The 2009 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Available with 3.2-litre common rail diesel engine, seven seats and leather for $5.9 million. In the background is the Negril Lighthouse. Mitsubishi is launching this new product at its South Camp Road showroom on February 24. Festivities start at 5:30 p.m.- Photo by Brian Carless

MITSUBISHI'S IAN Lyn has got a new toy to play with. It's black, it's big and it's name rhymes with Sombrero. It has a mechanical transfer case, independent suspension all round, and seats - seven in all with some amount of decorum. Ta Dah! Introducing the all-new Mitsubishi Montero Sport!

OK, so it looks like a beefed up Outlander (it does). It has the same engine options as the Pajero (sans the 3.0 V6). Which means that it only comes with Mistubishi's slightly thirsty 3.2-litre common rail diesel. But, we (the indubitable Brian Carless and I) got to tote our wives in this brand new vehicle all the way to Couples Swept Away for a weekend of relaxation after a tiring week. A really hard week.

best-case scenario

But, we have to get there. And there's no time off from work, so best-case scenario, we would leave Kingston by 5:30 p.m., right? But no. Our best friend, Murphy, had to come along on this ride. We had one duh! moment after another, and we fell over ourselves getting various babysitters in place and - why ladies think that two people can eat an entire month's worth of food in two days, I will never know - stocking the pantries a bit over-much. By the time we were organised, it was 10:15 p.m.

So we left. I would drive to Negril, Carless would drive back, home girls in the rear, off to adventure. Right. Usually, it takes me four hours to get to Negril. And that is driving hard in the daytime. From Temple Hall, I would be forced to take the Junction road in pitch darkness (it is shorter than south coast from this vantage point). Not something I was particularly looking forward to doing, in a vehicle I had just begun to know. But we had a job to do, and fun to have. No stopping us now!

an under-steerer

I took Junction's twists and turns to know what the vehicle felt like and what she would do. The Sport is an under-steerer, with a 'highish' centre of gravity that contributes to vehicle roll. But Montero's ride is supple, and the SUV has surprisingly decent road manners (i.e., no surprises) that endeared it to me during our Junction stint.

Having traversed this route to Ochi twice in the last year, with Highway 2000 construction doing its best to slow me down at that time, I expected the usual delays and driving hazards en route. But this was not the case! Our little group was blessed with smooth tarmac from Wag Water bridge through Islington to Port Maria; the sea walls there have been constructed and the lane-demarcating Botts' dots have been installed.

We held 80 kmh right through to what is known as Succabus Bay, where after the road opens up and we wound the tachometer up to naughty speeds, playing cat and mouse with the few working route taxis all the way to the tourist capital of the Caribbean. I was pleasantly surprised at the smoothness of the road surface. And the torque of the 3.2 leaves nothing to be desired - ascending those long, sweeping hills coming in to Ochi were punch and go exercises.

built for the long haul

Using the highest gear on the tiptronic tranny and clogging the throttle brought on a huge amount of twist - enough so that kick down was not necessary - and the van accelerated on that groundswell of torque until we let up off the gas. Low-speed acceleration is not its forte; Montero was built for the long haul.

Ochi to Montego Bay went by effortlessly and uneventfully - other than us keeping the black beast at a constant high-speed lope. The most disheartening thing about travelling at night is missing Jamaica. Cloaked in black, the country was asleep - and its soporific effect was contagious. With the stroboscopic effect of the median line reflectors, keeping the eyelids open would soon require matchsticks - a sobering thought at high speed!

Next week: The Ultimate Bed and Breakfast

mario.james@gleanerjm.com