Head to Head: Nissan Terra vs Mitsubishi Montero Sport

Facelifted in 2021, the Nissan Terra is a relatively new contender in the SUV segment, ready to challenge the big names in the industry. But the question is, can the refreshed Montero Sport trade punches with it still? Despite its aging platform, Mitsubishi’s midsize SUV remains a strong seller for the brand. The Terra, too, is holding its own, as Nissan’s best-selling SUV, and it certainly looks good while doing it.

That said, the Montero Sport now faces increased pressure from the Terra. As the more established model, can it still hold its ground? With the Terra launching an all-out offensive against its rivals and the Montero recently receiving a refresh, what kind of battle are we looking at between these two SUVs?

The Terra has a rather regal design to it with a bit of attitude. Compared to its predecessor, we think that this new one looks better, but compared to the Montero, it’s not totally clear-cut. With broad shoulders and hips, the Terra strikes a good balance between classy and aggression, and with its modern styling which includes LEDs, shapely panels, and a face that’s easy to love, is it really better? 

Chrome may not be our top pick in terms of material choice, but the Terra wears it well. The headlight shape gives it a very upscale look, borrowing a few of the Nissan Patrol’s elements and putting it into a smaller form factor. Whether or not this look is for you depends on how much you like Nissan’s design language, and more conventional yet modern SUV design in general. 

Meanwhile, the Montero Sport is modern, yet ironically the older of the two when it comes to design. Mitsubishi has been playing with the Dynamic shield design for quite some time now, and the Montero Sport is definitely on the more modern side of the design spectrum, some would even say futuristic. We’ve covered the Montero in-depth several times now, but we’ll say it again. There are a lot of people who like futuristic designs and Montero’s popularity and brand contribute to that fact. 

There’s not much to criticize between the two. Both feature LED lighting, alloy wheels, and plenty of ground clearance for navigating the urban jungle. Style-wise, it’s a close call. The Terra has a different charm, leaning towards a more classic design, while the Montero Sport embraces a futuristic and sportier look. The one factor that might give the Terra a slight edge is the age of the design. Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield has been successful, but it’s older than the Terra’s design. Even with the recent refresh, which brought a new grille and wheels, the Montero Sport is starting to show its age. So, the Terra edges out the win—just barely.

Winner: Terra 

The main pain point with the Terra before this current one was the interior. The midsize SUV in its prior incarnation had an extremely plain interior. Now, however, we think it’s at least a top-three finisher when compared to other rivals in the category. Nissan could have just dyed the leather black in its top-spec trim, but the Japanese brand went the extra mile and offered red leather on the dashboard. 

Other trim levels and color options are also available, but we think that the red really pops without looking too out of place. On top of that, we get quilted leather in the top-spec trim. Sitting in the Terra makes you feel special, and the attention to detail in the model really is one of the best we’ve seen in the segment so far. 

Meanwhile, the recently updated Montero Sport is also aiming to claw back some points with its new interior. The interior layout has stayed the same but Mitsubishi introduced a new steering wheel that’s also found in the new XForce along with two-tone black and tan leather for the upholstery. In terms of practicality, we believe it’s comparable to the Terra, though slightly less so, as the Nissan offers a switch-activated tumble seat in the rear for easier access to the third row. Thanks to the update, the Montero Sport’s interior regained some youth, allowing it to bring this segment to a draw.

Winner: Draw

On the infotainment system front, the Terra comes with a 9-inch unit from Nissan. The system shrinks a bit when you get to the lower trim levels, but otherwise, all models will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto baked in. On top of that, you get a BOSE eight-speaker audio system and even an 11-inch flip-down monitor for your rear passengers to enjoy. 

On top of that, the reverse camera is standard and pairs with the rest of Nissan’s cameras around the car to form the Around View Monitor, or AVM for short. This feature is one that Nissan has been pioneering in its products since the launch of the Terra, and it is a part of the Intelligent Mobility suite of features. That means that the Terra gets even more driving assistance and safety features as a result, but more on that later. 

