The Montero Sport is about the size of a Nissan Pathfinder. It sits high off the road, with more than eight inches of ground clearance, but its roof is only 65.6 inches tall, which is nearly four inches lower than a Jeep Grand Cherokee's.Montero Sport's low roofline leads to more cramped feeling inside, but this is the trade-off for high fashion in the frenzied sport-utility market. While the average SUV-shopper ranks styling as their sixth buying priority, Montero Sport owners (according to Mitsubishi's research) list good looks as their number-two criteria. Possibly this explains why two-thirds of Montero Sports are sold with rear-drive only. Last year, Mitsubishi updated the Montero with a new grille and tail lights and, more significantly, a new coil-spring rear suspension. For 2001, the emphasis has been on safety. Structural improvements are designed to deflect the force of an offset-front-end crash, and a new seat-belt pre-tensioner will help protect the driver from injury.
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