 4WD course at more than 100km/h, jumping on the brakes, sliding sideways around a corner and then climbing a ridiculously difficult hills was all part of the 15 minute drive. At one stage the Challenger was sliding at what must have felt like a 30 degree angle through a corner with trees on both sides. I wasn’t sure if Masuoka thought he was in an Lancer Evolution or a Challenger!
Most of us came out of the car with giant smiles on our faces. Some of us came out a little blue.
The point of the exercise was to experience just how great the Challenger can be when driven by someone with more driving ability than all of us Journalists put together.
As far as off-roading goes, the Challenger will be able to climb and cross almost anything (and I can confirm, it can generally do it drifting sideways).
Powering the beast is the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder 16 vavle turbo diesel engine from the Triton.
Producing 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque when coupled with a five-speed manual (350Nm with five-speed auto). For off-roading the power delivery is smooth and more than adequate, however on the highway it does seem to want a little more grunt for overtaking.
Both the manual and five speed transmissions come with the company’s Super Select four-wheel drive system which has four different driving modes. As mentioned already, the 2H mode is best used for general driving around town on good surfaces, 4H puts the Challenger in full-time four-wheel drive for when its a little wet or the surface quality is getting rough.
For off-roading you can select 4HLC which will lock the centre differential and distribute power equally to all four-wheels. This is a must for those slippery or daunting 4WD tracks. The last and final mode is 4LLC, which is the lower range of gears, and should only be used if you’re climbing or departing steep hills.
All these four modes are selectable using the transfer lever located to the right of the transmission gear shift. The first three can be selected on the fly at speeds of up to 100km/h, you’ll have to come to a stop to engage 4LLC.
Fuel economy is best delivered in 2H and with a manual transmission, official figures put the Challenger manual at 8.3L/100km for the combined city and highway cycle whilst the automatic is a little thirstier using 9.8L/100km for the same cycle.
Both around the city and out in the bush tackling rough terrain the new Challenger is a proper all-rounder, even if it doesn’t look it. It’s worth noting that even whilst the car was driving around the 4WD course at high speed there was never any big bumps or uncomfort felt inside the cabin, it was just as comfortable on-road as it was off-road.
The new 2010 Mitsubishi Challenger is available in five variants. The manual transmission is only offered in base model LS five-seater which starts at $44,490. Moving up from there the LS five-speed automatic variant retails for $46,990. If you want seven-seats in LS trim you’ll be looking at $48,890 (with auto).
The LS variants come standard with 17″ alloy wheels (with full sized alloy spare); side steps, chrome exterior door handls and mirrors, roof rails, air-con, steering-wheel mountain cruise control, single CD-player with 6 speaker sound system (auxiliary support), leather bound steering wheel, gear shift, park brake and transfer lever.
Additionally all variants come with six airbags and Mitsubishi’s All Terrain Technology which encompasses active stability and traction control, ABS with EBD and diff lock.
XLS variants start from $56,990 for the five seater autonatic and the range tops at $58,890 for the seven seat XLS automatic. The extra $10,000 will get you a chrome grille, leather seat trim, power drivers seat with slide, dual height and recline movement, colour keyed side protection mouldings, privacy glass, wood-trim console and centre panel as well as cargo blind and cargo room net. Mitsubishi’s Multi Communication System (MMCS) with satellite navigation, reverse camera (a must for a car this tall), video jack and bluetooth phone connectivity is also available.
From the outside, fog lamps, headlamp washers and reversing sensors complete the package. The Challenger is available in eight colours: White Solid, Charcoal, Cool Silver, Platoon Pearlescent, Terra Rossa, Champagne, Deep Blue and Black.
The new Mitsubishi Challenger will sit between the Outlander and Pajero and appeal to customers looking for a car that is at home both on and off-road. CarAdvice will soon spend a week with the new medium-SUV and bring you a comprehensive road test.
I like it, but it is just a Triton front on a Pajero body with different taillights. Compared to rivals like the CX-9, Kluger and Territory it seems priced well enough to be competitive. Should sell well, despite making the Pajero irrelevant…
Mitsubishi have a winner here. It’s main rival though is the Nissan Pathfinder and not the soccer mums CX-9/Kluger, Territory which lack off road cred and no low range gearing or ability to lock the centre diff.
C/A I was wondering what is the boot litre capacity on both the 5 & 7 seaters….great review.
No its a Triton front with a Challenger wagon back on a Triton body on a Triton ladder frame chassis. Nothing like the Pajero’s monocoque body. And the CX-9, Kluger and Territory are different market segments altogether, namly the soccer mum segment who do not need low range or rear diff locks.
