The Mitsubishi Raider, a restyled version of the Dodge Dakota midsize pickup, ended production in 2009. For its final model year, it came only with a V6 engine; Mitsubishi dropped the optional V8 in 2007. The Raider's sole engine was a Chrysler-designed 3.7-liter V6. Known as EKG, this 12-valve, SOHC engine is part of Chrysler's PowerTech family. It is essentially a six-cylinder version of the 4.7-liter V8 used in various Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.
Like the V8, it has a cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder heads, a plastic intake manifold, chain-driven overhead camshafts, and roller-type cam followers. The EKG shares the V8's 90-degree bank angle, rather than the 60-degree angle ideal for a V6 engine. It uses a split-pin crankshaft to give even firing intervals, and a balance shaft to reduce the shaking forces created by the 90-degree layout. The 3.7-liter engine was revised in 2005 with hydraulic valve lash adjusters, a new cam profile for better mid-range torque, and a higher, 9.7:1 compression ratio. In the Raider, it made 210 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque.
The 3.7-liter engine was sorely underpowered for the Raider's size and weight. It had adequate power for commuting, but freeway merging demanded caution, particularly with a heavy load. Its performance was dramatically inferior to rivals like the 236-horsepower Toyota Tacoma and 261-horsepower Nissan Frontier. The Raider was further hampered by its automatic transmission, which had only four speeds, compared to the five-speed automatics of most competitors.
Despite the V6's lack of grunt, the Raider's EPA fuel economy estimates were unimpressive, inferior to the more-powerful Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, and no better than the far more muscular Nissan Frontier. In compensation, the Mitsubishi's 3.7-liter V6 was reasonably refined and very well muffled, making the Raider one of the quietest trucks in this class.
Like the V8, it has a cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder heads, a plastic intake manifold, chain-driven overhead camshafts, and roller-type cam followers. The EKG shares the V8's 90-degree bank angle, rather than the 60-degree angle ideal for a V6 engine. It uses a split-pin crankshaft to give even firing intervals, and a balance shaft to reduce the shaking forces created by the 90-degree layout. The 3.7-liter engine was revised in 2005 with hydraulic valve lash adjusters, a new cam profile for better mid-range torque, and a higher, 9.7:1 compression ratio. In the Raider, it made 210 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque.
The 3.7-liter engine was sorely underpowered for the Raider's size and weight. It had adequate power for commuting, but freeway merging demanded caution, particularly with a heavy load. Its performance was dramatically inferior to rivals like the 236-horsepower Toyota Tacoma and 261-horsepower Nissan Frontier. The Raider was further hampered by its automatic transmission, which had only four speeds, compared to the five-speed automatics of most competitors.
Despite the V6's lack of grunt, the Raider's EPA fuel economy estimates were unimpressive, inferior to the more-powerful Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, and no better than the far more muscular Nissan Frontier. In compensation, the Mitsubishi's 3.7-liter V6 was reasonably refined and very well muffled, making the Raider one of the quietest trucks in this class.
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