2022 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Series Review | Philkotse Philippines

The midsize SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) market is one of the most popular segments in the country as it caters to big Filipino families. Select automakers competing in the segment are giving their entries a taste of a black treatment for buyers who wish to own a sleeker-looking SUV.

Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Series

Over at Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corporation (MMPC), the company is offering the Montero Sport Black Series in the said segment. The Black Series brings blacked-out exterior bits that give the SUV its distinct look over the rest of the range, as well as improved onboard technologies.

In comparison to the other black edition rivals such as the Everest Sport and Terra Sport, the Montero Sport Black Series is the most affordable option. This begs the question of whether the Mitsubishi SUV can run away as the most worth-it model among its alternatives.

Read on to find out in this review of the 2022 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Series 2WD A/T.

If there is one word to describe the Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Series, that would be ‘macho’. The added black exterior bits made the SUV look more athletic and visually bigger. These include a black dynamic shield fascia, black front bumper garnish, and black rear bumper garnish.

18-inch alloys

The 18-inch black alloy wheels are also a good fit for the Black Series package despite no changes in terms of the design. From the front to the back, I prefer the look of this Montero Sport over any variant, even over the top-of-the-line Montero Sport GT.

My only comment on the exterior is the chrome accents on the front fascia. I can let go of the chrome trimmings on the lower window lines as these provide good contrast when viewed from the side. But in my opinion, the chrome on the front would’ve been better if it was blacked out.

The Black Series package adds toughness

If this was done on the Strada Black Series, then I can only wonder why it wasn’t the case for the Mitsubishi SUV. Although, I understand that the Montero Sport Black Series is based on the mid-spec GLS variant, while the Strada Black Series is based on the pickup truck’s top-spec Athlete variant.

MMPC is offering the Montero Sport Black Series in two colors, namely the Jet Black Mica and White Diamond (with black roof). The White Diamond may be the more premium choice as it adds Php 15,000 to the SRP (suggested retail price), I think that the Jet Black Mica just looks more proper.

When I got into the SUV for the first time, I felt like the layout was already outdated. It may not look like that’s the case when looking at the photos but in person, I think Mitsubishi needs to update the interior. This is especially true when compared to the modern-looking cabin of its rival, the next-gen Everest Sport.

Interior of the Montero Sport

Even the interface of the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen needs some revisions. But this could be underway as the next-gen Mitsubishi Strada is set to debut in July 2023. It should share the same platform as the Montero Sport, which is expected to come out after a year or two.

But ride quality, the Montero Sport Black Series did a good job providing a relatively comfortable ride considering its ladder frame chassis. Even when sitting on the third row, I felt like the suspension absorbed road impacts well to prevent that gut feeling when hitting potholes.

The Montero Sport gets seven seats as standard

While the Black Series package made the SUV appear bigger, the interior looked compressed. But the interior space feels like it is at par with other midsize SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner and Nissan Terra. Only kids are recommended to sit at the very back, while the first and second rows should start to feel tight for passengers standing 5’10 and above.

Like any other midsize SUVs, the cargo room is relatively small when the third-row seats are up, fitting up to two small-sized luggage. The last row of seats does fold flat so you can haul more items seamlessly. It also comes with an under-floor storage at the back similar to the Mitsubishi Xpander.

As mentioned earlier, the interface of the central head unit looks outdated. But at least, the system is available with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. All of these I think help compensate for the interface that needs some updating.

8-inch head unit

What doesn’t look outdated for me was the LCD instrument display, which even gave a sporty look with the huge rev counter. It can be configured to different layouts but my favorite was the said sporty appearance, which also comes with a fuel consumption meter.

I noticed that when the 360-view camera is put on display on the central screen, the brightness slightly dims. On sunny days, I find it quite bothersome as I barely see the outside camera views. It isn’t also the crispiest in terms of resolution. But don’t get me wrong, using the camera system within one week of the lend-out period didn’t give me major issues.

The SUV goes digital

In terms of safety, I appreciate the addition of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which used to be exclusive to the 4x4 variant. The controls on the steering wheel may need some getting used to but the learning curve isn’t too steep. It helped me reduce driver’s fatigue, especially considering that the Montero Sport is one large vehicle.

The auto brake hold is one of my favorite functions of the SUV. It doesn’t activate easily when the vehicle was put to a standstill, allowing me to crawl in heavy traffic situations without initiating the auto brake hold. I had to step on the brake hard before the said function can activate, which is a good touch.

Powering the Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Edition is a standard 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine capable of generating 179 horsepower and 430 Nm of torque. It sends power exclusively to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission, which is matched with paddle shifters.

2.4-liter MIVEC diesel mill

Despite coming with the lowest power figures against the turbodiesel engines of top-spec rivals, I never had issues in terms of power. Even with a light tap on the accelerator pedal, I could feel the torque already. While that sounds good for performance, it didn’t add up to a comfortable ride.

When I drove the Montero Sport up to Antipolo, the engine did a great job keeping the revs within the 2,000 RPM (revolutions per minute) range. It didn’t feel as if I needed the more expensive 4x4 variant when tackling uphill roads. Off-roading the SUV to see the capacity of the 4x2 drivetrain would’ve been fun but I never had the chance. If you ask me, I think this would do just fine.

The Black Series gets a 4x2 drivetrain

Shift shocks were occurring around 30 km/h, which further hampers the infamous ride quality of ladder frame midsize SUVs. Once it picked up speed, I barely felt the jerking anymore. On highway speeds, switching to another lane can be eerie due to the apparent body roll and extra light steering.

Speaking of the steering, the wheel was quite heavy to turn from a standstill. For me, it was the heaviest steering feel I experienced among midsize SUVs that I’ve driven such as the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. But for passengers, they should enjoy good NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) as the suspension absorbs road impacts well and outside noise is barely heard.

In the city, the Montero Sport Black Series returned 7.4 km/l at stop-and-go traffic. This is expected for heavy 7-seater vehicles such as the Mitsubishi SUV. In fact, the number is similar to the 8.3 km/l city driving fuel consumption rating of the Ford Everest Sport with the black treatment.

But on the highway, the SUV showed up by posting 17.9 km/l while driving at an average speed of 80 km/h. In comparison, the Everest Sport achieved 15.6 km/l in similar driving conditions.

In comparison to the other rivals I reviewed, the said number is 2.3 km/l more than the Everest Sport and 0.9 km/l more than the Fortuner LTD, which was engaged in 4x2.

Despite coming with the most affordable price tag over rivals with the same black theme, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Edition is the only one with Adaptive Cruise Control. For someone like me who always finds myself going on out-of-town trips, this feature makes the Mitsubishi SUV a good choice for my lifestyle.

An SUV with a strong stance

So would I choose the blacked-out Mitsubishi Montero Sport? Yes, and only because of the Adaptive Cruise Control that I find handy on the go at a more attainable price. Although, the vote for the best-looking SUV with the black treatment is the Everest Sport. I’m interested to know how this opinion will hold out once the next-gen Montero Sport comes out.

Numbers-wise, the Montero Sport Black Series is priced at Php 2,054,000, which is Php 65,000 and Php 55,000 less than the Nissan Terra Sport 4x2 and Ford Everest Sport, respectively.