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The year was 1986 when my wife, toddler son and I drove out of a Mitsubishi dealership in a brand new Montero.

The Montero was a short, boxy little dude, and since we had traded in a small pickup, my son named it “New Truck.” And New Truck it remained, even after it became an old truck.

Though the performance was sluggish and the handling dicey, we really liked New Truck. The little four-wheeler took us to all kinds of offbeat places, carrying us over many narrow paths, some quite challenging.

Now I have two sons, both shockingly grown up. Montero has grown up, too.

Originally a basic sort emulating the early British Land Rovers, Montero has gone upsize, upscale and upclass, more akin to a decked-out Range Rover and more likely to be found in the land of suburban gentry than on some lonely desert trail.

For 2001, Montero has received a clean-slate makeover, with a completely new structure, a face lift, a new interior, a more powerful engine and an all-independent suspension. The goal was to keep Montero rough and ready, but with the sophistication and accommodations required for a luxury craft.

The shapely new body is now a unibody structure, like an automobile, instead of its former body-on-frame, like a truck. Montero is also 4inches wider, creating noticeable improvement in interior space, and 2 inches lower for more stable handling.

There’s a new front suspension, which includes rack-and-pinion steering for better response and precision. Independent rear suspension makes the Montero more stable and also improves the ride, as well as providing more space in the rear for a third row of seats.

Engine power has been upped to 200 horses. And although Montero doesn’t offer a V-8, the V-6 is commendably smooth and powerful enough for comfortable freeway cruising and climbing steep grades. Fuel mileage is mediocre, not surprising since Montero weighs a hefty 4,675 pounds.

The interior leaves no doubt about the luxury intent, at least in the top-drawer Limited test vehicle. Just about everything is standard equipment, including full leather and power features and a premium sound system.

The cabin feels spacious and refined. The third row of seats should be reserved for small children only, or very small adults who are agile enough to climb back there.

I found the exterior basically attractive, but the details seem overwrought. Too much chrome, too much plastic body cladding.

Standard on Montero are four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and side-impact air bags.

Montero drives nicely, the high seating position giving that air of control that has helped make sport utility vehicles so popular. The steering is quick, and the cornering is not too ponderous, considering the height and weight.

Despite unibody construction and independent rear suspension, Montero still feels like a big SUV and needs to be driven as such. Those who enjoy driving probably will find the Montero fairly ho-hum, if not a real yawn er, at least in normal on-pavement travel.

An unusual feature, at least for an SUV, is the Limited’s standard Sportronic transmission, which allows a driver to choose gears. This would come in handy for off-roading. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try out the latest Montero in the rough, but I know previous Monteros take plenty of boulder hopping without complaint.

The Montero Limited’s price tag is not cheap, but it seems reasonable when stacked up against the competition. When you consider that nearly everything comes standard, the price starts looking pretty good. The only option on the tester was a $900 front/rear climate control. The dashboard display of the climate control is surprisingly ugly.

The less-equipped XLS version starts at $31,297, a decent price considering the standard features. There’s another version of the Montero, the Montero Sport, a compact SUV with fewer features at a lesser price. The Sport takes over where the original, fun-loving M onter o left off.

But the big Montero has come a long way, now emerging as a real contender among top-end SUVs. And I’m glad to see New Truck so successful now that it’s all grown up.