I said it looks like the Pajero body. Nothing mentioned about the chassis…
See this is the problem with the Medium SUV segment. It doesn’t separate the true 4WD’s from the wannabe’s.
This is clearly a true 4WD, and unlike the last time the Challenger was offered here it finally has a diesel engine. Vehicles like the Territory, Kluger, and CX whatever, are wannabe’s. They have no true all round ability, but do provide some benefits on dirt roads in the bush.
I have a feeling this will be very popular! But where is the sunroof on the top of the line version..?
I wondered that too, but appears to be no option for sunroof unfortunately, the roof has a peculiar design and on the inside if you look at it might be difficult to place a sunroof.
One of the major problems of the previous Challenger was the lack of headroom, which has carried over to this one.
You can’t drive one of these wearing a hat, like many people who buy true 4WDs do.
That’s why there’s no sunroof option – the headromm isn’t there.
I’m sure that when bouncing over 4WD tracks, you’d have to be a short person to enjoy this car.
Why does the Mitsubishi webpage show the outlander with a sunroof on the accessories page? I think the Mitsu website is full of errors, it says the Challenger has IRS its has coil solid axel with trailing arms, it says the tank is 70L it is 80L, and it shows pictures of the sunroof but no mention of it in the features.
About time this was delivered. Looks good, especially the dark grey. We have a 2001 Challenger which we love. Great in bush and beach although a bit thirsty when you stomp on it. Old model probably not the most luxurious vehicle but then that is reflected in the price, but has rescued the odd 80 Series and Patrol on the beach. This should be a good seller for Mitsu.
We are up to 240K so are up for an update. Headroom is older model not an issue and I’m 6ft. Never understood why anyone would wear a hat in a vehicle anyway unless you are trying to make a fashion statement.
So why didn’t any of the journalists who accompanied Hiroshi Masuoka complain about a lack of headroom? I reckon doing a 4WD course at 100 km/hr would have pretty much highlighted any lack of headroom issues. But hey, everybody here knows that Reckless1 is the only true expert :-)
Well I am still waiting for the delivery of our Great Wall X 240, which I am looking forward to.
I adore the old Challenger, its’ shape still looks great to me, and would happily buy one. Good luck to this new model, it sounds terrific.
I cannot help but realise that I can buy 2 X240 s for the price of 1 of these, I dare say it might not be quite as refined or capable off road, only time will tell, but for half the price I will not be complaining.
If anyone can justify paying twice the price for one of these then good luck to you.
Our car should be in our hands next week, wish us luck eh !
The X240 looks to be one of the better deals out there, a Prado sized proper 4wd for the price of a Corolla!
I wish you all the best mate! Got to admit your brave buying an unknown brand. The value of it is unbelievable, leather seats, electric everything, 4wd all for the price of a little base model small car even though the motor looks like its been put together with bolts from Bunnings. I consider GW as the new centuries LADA. It cant be worse than a Lada Niva though ;) if its half as good you’ll be right.
i seriously cannot understand anyone putting their families in these sub standard tinfoil machines (GW). People picking the $ over safety these days is just retarded! dont you watch crash tests on youtube?
“not as refined, or capable off road, or ON ROAD, or in a roll over, or in any crash”
Totally agree, it gets a huge 2 star crash rating and is packed with 2 whole airbags!
Funny you should say that, Fifth gear did several tests, one a rollover 4×4 vs sedan, they tried so hard to roll the sedan it wasn’t funny, the 4×4 went over very easily ( approx 50km/h). They also did a head on between an MPV (Renault Espace)and 4×4 ( Land rover Disco) to see if 4×4′s really are safe. Both vehicles were propelled at 40 mph ( 80mph impact). The crash test dummies used showed the MPV driver and child would have most likely walked away from the crash with minor injuries. The 4×4 driver and child dummies would have had very serious injuries, particularly leg injuries. Guess the soccer mums can feel safe until they crash and need a wheelchair.
If you crash you will need more than luck! I’d consider renewing your faith and hoping for divine intervention.
So, did you buy two of them, so you can have something to drive while one is in for repair? Seriously though, do a google search for the ANCAP tests on these GWM deathtraps. There is no way I would be happy with my family driving one of them, particularly in the wet. THe Challenger or some of the other vehicles mentioned has to be a safer and more refined alternative to a GWM bomb.
The new great wall four wheel drives are excellent value for money and in many ways is on the same level as the challanger i think the great its much better value.
the challanger i think will come in competion mostley with the suzuki grand vitara
No. You’d never pay $58000 for a Grand Vitara……..
A very good looking car from Mitsubishi, and I wouldn’t mind one sitting in my garage.
