By Ewan Kennedy
Mitsubishi Pajero is a large vehicle that’s been a major player in the Australian 4WD / SUV field for many years. It’s sold as a five-seat GLX, and seven-seat GLS, Exceed and GSR. Our test vehicle for the past week has been the GSR.
STYLING
Pajero Sport has Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield styling. The grille features a black honeycomb design with projector headlamps positioned outside of the daytime running lights in a continuation of the grille.
Depending on the model there are up to seven body colour options Black Mica and White Diamond are exclusive to the GSR. Our test Pajero Sport had the White Diamond and it certainly looked great.
There are black exterior and interior accents, front and rear bumper garnish, on the radiator grille and roof rails. The Black Mica GSR also gets a black roof.
INTERIOR
The Pajero’s seats are large and comfortable and the steering wheel is adjustable for both height and reach. We found it easy to set everything up to the way we like it. This adds to the safety of the vehicle because the driver never feels the need to fiddle with settings that never feel quite right.
The centre console has a modern shape. There are lower trays in the dashboard forward of the gear lever and more under the floor console, allowing access from both sides, giving improved utility and convenience.
There’s plenty of headroom in all seats and second row legroom is reasonable. Unusually, the second-row seatback can also be tilted to give occupants the choice of which angle suits them best. Third row seats are best suited for young children as there’s not enough space for adults. Besides, the kids prefer to be as far away from Mum and Dad as possible…
It’s hardly a surprise that rear storage space in the seven-seat Pajero Sport is minimal with the third-row seats in place. The base can by folded back to make for floor that’s almost completely flat. This expands the space up to 673 litres depending on the variant tested.
There’s also a shallow compartment in the floor at the back with a lid to hide smaller items from view.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
All Pajero Sport models are powered by a 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine with outputs of 133 kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm at 2500 revs.
The GLX and GLS come with the choice of two- or four-wheel drive, Exceed and GSR are 4WD only. Transmission is through an eight-speed automatic.
All Pajero Sport 4WD models come with four drive modes: 2WD high range, full Time 4WD and high and low range 4WD with locked centre differential.
Off-Road modes are: gravel, mud/snow, sand or rock.
SAFETY
Standard safety features include seven airbags (front, side, curtain and driver’s knee); ABS brakes with emergency brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake override and emergency stop signal; stability, trailer and traction control; forward collision mitigation system; hill start assist and descent control, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera as well as rear parking sensors.
There are two IsoFix child seat anchors in the second row of seats.
Pajero Exceed and GSR also have blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist, miss-acceleration mitigation system, an adjustable speed limiter and speed limit display. There is multi around monitor and front parking sensors.
INFOTAINMENT
All models have an 8-inch colour touchscreen, it is LCD in the Exceed and GSR.
The entry-level GLX comes with Bluetooth connectivity with voice control and audio streaming, digital radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.
Pager Exceed and GSR have an 8-speaker premium sound system. A smartphone app which allows a range of features to be operated from outside the vehicle including tailgate opening, vehicle status check, fuel consumption check car finder function, set-up notification and Apple watch connectivity.
DRIVING
Pajero Sport is a large vehicle so getting into it can be a task for smaller occupants. However, the side steps and grab handles make it simpler.
Variants above the Pajero GLX come with a powered tailgate and a kick-motion sensor. I found the sensors worked most of the time, not always the case in some other vehicles we’ve tested.
Pajero Sport isn’t designed from the ground up as an SUV, rather it’s built on a Mitsubishi utility platform, in this case the Mitsubishi Triton.
There’s plenty of grunt when needed and semi-serious off-road credentials but still smooth and comfortable on the bitumen.
Towing capacity is very good, at 3100kg.
Around town it has a tight – for its class – turning circle of 11.0 metres. Power assist has been calibrated to reduce steering effort when stationary or at low speeds while providing greater feedback at higher speeds.
The Pajero Sport offers an easy, relatively refined drive with a nice blend of power and control. Given its real off-road capability it is not as compliant or gentle as those bitumen-only SUVs but it’s certainly comfortable enough.
Fuel consumption is listed at 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres. We averaged 9.3 litres per hundred on our usual test course which includes motorway, flat and hill country roads as well as boring driving around the suburbs.
SUMMING UP
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is equally at home carrying out family duties in the urban environment where it’s likely to spend most of its time. It also works well in harsh off-road situations that would stop most of its softer rivals.
Pajero is well-priced and comes with Mitsubishi’s very impressive 10-year warranty – provided that its always serviced at a dealership and doesn’t travel more than 200,000 kilometres in that period. Otherwise, it drops to five years and 100,000 km.
Not so impressive when most five-year competitors provide unlimited distance.
RATINGS
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Safety: 7/10
Thirst: 8/10
Practicality: 9/10
Comfort: 8/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 8/10
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
GLX 2WD: $44,440
GLS 2WD: $49,190
GLX 4WD: $49,440
GLS 4WD: $54,190
Exceed 4WD: $59,690
GSR 4WD: $61,440
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Mitsubishi dealer for driveaway prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR 2.4-litre diesel five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.442 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Maximum Power: 133 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 430 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Fuel Type: Diesel
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.0 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 212 g/km
DRIVELINE:
Eight-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4825 mm
Wheelbase: 2800 mm
Width: 1815 mm
Height: 1835 mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 2125 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 68 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
10 years / 200,000 kilometres (but note conditions)
