The Challenger features a new 2.5-litre common rail intercooled turbo-diesel, with automatic transmission, a five- or seven-seat layout and two specification levels.
“Previously, owners of Challenger prized it for its four-wheel drive ability, rather than its on-road comfort”, said Mitsubishi’s sales and marketing general manager Peter Wilkins. “When Mitsubishi’s designers began work on the new model, their clear intent was to offer the best of both worlds – and we think they nailed it. This vehicle, completely new in every aspect, drives like a dream, on-road and off.”
The Challenger slots into Mitsubishi’s four-wheel drive range between the compact crossover Outlander and the all-terrain Pajero.
Challenger’s new 2.5-litre common rail intercooled turbo-diesel produces 133kW of power and 356Nm of torque – making it an ideal vehicle for heavy-duty towing and off-road driving. The engine uses the latest clean diesel technology, with an optimised combustion chamber, improved injector specifications and a variable geometry turbocharger.
Challenger’s diesel is mated to an INVECS II Smart Logic automatic transmission with Sports Mode, letting drivers make clutchless shifts if they choose.
The Challenger is fuel efficient for a vehicle in its class, using 9.8 litres per 100kms.
Mitsubishi’s Pajero-style All Terrain Technology (MATT) is incorporated into the Challenger, with an off-road safe-traction package: Active Stability and Traction Control (ASTC), Multi-mode ABS with EBD, and rear diff lock.
With its strong new ladder-frame chassis, Mitsubishi says the Challenger has 50% more torsional rigidity than its predecessor. The vehicle has all-round coil-spring suspension: at the front, double wishbones; at the rear, a three-link design. Stabiliser bars control body roll, while four-wheel disc brakes provide stopping power.
Braked towing capacity is 2500kg.
The new Challenger offers a choice of five or seven seats, with the seven-seater’s third row split 50/50. This gives the owner multiple seating and stowage combinations.
The five-seat Challenger GLS, priced at $56,990, boasts a host of features, including 17-inch alloy wheels (with a full-sized alloy spare), side steps and roof rails. Inside are steering-wheel mounted controls for cruise and audio, power windows with automatic up and down on the driver’s side, remote keyless entry and central locking, single CD player with six-speaker system, leather-bound steering wheel, an MP3 jack, privacy glass and cargo blind.
The seven-seat Exceed, priced at $61,990, adds third-row seating with a 50/50 split, manually controlled rear air conditioning, and a collection of premium-style features, including leather seat trim, powered driver’s seat, eight-speaker sound, headlamp washers, speed-sensitive wipers and reversing sensors.
See the Mitsubishi Challenger for sale here.