Alborz, this has got to be one of the best reviews I have read in a long time, and certainly the best from this website. It is amazing that a article can involve the reader so much more if the writer adds a bit of emotion to the piece. Things like PROPERLY explaining what they like about the design, the interior and drive, but also (truthfully) mentioning the faults of the car. You may not have thought too much into this piece, but reading this has made my day.
Many Thanks. You made my day with that comment :-)
Yeah I second that – I’m not much into 4WD’s but I thought the article was objective, detailed and a good read to boot! Also the photos CA gives us in the reviews are great!
Great Review,
I like this new Challenger and it seems good buying at base spec, sure to steal some Prado sales and of those in the market of the larger AWD’s CX9 – Kluger e.t.c with the lure of a proper 4wd at a cheaper price.
Mitsubishi should have had this out 2 years ago as I feel the design has been worn in by the Triton to the point that it does not look as fresh as a new model should. Either way looks like a decent buy.
Seen a GWM X240 on the road the other day, pretty flash look 4wd for the money, these things will sell in droves once/if the marketing machine gets out there.
Have you seen the pictures and reports of the ANCAP tests on the GWM utes? There is no way that I would drive one. The crumple zone on those is the driver’s and front passenger’s legs. In the offset test, the front wheel ended up in the footwell, the roof buckled and the doors popped open. They’re deathtraps and shouldn’t be on the road. For the sake of a few thousand dollars, there are much better alternatives.
To be honest I am not a fan of that corporate face on all the new Mitsus, but that’s just me.
Interesting reply above about the chinese 4×4. I know they are world’s apart in price, but they are also world’s apart in terms of comparison. The Chinese vehicle should be compared to RAV 4, Outlander and CRV. Not this one.
No, the Grand Wall has low range, and hence is a true 4WD.
It should be compared to Vitara, Challenger, just superseded Sorento, Pajero, Prado and so on.
Thank you for this eagerly awaited review. We are looking to buy a car before the end of the year and have been waiting for the new Challenger to come out, scrounging for bits of info where we can, and getting nothing much from Mitsubishi. Hopefully we will be able to test drive one before the end of the year, although we have been told this probably won’t happen !!! So we may miss out on what looks to be an awesome car, and another Prado may hit the streets. For what it’s worth, I think this is the nicest looking SUV around.
Latin, I don’t think you’ll have an issue test driving one before year’s end? Let me know how you go.
I like it, but think its about 10k too expensive
I agree. Too pricey, the base one is the same price as base Pajero.
Which Pajero? The closest Pajero that can match the equipment is the GLX which starts at $57K +on roads +auto$3K +side airbags$1.5K +diff locks$500 that it Prado 150 country right there, at least the Prado has a ladder frame chassis and live rear axel. The Pajero is an overpriced, over sized softroader. The challenger will outshine it offroad.
Toyota has a similar type of vehicle (ute based SUV) available in other markets called among others, the ‘Fortuner’. Have a look in the Toyota South Africa website.
Having come back from South Africa not long ago I saw the Toyota Fortuna. wow what a car.. if ever it landed in Aus it would kill Prado sales, smash the Kluger and any other “soft off roader” and offer the only challenge to the Challenger in the local market. both real 4×4′s based on the Hilux and Triton and very sexy vechiles. Nearly bought a prado today but signe for a Challenger….yahoo…
This would suit our new car requirements. Looks OK but why oh why the fake woodgrain again.
Big car little space ~
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no, the thing that will kill is in fact, the great wall.
2 star crash test rating folks. Does no one give a $#@67 about that? so many blind people.
should NOT be allowed to sell them here, there was an outcry when holden sold its 2 star crash rated barina.
t: I agree with you, but many people just do not get it. If it has 4 wheels and is big and cheaper then it must be great value.
Alborz: which spec car was driven by the race driver, manual or auto? Thanks.
Great review, great car too by the sounds of it. This is what the Pathfinder should have been, if not for the spanish-built models woeful reliability and fuel consumption.
A few disappointments – no petrol (V6) engine, no climate control on the base model (for $47k for an automatic I’d sure expect it). The vehicle looks a bit too “Asian”, a bit too old school for my liking. It’s obvious why they are not selling this in the US market – it would absolutely flop. Truck-based SUVs are becoming extinct there, and those who do buy them want them BIG and with V8s. The idea of a medium truck-based SUV is silly. Hence why Toyota doesn’t sell the Fortuner here (based on the HiLux).
You are obviously not from earth, have you seen the latest SUV sales figures?
That’s because Australians are stupid. We are the only country where SUV sales are increasing, rather than decreasing.
It really cheeses me off when one person Mark G for instance generalises every Australian as STUPID. If your so smart, why do you bother living here with us dummies, to make you look smarter perhaps? I would fathom the reason of selling more SUVs is because the baby-boomers are finally realising what a great big beautiful country we have,to give you an idea, the UK fits into Western Australia,7 European countries fit into 3 States.
