We have no doubt that the Mitsubishi Challenger is a strong off-road performer. With ultra-low, locked centre diff 4WD engaged, it can probably ford creeks with ease, clamber up slippery slopes, and chew dirt with the best of them. But for the vast majority of purchasers, the time spent in these sorts of conditions is going to be infinitesimal compared with the mundane duties of ferrying kids to school, commuting to work, and doing the weekly shopping. And at the latter duties we can't think of any new car that's much worse than the Challenger - let alone any $44,000 car.
It puts it right into perspective to consider the Challenger's specs. In fact, humour me. Pretend that you haven't looked at the pic at the top of the screen. Pretend that you haven't noticed those references to 'Challenger' in this and the preceding para. Instead, just cast your eye over these details - and then try to come up with a car that you think matches them. A mass of 1850kg. A drag co-efficient of probably about 0.45. A city fuel consumption of 12.5 litres/100km. A solid rear axle on coil springs, suspended from a full chassis. A 5-seat wagon with 70-series tyres. Recirculating ball steering.
To us that all spells automotive design circa, oh, say, 1975.
It is a matter of reality that in major design aspects the Challenger, as with others of its genre, is way off the pace when compared with any current conventional car. Yes, it steers poorly. Yes, that rear axle thumps through with a vengeance over short, sharp bumps. Yes, the tyres wail at pedestrian cornering speeds as the body lurches and rolls. Yes, the interior space utilisation is poor, and ingress and egress difficult. Yes, up steep highway hills the Challenger is as slow as a Daewoo Matiz - this country's cheapest new car. Basically, the design compromises in order to give this vehicle good ground clearance, a long suspension travel and a macho look are manifest.
And we can't even say that the ability to drive all wheels is part of that compromise - not when the four-wheel drive system is only part-time (you cannot drive on bitumen roads with all four wheels being powered), and in fact must be manually engaged when it is required. Surely a vehicle, even purportedly aimed at being used where roads don't exist, should have a driveline intelligent enough to sense what is required of it? Perhaps there are off-road situations where the manually engaged type of four-wheel drive is preferable to a viscous, Torsen or active hydraulic clutch four-wheel drive system. But I'll take you back to that opening para - this is a car which in actual application will be in urban areas nearly all of the time; this is a car marketed by the manufacturer in fact on that premise. And I sure as hell would rather that the traction, braking and cornering benefits of four wheel drive were made available as actually required...
And just one other point. Attend a driver training day run by any organization in the world. Watch their 'real life' lessons - swerving around a 'bus' made of witches hats; recovering control of a spinning vehicle when excessive braking has been applied while cornering; stopping as quickly as possible. It's even better if you watch these exercises being undertaken by students in their own cars. Why? Because you'll soon see that even the cheapest, ugliest, budget hatchback will do better at accident avoidance than a four-wheel drive truck that costs perhaps five times as much...
So, no, we don't think much of the urban usage of this type of vehicle. But since that's how nearly everyone does use them, what's the Challenger like?
The $43,885 Challenger on test was the top-of-the-line LS model. (The pics here show both the LS and normal-spec Challenger.) Although equipped with leather, woodgrain, single CD radio, air, dual airbags and power windows and locks, the car still feels a trifle under-equipped for a style leader. The lack of remote locking, the basic HVAC system (the same controls as a bottom-of-the-line Magna), and the modest sound system don't impress. Sure, there are two roof-mounted sunglass holders (and a third roof compartment which is designed to hold business cards) and twin illuminated vanity mirrors, but there's also switchgear that varies in sound and tactile feedback as you move around the cabin, central locking that doesn't operate from the tailgate, and no trip computer. The rear seats fold flat, but only when their head restraints are removed (and then stored somewhere?) and the lower squabs lifted until they sit up against the back of the front seats. The latter requirement to move the seat bases is not uncommon in small wagons - but this one's 4610mm long!
The vehicle (I can't bring myself to call it a 'car') is generally well put together, with the orange peel in the paint evenly distributed(!). However, the seats are comfortable and the interior leather of good quality. The instruments are clear and the generic Mitsubishi switchgear is also easy to use. The steering wheel, a thick-rimmed, leather-bound device, feels good to hold - though the connection to the front wheels is a little more tenuous. The rear cargo area is accessed over a high loading lip and is capacious. Four tie-down hooks are provided, along with hidden underfloor compartments and a 12V power socket.
Cornering is characterised by an enormous amount of tyre squeal - it is literally possible to have the Challenger wailing wildly when following a grandma driving a Corolla through a roundabout. Get past the noise and lack of grip and the handling isn't too bad - throttle-off understeer and some power oversteer. However, as with the big-brother Pajero, compared with a car - any car - the tunes being sent to the driver from the tyres and suspension seem to be transmitted through layers of absorbing insulation. Translation? It's hellishly hard to feel at times what the vehicle is doing - sometimes that oversteer is still occurring well after the cornering event is over, and the feedback through the steering wheel is distant and dull.
The engine and transmission work well together. Mitsubishi have their auto trans logic really worked out - the four-speed auto generally picks the correct ratios at the right time. A manual shift back to third can be carried out without operating the release lock, while the 'Hold' button can be pressed to start off in second gear on slippery surfaces. The 3-litre V6, developing 136kW at 5500 rpm and 265Nm at 4500 rpm, is a hard worker and is unexpectedly thrifty considering the body's mass and poor aerodynamics.
Away from the city confines the Challenger is an adequate long distance vehicle. At very high speed it sits on the road well, stable except in crosswinds where steering corrections are needed. However, on bitumen its ride - while probably fine for a truck - is quite poor in car terms, and the slow ratio of the steering requires that quite a lot of corrective lock is needed, when in another vehicle the wheel would be being moved almost imperceptibly. The in-cabin noise level is restrained except when the engine is working hard - in fact, the cabin is extraordinarily acoustically 'dead'. Clap your hands and the sounds just vanishes... Another positive is that the headlights and reversing lights are excellent.
We spent an afternoon exploring the dirt roads and tracks of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Over dirt corrugations the vehicle road well, though the lack of centre-diff four-wheel drive meant that two-wheel drive was normally used. As a result, the vehicle wasn't as stable over the loose stuff as a constant four-wheel drive vehicle. Selecting four-wheel drive is permitted on these surfaces, but when doing U-turns in this mode it's obvious that the transmission doesn't like it. At one point we used low-range four-wheel drive to clamber to the top of a hill, negotiating a deeply rutted and steep track. The Challenger brushed aside the challenge (yes, that is a pun), reaching the top without even drawing breath.
Braking hard causes a noticeable amount of nose-dive; while the vehicle has excellent ant-squat geometry built into the suspension, movement at the other end is less restrained. And while doing full-bore ABS halts on dirt, on one occasion we noticed a propensity for the rear-end to come around - however this behaviour wasn't repeated. Otherwise, the four-wheel discs performed without any problems. Though, to state the point loud and clear yet again, the equivalent priced Magna wagon would easily out-brake the Challenger.
If you really, truly need a vehicle with off-road prowess and with the capability of towing a braked trailer with a mass of up to 2270kg, the Challenger seems to us to be a fine buy. But if you're considering purchasing the vehicle for just a very occasional outback holiday, we strongly suggest that you consider buying a conventional wagon and hiring a small four-wheel drive truck as the requirement actually occurs. That way, you'll save massively on running costs, have improved primary and secondary safety, and enjoy superior ride and handling.
www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au
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