Mitsubishi Motors Philippines is set to have a busy 2024. Next couple of years, in fact, will be filled with activity based on the timeline it showed a few months ago.
Right now, it’s the XForce that’s being hotly anticipated. The subcompact crossover will make its debut in July, so it’s not that long of a wait. However, the new Mitsubishi Montero Sport is also set to premiere locally this year.
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The new model made its debut in Thailand back in March 2024 and other markets have since followed. Curiously, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines isn’t making much noise about the upcoming model. There’s no indicator as to when it will make its local launch.
But recently, during a drive to and from Batangas, we spotted a seemingly innocent truckload of Montero Sport SUVs being transported via trailer. However, upon closer inspection, we saw that it was, in fact, the new and facelifted model.
The SUVs were spotted just by the end of the STAR Tollway heading towards SLEX. For now, it’s hard to tell which variant (or variants) were being transported. That said, we reckon it’s all two-wheel drive due to the lack of headlight washers and a sunroof. Mitsubishi fans might also notice that one of the units does not have a tailgate spoiler, hinting that it's an entry-level model.
We can confirm that the Philippine-spec Mitsubishi Montero Sport will get the same appearance as the one shown in Thailand. The most noticable change is the new grille, along with a new alloy wheel design and a few tweaks to the headlights and tail lights. It is yet to be known if the 4WD variants will follow Thailand’s lead and have a two-tone paint scheme.
Inside, we can expect a new digital instrument cluster for higher-specification trim levels. Lower variants are likely to retain the current look. However, there’s a strong possibility that all grades get the new three-spoke steering wheel design.
What we’d like to know is the engine. We’re genuinely curious what the local-spec will get under the hood. In Thailand, it gains the Triton’s single-turbo diesel engine dubbed the 4N16. It makes 181hp and 430Nm of torque, a marginal gain over the 4N15 presently under the hood. Should we get that, the eight-speed automatic will be replaced by a simpler six-speed unit.
However, we’re not discounting that fact that the current engine might simply be carried over. It’s the case over in Australia, although that market’s Pajero Sport (as the Montero Sport is called there) will exclusively come in four-wheel drive.
But regardless, this second facelift won’t likely have a long product lifecycle. Mitsubishi itself said that the all-new Montero Sport/Pajero Sport will come sometime in 2025. The company has hinted that the all-new Montero Sport will be more like its (discontinued) big brother, the Pajero.
Hiroshi Masuoka, chief of vehicle engineering development, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, said ‘Pajero Sport has the potential to be stretched, to grow more. Performance, comfort, the bodywork, and the powertrain itself. We believe the Pajero Sport has that potential.’