I am not into name-calling but, if Mark G wishes to tell us his address, I will send him a Victor Chang (Australian Heart Surgeon)Memorial Plaque, sorry Mark, your insults of every Aussie belittles your intelligence
As an alien life form you can accurately predict what 300 million Americans will and will not buy, and you can also read the minds of the senior management of TMCA. Dude, if only you were an earthling, earth companies would pay you millions for your insights.
Careful there Evolution, he looks like the aliens from the simpsons.
Toyota chose to sell the Prado here instead of the Hilux based 4runner. Now that the Prado has gone up in size and price it does create an opportunity for a 4runner /Fortuner style vehicle to be introduced at a lower price point than prado.
True Dlr1,
But the 4runner is actually Prado based, while the Fortuner is hilux based…
The problem with the 4runner now is that it is now based on the new LC150 Prado, so it probably will be less practical and more expensive like the new prado.
The Fortuner lacks low range, so is a typical american large soft-roader, based on a light truck chassis. They should bring the FJ Cruiser, which I believe is still based on the LC120 Prado platform.
It does have climate control, its the same set up Subaru have been using in the Forester. Three dials all with AUTO setting at one end, just because its not buttons and LCD screens doesn’t mean it isn’t Fully automatic. Check out some of the interior pictures above (the larger versiosns) and you can clearly see the dials. Also check the Mitsu website, it states it there clearly.
Why does everyone still want a petrol V6? Obviously they have never driven a common rail turbo diesel. These things should go well & use much less fuel.
wow it seems the GW car dealears are at it again….
Guys buy some advertising!
stop writing your fake comments
You are such a cynic! But probably correct too. If I had to try and sell such a cheap, crappy and dangerous product, I just couldn’t do it. The 2 star death trap should be used as anchors and nothing else.
I too have been waiting for this vehicle to hit the streets. I need to replace my ’98 base spec Nissan Terrano II (another under-appreciated 4WD), as now that kids are on the scene the lack of airbags, any form of traction control/ABS and other safety gizmos is a big minus.
The only other car I had considered was the Nissan Pathinder, but this one comes in favourably on price and spec. BTW the base model is available with an optional dealer-fitted reversing camera in the rear-veiw mirror. I’m not sure how they perform, but I can’t justify the extra $ for the top spec model just for a camera, and then I’d have to put up with that awful fake woodgrain and silver trim mash-up!
Thanks for the excellent review and photos.
Its funny why Great wall gets dissed so much….
The Australian Government dont like any utes, If you have seen the Great wall crash test they actually come out ok. Its passengers and other cars that they also base the crash rating on. As Dual Cab utes are often ‘higher up’ thank other cars, and trays are at a dangerous height.
the NISSAN NAVARA and Current FORD RANGER Only get 2 stars as well
So Stop dissing the Great Wall, Its amazing what the majority of people will say when they don’t know of ‘main competitors facts’ Read between lines People!
Three stars for the D40, it was one star but that was due to an Airbag deployment timing issue. This has been rectified in a recall.
I have seen the GWM crash test results. There is no way footwell intrusion, buckled roofs and open doors can be defined as “they actually come out ok.” These utes are death traps and should not be approved for sales in Australia. If you’re happy promoting substandard vehicles, then that’s your problem, but a polished turd is still a turd. The fact that there was a problem with the Navara, since fixed, is no justification for this rubbish ute. Would you happy for your employees, family and children driving one of these on a wet night?
Karen all Chinese cars get terrible crash results, not just utes. They could have more airbags than a German car and it wouldn’t matter becasue they have no structural integrity. The dashboard moves towards the passengers and the roof buckles as well, look it up on Youtube for yourself. The new GWM X240 can be expected to get less than 3 stars in the crash test.
Anyone buying this death trap is being irresponsible for the saftey of their family. The only thing that makes it safe is that it’s so damn slow that it might not matter if it hits something!
Well i’ll have to stand on the sidelines and watch this one before i rush for it. Mitsubishi hasn’t make great SUVs in the past. They were prone to recalls and problems.
Heavily based on the Triton I would say that any bugs in the engine/transmission will be well and truely tested by now. Should be fine, can’t be as bad as Aust manufactred cars… they seem to sell ok.
since when are they unreliable and buggy i have seen very little complaints about mitsu suv’s and 4wd’s u sure your not thinking about the daewoo captiva *cough* i mean holden?
With the best factory warranty in the business, I am sure that they are confident with their products!
I would give this vehicle serious consideration if and when I trade in my Nissan Xtrail diesel.
