Mitsubishi Montero is a graceful giant

The new Mitsubishi Montero is here to replace the 3.2 litre older version, the Pajero. The Montero will be rather toned down and will be launched in January 2006. The angular, squarish facade has been softened and the creases along the body, ahunches and sides will be more rounded than before.

The rectangular headlamps has given way to circular ones. There have also been changes made to the grill. A more generous use of chrome on the sideview mirrors and on the door handles has also enhanced the horizontal view of this car. The rear has been equipped with a new tailgate deflector, which is a little too angular and doesn't gell well with the curves elsewhere.

This SUV comes with a blue-blood lineage. It sits high up on 17 inch rims and when it comes to space, it can accommodate quite a bit. Moving house or putting in more people is not such a problem with this one! With a 60/40 middle row slit, there are many options for both passengers and luggage.

The rear seat tucks neatly into the base of the trunk, giving you a clean and spacious luggage area. The headrest remains in the tailgate unless you need to use them. Putting it together won't require Herculean strength and once it's in place, the relatives can be invited for a spin in this beauty.

The off-road capability of this car is its strength right from the beginning. Winning punishing car rallies has been its USP. Now, even the civil version will come with the Mitsubishi Active Skill and Traction Control, which employs sensors that continuously detects tyre slippage and works with the ABS and EBD to keep the car under control.

This vehicle takes the rough with the smooth with equal grace, so, it will take to any terrrain like fish does to water. The Montero does have a lot of additional features over the Pajero, like there are side airbags and the Mitsubishi Active Stability System. The engine has been refined a bit and the bhp has been increased to 165 bhp from the Pajero's 160 bhp.

The Montero is a dream to drive on long trips and stability is also good because this is a traditionally a monocock chassis, while normally most SUVs have a ladder chassis system. It does have a bit of a body roll because of the high centre of gravity but there is nothing to worry about.

The only drawback is that the diesel engine is noisy and does intrude into the cabin space. So, you might want to play your music system loudly. But for power junkies, this car has it in all ranges. Also, for its size, the turning circle is quite narrow, making it remarkably manoeuvreable. This SUV is all about chilled driving pleasure.