Meanwhile, the Montero Sport has an 8-inch infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The gauge cluster of the Montero is arguably better than the Terra’s because it has a fluid TFT panel that you can customize. You get a 220V socket inside as well which is good for powering an external monitor, a laptop, or a phone charger, but that’s about it apart from the standard top-of-the-line offerings that you see on other SUVs. A 360 camera is standard for GLS variants and above.

To that end, it’s obvious that the technology package in the Terra is superior to the Mitsubishi. Even with the flashy gauge cluster, we feel that there’s still some merit in analog gauges, still. We feel that there are a ton more useful and polished features in the Terra. It’s a bit of a landslide victory here for Nissan so far, but will Mitsubishi be able to mount a comeback? 

Winner: Nissan Terra

On the safety side of things, the Terra’s got a lot of kit, perhaps one of the best safety packages in the industry right now. Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility suite of features is really great, and we love the fact that the Around-View Monitor is a part of it. In addition to that feature, you also get forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, lane departure warning, driver alertness monitoring, blind spot warning, hill start and hill descent assist/control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and six airbags in total with ABS and EBD as standard, as well as stability control. 

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi’s safety package is still good, it’s just not as amazing as the Nissan’s. There are, however, a few unique additions to the Montero like the Brake Override system, trailer stability control, ultrasonic misacceleration mitigation system, and traction control. Otherwise, it’s mostly the same feature set as the Terra minus the driver alertness feature, and the omission of one less airbag because the Montero has seven and not six. 

If safety was all about the number of airbags, we’d give it to the Montero, but making the car easier to drive is also paramount in the world of safety. While both cars will keep the driver from rear-ending someone because they’re not paying attention, and both cars come with a full suite of airbags, the Terra is actually made easier to drive because of the addition of thoughtful features like a tire pressure sensor and the intelligent driver alertness feature.

Winner: Nissan Terra

The Terra takes the tried-and-tested diesel mill from the Nissan Navara, and it continues to do so into the next-generation model. The 2.5-liter turbo-diesel mill makes 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. 

The Montero has a 2.4-liter turbo-diesel engine, but that comes with a power figure of 179 hp and 430 Nm of torque mated to an eight-speed transmission. 

Now, with both figures on the table, it’s easy to see that the Nissan Terra is the more powerful and the torquier of the two. The Mitsubishi has longer legs given it has an extra gear, and that’s worth acknowledging, but as it stands, the Montero is one of the weaker performers out in the market if torque figures are a concern for the buyer. 

Winner: Nissan Terra

Before the facelift, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport won hands down in terms of affordability across the board, this time though, that may not be the case anymore. In terms of base models, the Terra commands a premium base price of P1,729,000 at the time of this article’s writing, while the Montero Sport can be had for as little as P1,568,000. If all you want is a seven-seater SUV, the Montero Sport is the one to buy.

At the top spec, both models cross the P2,000,000 mark, however, the Montero Sport now sports a higher price tag at P2,502,000 compared to the Terra’s P2,409,000 for the VL 4x4 variant. Even if you go higher up the Terra lineup and go for the Sport AT 4x4 priced at ₱2,469,000, the Montero Sport is still P33,000 more expensive than the Terra.

As much as we want to award the win to the Montero Sport for its more accessible base variant, the P33,000 price difference is still too much given that you’re not getting more features. Sure, the Montero Sport looks younger with the update, but we don’t believe it’s enough to sway us out of the Terra.

Winner: Nissan Terra

Initially, we expected a close contest, but as we delved into the details, it became clear that while Mitsubishi put up a strong fight, the Terra consistently came out on top, round after round. Spec for spec, the Montero Sport struggled to keep pace. That said, it’s undeniable that the Terra is well-equipped to challenge staple SUVs like the Montero Sport and even the Fortuner.

Though the Terra was a latecomer to the SUV market with its first generation, its second generation is now leaving competitors in the dust. With that, we declare the Nissan Terra the winner of our Head-to-Head comparison.

Ultimately, the choice is up to the buyer when deciding which SUV to go for. If you want to explore both vehicles and request quotes, head over to the AutoDeal Car Guide and click the ‘Get Quote’ button now.