Some observations – why is the manual only a five speeder; could the manual option not have been extended to the XLS, and if you look at the accessory listing on the main web site, take a look at the towbar offering and tell me they are serious about the exposed bar,
When you look at hte picture of where the spare wheel sits, the towbar was always going to be a dog’s breakfast – or should that be the other end of the dog :)
Think of the upside – it will offer some protection to the rear valance.
Downside is the departure angle is compromised somewhat, & a dog’s rear end is a more fitting description of the aesthetics. :)
This tow bar setup is the same as the old challenger, and the new Prado 150 uses it too. They don’t look that bad. Infact it might toughen up the look a little.
Saw one in the flesh today. Sat in the drivers seat – If you are 6’4″ or more, look elsewhere unless you like your shins against the lower dash (even resting in an auto) or like to drive with your arms straight (due to lack of reach adjustment). Besides, the seats are awfully hard and flat. Crossed off my list – sorry Mitsubishi.
This is the same for the Great Wall. Air Bag and Seatbelt restraint for the Great Wall. Does this mean if they were highter to begin with than a D40 Navara. That Great Wall could achieve a 4 Star rating?
The Great Wall Engineers are believed to have already rectified this 2 star ‘seatbelt air bag depolyment timing’ and are in means of a CRASH RETEST.
If you do a review overseas the Great Wall V240 Achieves 3.5 and 4 stars which is on par with a Hilux
So you believe they are going to fix it. If that is the case, then why are they prepared to sell an unsafe vehicle in the interim period? That is unconsciable conduct. Also, I can’t see there is much benefit in the airbag deploying properly when below the waist you have been crushed by the front wheel and suspension intruding into the cabin.
with a 10 year unbeatable Powertrain warranty on all the mechanicals Mitsubishi Will Guarantee on Parts and Labour. Why would you bother about problems/recalls, Mitsbishi is obvously confident. Not even Toyota/Mazda/Nissan come close to the same warranty. You get More STANDARD Features and Better 4×4 systems in the Mitsu’s than all the opposition.
And I can see why Mitsubishi dropped the 3.5 V6 Petrol off the list. The New High Power Turbo Diesel from the Triton/Challenger beats the pants off the old petrol. Trust me ive driven the new model and absolutely fly’s with an average of 1000km/tank!
My last 2 4×4′s hyave been Prado 120 Diesels. The new Prado 150 has increased almost $7K over the same model that I normally purchase. This new challenger has similar spec to the Prado 150 GX Manual and about $11K cheaper. Only have 2 concerns 1) spare wheel underneath and 2) the cargo area is an odd shape. Looked at one on the weekend and is a very nice vehicle. Give it is built on the the same chasis as the triton aftermarket accessories from companies like ARB should not take too long to develop. I think it will look good in my driveway come mid nest year.
Great Wall X240
Type 2.4L 4 Cylinder
Power 100kw @5250rpm
Torque 200Nm @2500-3000rpm
Gross Vehicle Mass 2305kg
Kerb Weight 1830kg
Payload 475kg
THIS FRIGGIN THING WILL BE GLACIAL IN PERFORMANCE!!!!
Glacial???
Probably, till it hits something. Under the skin is something more akin to 1980′s ute construction me thinks.
One of the posters (GWM employee in disguise) made a parallel between their ute available at the price of a corolla… well it does have the same power output…
Toyota Corolla
Power 100kW @ 6000rpm
Torque 175Nm @ 4400rpm
Kerb Weight (kg) 1280
Tare Mass (kg) 1280
Towing Braked (kg) 1300
At a tonne lighter the corolla with larger wheels might be a better off road option
The challenger has a ‘Full Size’ Spare wheel. The cargo area I found to be massive!
Took one for a drive today at the local dealer and am convinced it is a Very well built and thought over car. Ticking all the boxes we needed. I’m just thinking over a colour for now.
The thing that got me is how smooth, refined and “quite” the Diesel engine is in the new Challenger. Much quieter for some reason than the new 2 month old triton. Bizzare
6 Airbags and a full 5 star safety on even the base challenger should help sell this car well. And a huge list of Standard and nice features.
Im not sure what car the model above was in champagne but the base model LS Challenger is kitted up with nice looking chrome ‘euro highlights’ making the car look GREAT even in the base model.
The thing that the challenger will sell better over the new Prado ‘Not just the silly asking price toyota Wants for a Basic GXL Prado’
Is the challenger doesnt have the Silly rear Spare Wheel mounted like most of the Toyota’s on the rear door. This has been proven VERY DANGEROUS in the case of a rear accident. Where Spare tyres have either blown up of caused Serrious Damage to rear passengers.
