Mitsubishi Motors is set to bring back its Montero SUV to India in September 2016. Bookings for the SUV are open now and can be made at Mitsubishi dealerships for Rs 10 lakh.
Deliveries though are expected to start from October, however officials mention that they are striving to advance the date. The car will be brought in via the CBU route which could explain the steep pricing of Rs 70.43 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Now, what’s new on the Montero? The soon-to-be-launched Montero will be the third facelift of the car. The platform and the engine remain the same, but now makes 10hp less than the old motor. The torque figure and the five-speed automatic gearbox remain unchanged.
The car's styling is a departure for that of the 2012 model which was sold here. The front bears the most changes, with a new bonnet, chrome grille, reworked headlamps and front bumper which now houses an LED strip too. Besides these modifications, the SUV also gets new alloys, revised side cladding, and a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. The Montero’s ground clearance has gone down by 10mm and weight has gone up by 25kg.
In terms of sales, the old Montero found very few takers, with many customers finding the then asking price of Rs 40 lakh a bit much for a non-luxury brand. Now with the new price, it will be interesting to see if the Montero finds buyers, especially with the availability of a host of new SUVs from various luxury brands.