THIS ROBUST SUV A STEP ABOVE ITS SUBCOMPACT RIVALS
The RVR is Mitsubishi’s best vehicle. By that I mean it’s the company’s most complete package, the vehicle that best competes against those in its segment, has the fewest consumer-facing flaws and, most important, offers key features otherwise unavailable in its class.
You’ll note that I didn’t say it’s Mitsu’s most desirable product. That title, despite a few flaws, remains the Outlander PHEV, mainly by dint of it being the industry’s only affordable plug-in SUV.
That’s not to say the RVR does not also offer unique features. My significant other, who knows a thing or two about hardcore off-roading, loves the RVR for its truck-iness. By that she means there’s a sense of robustness about the Mitsu that is lacking in so many of the subcompact segment’s faux-by-fauxs.
Mitsubishi calls the revisions “robust” and “ingenious.” I don’t know about the latter, but the former is certainly apparent.
Unlike most of the competitors, the RVR offers the segment’s only lockable 4WD system. Yes, just like the big boys. I’m not sure how many people need a lockable four-wheel-drive system in this segment. I’m not even sure how many people shopping compact SUVs know what lockable 4WD is or what its benefits are. It’s good to have around in emergencies and Mitsubishi’s RVR has it, at least in GT spec.
The GT AWC (All Wheel Control) model is also powered by the larger of the RVR’s two available engines. While the 2.4-litre four-cylinder’s 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque are only middling, its actual performance is not. Always torquey, always responsive, the sportiest of the RVRs always has plenty of git-up-and-go as well as a reserve of passing power. No, it’s not a Ferrari. Or even Civic Type R for that matter. But combined with Mitsubishi’s latest INVECSIII CVT transmission, there’s plenty of pep. It is also quite civilized, except when it occasionally hunts for “gears.” As for fuel economy, talk about truth in advertising: Mitsubishi rates the GT versions of the RVR at 9.4 L/100 kilometres, almost exactly the 9.6 L/100 km I averaged.
Ditto for the handling, which, though unchanged for 2020, speaks to a chassis well sorted. There’s nothing special here, just MacPherson struts up front and an independent multi-link system in the rear, but it tracks well, isn’t particularly squishy and still manages a decent ride. A step above most subcompact crossovers, in other words.
Inside, the RVR is pretty nice, especially this GT format, though if one were looking for criticisms, some of the plastic trim isn’t quite up to Toyota’s synthetics. That said, the build quality is excellent, with panel gaps minimal and uniform, the leather seat covering is quite elegant and the new infotainment system, now with a larger screen, adds a touch of modernity.
The GT option offers a 710watt Rockford Fosgate audio system with subwoofers that rival the Bose 901s that used to pound out the bass in the discotheques of my youth. The infotainment is also simply and well laid out.
That said, I did encounter one anomaly. Whenever I received a call to my bluetoothed phone, as soon as I answered, the radio would start blaring some country station at top decibels. My SO was sure I was exaggerating or somehow screwing up some of what she never tires of reminding me is simple technology. That is, until she was in the car when someone phoned and she was greeted by the dulcet plaints of Billy Ray Cyrus.
I never did figure that one out. Credit one for the dark side of electronics.
The RVR was noticeably more roomy than most other subcompacts. The GT, because it includes a huge panoramic sunroof, has a little less space for NBA players, but at 988 millimetres, headroom is still generous. In the rear, it is a little tighter, at 934 mm, but if you ditch the GT and the its glass top, rear-seat passengers get a further 30 mm of overhead clearance. Front legroom (1,056 mm) is particularly commodious and things aren’t bad in the rear.
There’s also more than 566 L of cargo space with all the seats in position, and almost 1,415 L with the rear seats folded. The RVR is, to say the least, generously proportioned.
All this goodness doesn’t come cheap: my top-of-the-line tester cost $33,998, while even the base FWD model goes for $22,998. And no matter how competitive it is, eventually Mitsubishi will have to totally redesign the entire platform. In the meantime, it’s the most complete package the company sells, and the recent upgrades make it instantly competitive.