Not the case with new challenger. Where full size wheel is mounted Out of the way underneath the car.
Something Toyota needs to improve on and should have left out in the New PRADO!
It’s a hit and miss by Mitsu I think. Diesel is the right thing as no other mid-size Japanese 4×4 has this option and others will be sceptic of Korean alternatives. But that dreary triangle grille needs to be addressed quickly, or else it will be left unappreciated again like the 380.
Great revue and I too loved the photos. But having gone through the lot and scrutinised all comments, I found it disappointing to find nothing on TOWING! I have an 18 ft tandem poptop caravan and am in the market for something decent to tow it with. Apart from a Prado, this looks extremely good. As I’ve had a Challenger before (albeit a company car) and loved it, I would LOVE to know a bit more about its towing capabilities. PLEASE!
from what i have heard it is meant to be good at towing i think i read 2.5 tonnes ?
anyway it’s a diesel i’m sure it wont have a problem especialy in the manual
The manual produces 400NM torque so it will an 18ft pop top no issues.
As far as the spare on the b ack door…tyres exploding outside the vehicle and causing injury to occupants…you have a better chance of being struck by lightening.
The down side to having the spare underneath is the lose of departure angle and something else to get “hung”up on while in ruts or in the mud.
Mind you last thing con cidered in the desigh of all 4wd’s these days is th epeople that actually wants to these vehiceles in the manner it was intended…
A disappointing test in general, as it said nothing about
* performance-acceleration
* on-road handling-roadholding in good & bad conditions
* legroom & cargo capacity
* build construction quality
* interior fittings – door & seat luggage bins, cupholders 12V outlets
* braking performance, wet & dry
* urban manoueverability
* seating comfort on long journeys
* NVH performance
* air conditioning capability in hot conditions
Hopefully a fuller test with provide some more detail
go have a look and a test drive – its no lambo, but its better to look for yourself than read others thoughts i reckon its worh a look – a 3.5 diesel would have been awesome.
Looks good, nice 4wd system, not too big, quality interior.
But if the performance is the same as the 2.5 litre Triton diesel then its overpriced, and underpowered, and no 6 speed box.
Requires 3.2 litre diesel with 6 speed manual.
Shame really as the car almost is perfect for most commercial business use,but 2.5 litre is way underpowered for high speed 100k overtaking or pulling away from the lights at a reasonable pace.
I have driven the 2.5 litre Triton……..gutless,slow, and noisy.
Overall a nice opportunity ruined by cost cutting.
Andy if you took the triton for a drive, you must of been in dreamland! It has the most power of all the vechiles due to the new turbo variable vein and timing! If you took any notice, the engine is only sitting on 2100 rpm at 100km/hr, the same as the prado’s 6th gear. so have you tried to overtake in a prado in 6th gear??? NO! so naturally you should be changing back a gear to do so nuckle head!!It is geared so to give it the brilliant fuel economy that IT DOES ACHIEVE! All the other models that i have driven are just as noisey, or if not noiser!!And again i will say” a triton is 10,000 dollars cheaper than the hilux when you compare the same model with features. The nissan and holdens just dont have the same quality engines and drivtrains as the triton.
i am slated to have a test drive of the challenger tomorrow. I was disappointed that it seems the first shipment of these cars were only 5 seaters – i cant find a 7 seater to look at. i am also confused with the term SUV, i thought having a ladder frame, low range , diff locks etc meant it was a real 4WD – i must be wrong – can someone enlighten me….
mark
Waminda, the term SUV means a lot of different things to different groups of people.
Yes, in a lot of cases it is used ti refer to soft-roaders, but in a lot of cases it is used in reference to genuine offroaders…
We had a curious test drive in a new challenger… They were not happy about us taking the car up the escarpment, they totally refused to allow us to take it on a windy mountain road (sealed). I wonder why??? do they want to sell cars or not?
It did everything we asked of it, it wasn’t a speedster but it was ok. it handled ok, (from what we were allowed to try). suspension seemed good, brakes ok – i had no real issues with it…
my issues are more with the ridiculous limitations set by the caryard, or perhaps mitshubishi itself. Why are they setting these limitations, are they scared that a reasonable test drive will highlight some short comings???
I then went tp toyota and was allowed and hour test drive of a kluger…
Toyota ??? Kluger ??? did the brakes work ??? how was the steering ???
Alborz and whoever has had a test drive, Do you guys find it when you back off the throttle , it rattles? I expect the diesel engine to be abit noisey when accelerating but on back off it rattles. I can’t live with that.
Overall not a bad car, looks the business outside without being too big or small. 7 seater is good. But i can’t get over the engine rattle when you back off. Otherwise I migth buy one.
the rattle of the engine wasn’t that intruding on our test drive…
we finally tracked down a 7 seater at kirrawee sydney. it was good, plenty of room in the far back seat and it had a little cavity to store stuff.
