By Paul Gover.
A car doesn’t have to be the best in class to be the class best-seller.
Some cars are number one, like the Ford Mustang.
But the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a favourite with buyers despite conceding ground to many of its rivals.
It is a showroom favourite because of its value pricing, from $45,990 as a five-seater, and its 3100 kilogram towing capacity. It also has a five-year warranty and good-value capped servicing.
The Pajero Sport even out-tows the classic Pajero and the working-class Triton models, as well as the Toyota Prado, and that makes it a giant hit with grey nomads.
The 2020 model comes with a visual and technical update, headlined by the giant chrome grille and LED headlights, as well as more safety technology and even a digital speedometer. Mitsubishi Australia also trumpets a power tailgate.
“It is the combination of ‘go anywhere capability’ with ’style and comfort’,” says the senior product strategy manager, Owen Thomson.
But the core of the Pajero Sport is its genuine four-wheel drive package, including various driving modes that make life easier for the driver when the bitumen ends but their trip goes on.
My time with the Pajero Sport comes after life with a range of family-sized SUVs including the affordable Hyundai Santa Fe and the very costly Porsche Cayenne.
It’s a very different beast, with the emphasis on beast.
It’s nowhere near as refined as I expect, the technology is clunky – particularly the Bluetooth connection – and the turbodiesel engine is flat and unresponsive.
For me, it feels two generations old against its direct rivals. But that’s not unusual for Mitsubishi, which has been starved of proper new products in recent years but still makes giant sales and profits with smart pricing and solid basics.
The Pajero Sport is excellent value as a basic five-seater – including a huge boot space – although things get more costly as you move up the range with seven seats and all the bells-and-whistles extras that many people want.
It’s not a great drive with the dozy diesel engine, the cabin looks old and basic compared with its Korean opponents, and it wallows around corners.
But at least it is now available with a serious safety package and many people are never even going to test-drive it against its SUV rivals.
They want a two beastie, or something that can go seriously off-road around Australia, and the Prado costs too much.
So the Pajero Sport becomes a winner.
THE BASICS
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Price: from $45,990
Power: 133W/430Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Position: family
Plus: affordable and practical
Minus: dozy engine, feels outdated
THE TICK: yes for towing
Score: 7/10
