Mitsubishi Pajero Sport review, test drive

On paper, MItsubishi's new Pajero Sport has what it takes to take on the competition. We drive it in the real world to see how good it is.

Published on Apr 13, 2012 01:57:00 PM

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Mitsubishi Pajero Sport review, test drive

Under the microscope

Mitsubishi hasn’t done as well as it could have in India and so it’s easy to forget how impressive the company is with SUVs. Sure, the Japanese company makes some very capable compacts, saloons, and sports cars, and some of them are exceptional too, but it’s the SUVs that get special attention at Mitsubishi. They are thoroughly engineered, the company’s knowledge base on off-roaders is second to none and Mitsubishi is hungry for success.

So hungry, in fact, that its designers have lifted the nose section right off the Pajero Evo rally car and grafted it directly onto the new Pajero Sport. The grille and headlights are aligned in a single narrow band, the massive wheel arches on either side provide plenty of excitement and the gaping chasm below the bumper gives the SUV a tough, purposeful look. The cabin gets tighter and tapers towards the rear, the taillights are attractive and the Sport sits so high on its springs, it looks like it’s been given an aftermarket suspension job. Overall proportions, however, aren’t great, as the stubby nose and large cabin don’t exactly gel.

Delve deeper and you come across the modified Triton truck chassis on which the engine, transmission, transfer cases and body are all bolted. Suspension at the front is handled by double wishbones, there are stout anti-roll bars at both ends (important considering how high off the ground this car sits) and the non-independent rear uses a three-link setup. Mitsubishi’s ‘Super Select’ transfer case allows you to shift from two-wheel drive high to four-wheel drive high on the move (upto speeds as high as 100kph), and you can uniquely lock the centre diff in both four-wheel high and four-wheel low.

I step into the cabin and am pleasantly surprised. The dash is beautifully designed, good use has been made of the numerous textures and colours, and the quality of some of the bits is surprisingly good as well. The leather-covered steering wheel, for example, is superbly crafted, the doorpads look like they are from a more expensive SUV, and the central console with its multi-information display both looks good and has plenty of useful information on offer. Both the driver and passenger get powered seats, thigh and back support are good up front and there’s even plenty of legroom for tall passengers in the second row. Those sat in this row can also adjust the angle of the backrest, their thighs are well supported and visibility from the back is pretty good too. The Sport does feel a bit narrow though, and that means sitting three abreast is not as comfortable as it could have been. And while access to the third row is relatively easy and the middle-row seats flip beautifully upon pulling a lever, the space in the rear is only really useable by children. The cabin has plenty of storage, especially, in and around the central console, and there’s even space for some luggage in the rear.