1997 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Mainstream appeal and pricing. By Ray Thursby, New Car Test Drive .com

Since Mitsubishi first offered its Montero

to sport-utility customers, it has presented a utilitarian, boxy appearance

that disguised the luxury touches inside. Like the Jeep Cherokee and Isuzu

Trooper, the Montero's looks have suggested that style had been accorded

a distant second-place ranking to function.

Sport-utility buyers liked that, and still do. The piano-case Montero

continues on sale, but now it's joined by a new, slightly smaller version,

the Montero Sport, that puts the same rugged underpinnings under a slick

new shell.

Style-wise, the Montero Sport faces rivals that wouldn't have been considered

by previous Montero intenders. Nissan's Pathfinder and Toyota's 4Runner,

both redesigned last year, and the Isuzu Rodeo/ Honda Passport twins come

to mind, as do the Jeep Cherokees, Chevy Blazer/GMC Jimmy/ Oldsmobile Bravada and Ford Explorer.

It's important to re-member that all of these competitors have as much

substance as style. That's a major consideration for those looking to the

sport-utes for more than just high-profile on-road duty. The larger Montero

has never been found lacking when asked to work hard; can the same be said

of its new junior partner?