DRIVING IMPRESSION
Bakkie-based SUVs are popular in South Africa, and among them you might want to consider the updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.
One of the reasons why this type of vehicle is so popular has to do with affordability, but also because they use common parts that any bakkie mechanic can replace. And like its competitors, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has seven seats for when you have to cart an entire indoor hockey team with enough space for the goalie’s kit, too.
What’s new?
The 2021 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport doesn’t appear dramatically different from the 2017 model. The spotlights on the front bumper have been completely redesigned and moved higher up to the mudguard panel, the grille now has three slats compared to the previous two, and the headlights are narrower.
At the back, the bumper is new and the brake lights have been shortened so they no longer point quite as far down. In the Exceed model that we drove, the tailgate can be opened automatically by either swinging a foot under the bumper (but not if it’s covered in mud), pressing a button on the dash or on the remote control, or pressing a button on the tailgate itself.
Inside, there is more bling-bling and the guages are now completely digital. As mentioned, you get seven seats – the back two fold into the floor and the middle row has access to an electric two-point socket, which works really well to recharge camera batteries and laptops.
And the drive?
We put 2 200 km on the clock in four days, of which three quarters were on dirt roads – read more about that trip on page 40.
On our visit to the land peed track at Verneukpan in the Northern Cape, we took the opportunity to test the Pajero Sport’s top speed and we were able to reach 161 km/h – thats 24 km/h shy of what the manufacturer claims. However, the pan was not completely dry and we could feel the Toyo 435 Open Country multi-terrain tyres slipping at times. The four-wheel-drive system, though, kept the Pajero Sport on course at full gallop and we never felt unsafe.
It rained during our visit to the Upper Karoo and we had to drive through mud in places. Although the Pajero Sport sometimes struggled through the deeper mud holes, we did manage to make it through all of them without having to resort to the spade in the boot. It was also great to be able to leave 4x4 engaged on the corrugated roads of the Lower Karoo for extra peace of mind.
Speaking of corrugated roads: the Pajero Sport’s suspension is soft enough to deal with bad roads, but not so soft that it wallows around corners.
The four-wheel-drive system, though, kept the Pajero Sport on course at full gallop and we never felt unsafe
The Pajero Sport feels light on the highway – and it does indeed weigh less than its competitors – but the steering action is nonetheless accurate and doesn’t require constant adjustments to stay in a lane. Acceleration is mannerly rather than boisterous, and thanks to the stiff-ish suspension, body roll is relatively little when when you take the tall stance and ground clearance into consideration.
We tallied our fuel bill and found the diesel consumption to be between 8,2 ℓ/100 km at best and 9,9 ℓ/100 km at worst. The average consumption on trip – which included our landspeed ‘attempt’ and a number of mud puddles, was on average 11 km/ℓ (9,1 ℓ/100 km). Not bad at all.
How does it compare?
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport competes with the 2.4 Toyota Fortuner, 2.0 Ford Everest (single turbo) and 3.0 Izuzu mu-X.
In terms of power and torque, the Pajero Sport wins with 133 kW and 430 Nm. The runner-up Everest has 132 kW and 420 Nm. But this is only true on paper, because in reality you don’t really get the impression that the Pajero Sport is more powerful than its competitors.
The Fortuner has the best maximum towing capacity – 3 300 kg (the Everest and mu-X are both rated to tow 3 000 kg) – but because the legal limit in South Africa is determined by the tare weight of the towing vehicle, the Everest wins this category at 2 446 kg. The Pajero Sport’s tare is 2 035 kg.
Each of the four vehicles has something in which it performs best overall, and your pick will depend on which category matters most to you. When it comes to resale value, you may want to consider the Fortuner; the Everest theoretically has the best towing capacity due to its higher GVM; the mu-X’s 3 ℓ engine is the least stressed; and the Pajero Sport’s Super Select II system is simply fantastic.
Conclusion
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport’s purchase price is in line with that of its competitors. When you take into account all the additional gadgets, such as the automatic tailgate and the 8” touchscreen, its price is actually quite good.
We also think the unique part-time fourwheel drive system you’re able to engage regardless of the road surface thanks to the center diff lock, is a useful feature. A rear diff lock that you can manually engage ads our positive impression of the Pajero Sport.
Acceleration is mannerly rather than boisterous, and thanks to the stiff-ish suspension, body roll is relatively little when when you take the tall stance and ground clearance into consideration