R O A D    T E S T

Life will not be easy for the best-selling Mitsubishi Adventure.  Where before it only had fellow AUVs Toyota Revo and Isuzu Highlander to contend with, now it has to face a market awash with a variety of people-carrier/multipurpose vehicles.  Chevy Venture, Honda CR-V, Kia Carnival Sedona, Nissan Q-RV—more expensive, but also claiming to be 10-seater vehicles that are ideal for family use yet still desirable as a driving device.  The Revo and Highlander have been working harder, too, coming out with high-end options like leather trim and VCD systems.  Does the top-line Adventure—the SuperSport—still have what it takes to flourish in such a tough environment? 

The previous-generation Adventure was the first AUV to have a bit of style, coming up with a face similar to that of its big brother, the ubiquitous Pajero.  The latest Adventure goes several steps closer to completing the SUV look.  The nose has even bigger headlamps, bigger chrome-toothed grille, and a bigger front air dam.  There’s gray body cladding all around, too.  The rear meanwhile seems to have been influenced by the old Honda CR-V, with its taillights mounted high on the D-pillar.  Unfortunately those lights don’t look that well-integrated, as the rear glass is surrounded by metal, breaking what would have been an appealing taillight-glass-taillight band.  The rain gutter is also jutting out from the body—not exactly the trait of a 21^st century vehicle. Take a few steps back, though, and there’s no meaner-looking AUV around.  We think that, like Tommy Lee Jones, the vehicle looks best in black. 

The interior also tries for a bit of the high-end look. Awful fake wood covers the center console and nearly every switch panel and air vent surround.  Besides that, there are white-faced gauges that turned bright green or blue (your choice) at night, and chrome door sills with glowing “Adventure” badging.  Our SuperSport was also equipped with the optional VCD system.  The mounting location is not ideal, as the monitor blocked the rear view mirror and is a distraction to the driver, particularly if Pangako Sa Yo happens to be showing. 

Now you can’t go on calling something SuperSport if it doesn’t have a storming engine.  Mitsu has found something from its corporate parts bin, a donor from its Galant range.  The 2.0 liter sohc 16-valve gasoline powerplant generates 114 bhp and 168 Nm—not exactly encouraging on paper.  It’s noisy at startup, but once it’s going, acquits itself quite well, remaining smooth and silent throughout the rev range.   

It's surprising then that the driver himself will find it difficult to be smooth and silent throughout the speed range.  The accelerator pedal's spring is as stiff as carbon fiber underwear, resisting our foot's efforts to press it down.  After a few days of getting used to the Adventure's hard throttle, we switched back to a regular sedan and we were suddenly surging all over the place, pressing much harder than normally required.

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