Hi Waminda
Did the 3rd row seat fold flat on the floor?
We test drove a 2nd car but not with 3rd row.
However the test was better, as there was no rattle on back off..Just abit on acceleration.
the third row did fold flat into a raised section. i didnt pay much attention to whether its the same height as the middle row, as folding flat was less important than seating out 6′ 1″ 14yr old daughter comfortably over short distances, which it did well. tynan kirrawee had a 7 seater
we are about to signup for this I think…
After your comment that Kirrawee had one. I went and had a look. Might sign up for one too.
Yes, I think the vehicle looks the goods but again the ball has been dropped on what could have been a much better buy.
Why can’t Mitsubishi offer this in a manual in anything but the base model?
Also, why can’t the base model have a seven seat option?
I want a manual with seven seats, and because of the specs the Challenger offers, our family will have to unfortunately look elsewhere. :(
Yeah thats a shame Nathan. I just ordered one, XLS.
Hi I am also looking at the 7 seater. Anthony can you please advise how much you paid driveaway and what extras you got. Thanks
Had a look at one. The plastics in the back were of the consistency of Lego: cheap, shiny and thin.
It got me wondering if there should not be an Australian version of healthycar.org
Michael,
XLS 7 seater + Towbar
try for $58000 driveaway.
“CarAdvice will soon spend a week with the new medium-SUV and bring you a comprehensive road test.”
Hey Guys, has the comprehensive road test been done yet?
Cheers
Anthony – how did you get the XLS with 7 seats and towbar at $58K driveaway?? I priced the 5 seat LS yesterday with Leather, Roof racks, nudge bar, tow bar, window tint, reverse park sensor and front/rear mats – driveaway $57,600.
After doing the maths, I could get a better version of the XLS by optioning a LS as outlined.
Yeah! when Is caradvice going to do the proper review? How about 0-100 times and Milage test.
Rick, Well It wasn’t easy and You have to be prepared to walk, and I got mats as well. Head over to this forum , there is a Challenger section for discussions.
http://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/.....y.php?f=44
Thanks Anthony – much appreciated. Very interesting forum. Am seriously considering the Challenger as an alternative to a 2nd hand Prado T/D.
Good package, but I would like to see better seats. I don’t want cheap lancer seats when spending near 50k. Even the xls has leather bound cheap seats. Why not fit the seats from the 380? they are plush and comfortable.
Look forward to the proper test fro mthese guys!
I’ve done 100k in an 07 st Pathy Diesel and mywork lease is up. The challenger is the only side by side comparison vehicle. These cars will get more and more popular as Prados etc get more Landcruiser like in weight and size.
Had two tests in a challenger. Onein sand dunes and one on open road / gravel. The bottom line is simple. The challenger will eat the pathfinder as a 4wd (more clearance than a prado?)while the pathy feels a bit more nimble around town (not as long etc). I feel the challenger sits on the road better, but neither are perfect. They are both a bit rolly around corners. (No matter which one I get there will be a non fact suspension upgrade added – not a lift so much). A little understear going on with challenger.
I feel the Pathy may have the edge on overtaking on the open road. The motors sound similar but the challenger wins “Close you eyes and think of tractors” award. there is an almost tappety harshness which makes 2500 rpm feel like it is working hard
Pathy has a neater fold flat rear seats setup, but is it as much room? No rear seat air vents in the LS 5 seat challenger. Small issue I guess.
For me ther fruit is not what the comparison is about. It is how will challenger motors go? It is new in both the Triton and the Challenger… done some ks in Asia aparently? Also how will challenger re sale go in 3 year. The pathy has a solid name now… Mitsubishi a tad on the nosewith some people. However bloody good warranty on Mitsubishi.. so llong s they ar egood to deal with. Nissan have been pretty solid.
I have a 2005 Pathfinder STL Diesel Have 65000 kms up. Have had good run todate apart from early front brake rotors replaced at 62000 kms (Previous model Pathfinder sold at 90000 km Brakes fine) My main criticism is the engine noise under load I tow a caravan (Tare 1540 kg) and the Pathfinder copes with the load but you have to accept the engine noise Seems that the Challenger is just as noisy.Pathfinder 400 Nm toque is adequate. for towing. I noticed the Challenger review made no mention of ball weight load limits Does anyone know what the figure is? i assume the 2500 kg towing weight limit is also correct The Pathfinder is 3500 kg With reduction for the weight carried in the Vehicle .
Bought a challenger today.. would hav got a prado but wow the cost saving was about 10K.
