5 reasons the Strada is boosting its category

MORE THAN SKIN DEEP. That it’s a handsome pickup is just half the story. There’s the power (with the VGT) and the safety (flying colors in the EuroNCAP, Ancap and Elk tests).

When a man sets his sights on the prize, you can very well see the steely look of determination on his game face.

And what sort of prize would be worth the effort for the man of the house? Here’s a hint: Something with wheels and an engine. For some dads, a simple car that can take him and his family from this to that is enough of a reward for all the hard days and nights.

But we’re not talking about a simple car here, and we’re not talking about a simple dad, either. We’re talking of daddies who have a life outside of work, say a farm or an outdoor hobby that he and his brood “escape” to during the weekends and holidays. So, is it an SUV for the dad? Well, an SUV isn’t really a farm “animal,” so to speak. It can’t take a 10-foot-tall tree sapling on its back. And when things get rough out there outside of the safe enclaves of the city, the SUV would tend to back off where the star of this article would normally be in its natural element.

For the dad who wants to go places and bring along his family (and even the family dog), the double-cab pick-up is it. The market isn’t in short supply of them. There’s the Nissan Frontier Navara, the Mazda BT50, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hi-Lux, the Isuzu D-Max and the Mitsubishi Strada.

DAKAR LOOK. The Strada is based on the same platform as that of the Pajero, including the one used in the Dakar Rally.

The company, symbolized by diamonds, oak leaves and ship’s propellers in its badge, produces probably the most recognizable pickup today, the Strada.

Probably the shapeliest of all double-cab pick-ups, the new-look Strada (introduced in 2006) had captured the biggest slice of the pie in the 4×4 pick-up category from 2007 onwards (except in 2009).

It wasn’t just the looks that lured many a family man into an affair with the Strada.

To find out the allure of the Strada, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines lent out the 2011 Strada 4×2 GLX-V 4×2 DI-D to Inquirer Motoring a couple of weeks ago. Powered by the new 2.5-liter 4-in-line DOHC 16-valve turbocharged and intercooled VGT and DI-D engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission, the Strada immediately revealed six points why this pick-up could indeed prove to be a love-at-first-sight for the papa.

• Beauty is fast, and more than skin deep. Being based on the equally eye-catching Pajero Evolution platform, the Strada’s design is a head-turner. What attracts the checkbooks is its performance and frugality: quick acceleration, but with improved fuel consumption. When Inquirer Motoring drove it, we almost forgot that this vehicle was a 1.7-ton light truck powered by diesel. The four passengers remarked on the smoothness of the ride. Considering it was the first days of the school year, the city roads being predictably more congested than usual, the Strada managed fuel efficiencies of 8 km per liter on city drives and 11 km per liter on the highway.

The unit we drove has a max power of 178 PS (175.56 horsepower) at 4,000 rpm, and max torque of 350 Nm (35.69kgm) at 1,800 to 3,500 rpm.

WHITE ON WHITE. Horses of the same color run together, apparently. In this case, a real white horse faces the 175 hidden under the hood of the Strada. Photos by Tessa R. Salazar

Mitsubishi engineers explained that power output is increased and maximized due to the amount of supercharging contributed by the variable geometry turbocharger (VGT). Imagine, with the same amount of fuel supplied in a VGT and a non-VGT engine, VGT engines maximize each fuel volumetric parts due to the constant and optimal induction supplied by the turbocharger by varying the vanes at the exhaust side depending on the speed you are requiring. Thus, fuel economy is basically increased.

• Though the design is daring, the vehicle itself is safe. The Strada boasts of having passed all international safety tests thrown at it: the Euro NCAP, Ancap and Moose test. That’s a perfect come-on for fathers looking to go on a weekend trip with their small, fragile kids.

It scored a respectable four out of five stars in the adult occupant protection category of both the 2008 European New Car Assessment Program and its Australian counterpart Ancap. In this category, vehicles are tested to check if there is no passenger intrusion in the cabin after a frontal and side collision. The Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution body and frame system has enhanced the survivability of Strada’s occupants. Those familiar with these ratings know that the Euro and Australian NCAP have realistic and independent assessments of the safety performance of the vehicles they test.

The Strada had also passed the so-called “Moose” or “Elk” test wherein vehicles are made to do evasive maneuvers to determine if a vehicle possesses good stability. In the test, the Strada held its ground, even during instances when only three or two wheels were in contact with the road.

• You will be called “Papa” by both sexes. Yes, when you’re in a Strada, the second looks do come your way—from all sexes (even from the third sex, Papa). The Strada design basically stems from the same platform of the current Pajero which, according to Mitsubishi engineers, is indicative of the superiority of the Strada platform base. Its design principles, they explained, are based on two concepts: Advanced Commercial Truck (ACT) and Active Recreational Truck (ART). ACT focuses on the durability and practical and commercial uses of the vehicle, which have been some of the primary strengths of the Mitsubishi pick-up truck models in the past, while the ART characterizes the ideal design for leisure, comfortable ride, interior roominess and styling.

• Fearless in floods. Well, up to a certain height, of course. The Strada is distinctively high: a minimum ground clearance of 205mm and a cargo floor height of 850mm. Who wouldn’t want that when the heavy rains come?

• A car expert bought one for himself. BBC Top Gear Philippines magazine consumer editor and Inquirer Motoring columnist Botchi Santos just recently bought a Strada GLS Sport-V. And he’s been bragging about it to his friends on Facebook. “I got it because it’s the best value for money: the cheapest in its class, has very good on-road performance, fast and responsive drivetrain, tightest/smallest turning radius in its class, a standard rear LSD (limited slip differential), and roomiest back seats plus powerful brakes.”

His butt not yet leaving an imprint on the driver’s seat, Botchi is already planning an upgrade. “I plan to upgrade intake, exhaust, (install a) bigger intercooler and a piggy-back ECU to tune it.” He adds that he also plans to put big foglamps, bigger tires, a tow-hitch and a camper shell. Yup, the man is single, so we do understand the more-than-average attention he will be lavishing on his new love.

Wish list

To be sure, there are some design aspects of the Strada that we think needs some rethinking. One area is on the lower curve of the rear doors near the pickup bed. Though the look does evoke some sexiness, it gets in the way and makes getting in and out of the back seats a bit more taxing.

Another observation is that the pickup bed is shorter than, for example, the Nissan Navara. Probably the legroom for the back passengers was given priority over bedspace. Buyers must bear in mind these differences.

Car nut Botchi, for his part, wishes that the Strada came out with “brighter, more powerful headlights, and leather interior options.”

Just for this Father’s Day, Botchi, add that to your shopping list for the Strada upgrades.