Can someone please tell me why the Toyota Fortuna ( http://www.toyota.co.za )has not landed here..i would have taken that over the challenger.
I totally agree Murray. I can’t believe the Kluger only comes in a petrol model, what were they thinking? It would have been our choice without hesitation if it was deisel but are now considering the Challenger as the others are just a tad small for our needs. (Sorento, CX7 etc)
We’ll do mostly long haul holiday trips on highways with the occasional off-road so we need something large enough to be comfortable and this looks like it’s a great 4×4 also.But also needs to be good for city driving for my wife. How do you find it Murray?
Have to eat my words. After 3 months of looking and researching we bought a Sorento. nearly bought the Challenger XLS but felt we got more value for about $6,000 less. We\’re not into major offroad stuff just some camping occasionally so the Sorento was perfect for our needs.
Being an owner of a 2006 Pathfinder manual diesel and just been told that next service (80 000klm) I have to find $1500 to replace Brake rotors & pads, I am wondering, as I now look for a new replacment vehicle, whether the Challenger will pose a similar cost scare for parts in 2-3 years time?
Just bought one: lovely CX-7 couldnt tow much; other softies not enough power for caravan; Pathfinder not available anyway; Prado too dear; Patrol and LandCruiser too big; Kluger only petrol; Captiva too small; Territory too thirsty.
Mitsu kept it simple stupid and included a chassis !!! in 2010.
I’m sorry, but I am very skeptical. How can an engine so small produce so much power and torque??? It’s overtuned! what happens to overtuned engines, they don’t last long. And the auto having to detune the engine torque, that tells me it’s not strong enough. Best warranty I hear you all saying, warranty doesn’t help you when you’re stuck in the middle of Fraser Island or out at the tip of Cape York or even worse in the Pilbara or Simpson, sure may not cost anything, but you won’t be going anywhere fast. Even if you only go to the closest beach you can drive on, then taking it back to the dealer for multiple problems free or not is annoying.
On the topic of warranty, their website “generic” warranty for the 10 year powertrain etc, states normal driving conditions. I’m quite sure they won’t consider “off-road” as normal driving conditions. It does say to see a dealer for more info so for anyone has bought one, does it spell it out further, saying if you are covered off-road or not? Does it define what normal driving conditions are? What would that say about Mitsubishi’s confidence in their own 4wd?
I would still consider a 15 year old Lancruiser to one of these. Proven build quality and history, and if I ever thought of buying new, I would pay the extra for a Prado confident that it will most likely last more than 10 years and knowing that if it still has a factory fault, Toyota will still fix it. (If you want to know what I am talking about there, look up the Lancruiser 80 series Turbo Diesel big end problem, still covered even when out of warranty).
Just some things to consider.
hey skeptical,
Perhaps its just better technology to what your used to? I’m sure they have done a bit of testing beforehand :-). Do you realise that the prado has the same size engine right? Wouldn’t that be overtuned also? Its unlikely that any manuafacturer will fix a one off fault after the warranty has expired. In the case you mentioned its likely they offered to fix it for free because they had stuffed up on a much larger scale. Did you notice there were a couple of pretty significant toyota recals lately.
I got my Challenger two months ago and love it.
I had a 2006 Forester before and thought it was reasonably capable – having taken the Challenger off road now, I’m converted.
I just spent the June long weekend at Beachport in the dunes and on the beaches and it handled everything thown at it.
When I looked at updating top a larger off roader, I looked at what was in my price range ($40-50k). I compared ALL the dual-cab utes and wagons currently on the market, and kept coming back to the Challenger.
It’s standard equipment (I have the LS 5-sp manual) elaves all the others for dead. The power is sufficent (I have towed a 10×6 caged trailer full of household furniture, etc with ease), and off road in the right gear, off it goes.
The rear diff lock makes a huge difference on the really steep soft dunes, and you can turn off the traction control without having to pull fuses!
For those worried about engine and drivetrain reliability, I worked on the fact that the Triton has been around for a while and apart from its looks, has’nt been bagged for its power, performance or reliability.
My average economy around town (up and down from the hills each day) is 8.7 l/100km, and the last tank full including 150kms of sand dunes in H4/L4 returned 10.2l/100 km.
The things that bu me about it are:
1. Seating position is not perfect (didnt notice it on the open road and off road, but around town am always shuffling).
2. Rear vision is not the best.
3. Things really are closer than they appear in the mirrors!
I traded the Dueler HT’s the same day I bought the car and put BFG AT KO’s on, which are no noiser than the Duelers (the tyre place gave me almost the same price as a new dueler for them).
Turning circle is great – I’m teaching my daughter to drive in it at the moment.
Overall – I would recommend this car as the perfect all rounder.