Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX 2016 Review

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX
Road Test

Despite the seemingly fatal flaw of being a five-seater in a segment where seven seats reign, Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport is a thoroughly competent and impressive all-rounder with plenty of style, plenty of creature comforts and the ability to charm. Even the $45,000 (before on-road costs) the base GLX version – which is cheaper than all its rivals – feels more mid-range than entry-level.

Flaunting Mitsubishi’s latest Dynamic Shield design language, the new Pajero Sport looks pretty impressive on the road.

Even at base GLX level as tested here, the Challenger replacement does not look entry-level. Its chrome-laden grille, sculpted side profile with matt silver running boards, chrome side mirrors, upswept (tinted) rear windows and impressively vertical tail-light stacks speak anything but poverty-pack.

Add a set of premium-look 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and silver roof rails and you would not be too far amiss if you identified the GLX as at least mid-level in the Pajero Sport range.

Climbing inside, it’s only the lack of satellite navigation, power seats and leather trim that suggest otherwise. The standard climate-control, keyless entry with push-button start, shift paddles on the steering wheel, the highly detailed dash and door cappings, and the general ambience verge – for an SUV – on premium.

Yet the Pajero Sport GLX is close to $3000 cheaper than its nearest rivals, the Toyota Fortuner GX and the Holden Colorado LT – and costs $9,990 less than the base Ford Everest Ambiente.

The crunch, of course, comes with seating capacity. All the Pajero Sport’s rivals are seven-seaters where, until at least a major upgrade, the Mitsubishi is resolutely a five-seater. And although the company says seven seats aren’t ruled out for the future, the fact that the Pajero Sport’s head airbags don’t extend past the second row could be a determining factor come third-row seating decision time.

For the time being though, the Pajero Sport’s five-seat capacity isn’t the only thing to think about.

Other things, such as the aforementioned standard climate control, keyless start and 18-inch alloy wheels help make the base GLX an appealing prospect for those with no need to carry more than five passengers and who quite like the idea of a 673-litre load area behind the rear seats. As well as a best-in-class towing capacity of 3100kg (braked).

We already know the Pajero Sport is a good off-roader, close to the top of the list of utes-turned-SUVs with its “proper”, low-speed transfer case and three-differential full-time 4WD system that is easily accessed via a rotating dial on the centre console, so this time we concentrated ourselves more on the urban situations it, like most of its ilk, is most regularly concerned with.

And it didn’t do too badly, what with its relatively handy 11.4m turning circle, generally good visibility – apart from the restrictions imposed on the rear three-quarter view by the small, tapering rearmost side windows – and the ready engine response helped by the eight-speed automatic transmission.

With just over two tonnes to pull along, the alloy-blocked 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel – which is shared with the Triton – does a perfectly capable job, even if at times it feels as though it wants a bit of a prod to get going. This can be partly explained by the relatively high rpm at which maximum torque is developed (2500rpm compared, for example, with the 1600rpm required to produce 450Nm in the 2.8-litre Toyota Fortuner).

It’s not the quietest diesel, but nor is it the loudest, and it is certainly a lot more refined than the diesel used in the superseded Challenger. And it’s undoubtedly more efficient, not just as suggested by the official 8.5L/100km consumption claim, but also by our experiences over 500 or so kilometres of driving where we saw averages as low as 7.8L in mainly freeway driving and lifting to not much more than 10L in the urban fringes.

Once again the use of an eight-speed auto – where the competition is limited to six speeds – makes a contribution, particularly on the freeway where it has a set of more closely-matched gears to work with. At 100km/h the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel is spinning lazily at around 1700rpm in sixth gear.

The Pajero Sport’s steering – though it’s been quickened so it less resembles a coal-toting river barge when negotiating suburban roundabouts – still feels slower than necessary.

At just a quarter of a turn less than four rotations to go from lock to lock, it’s still a bit ponderous (the Ford Everest takes 3.4 turns, some of which is no doubt due to a slightly wider 11.7m turning circle and a little bit more wheelbase) although it doesn’t take long for the driver to adjust. The well-judged weighting and the two-way adjustable steering column are appreciated.

With the understanding that we are driving a vehicle that must compromise between various use expectations, the Mitsubishi rides and handles well enough on hotmix but feels a bit primitive on badly patched-up bitumen.

The coil-sprung rear end is undoubtedly better-located than the Triton’s leaf-sprung arrangement, but the heavy-duty origins are unmistakable, revealing themselves in a firm ride and some tendency towards fore-aft pitching on sharply undulating surfaces.

The comfortable seats help here, although it would be nice to see some additional lumbar support available when the driver starts getting fidgety on a long trip.

As expected, the rear load area is massive and easily accessed, although in fully-deployed guise the total 1606-litre load capacity is less than the 2010 and 1830 litres respectively quoted for the Everest and Colorado (the Fortuner quotes just 1080).

The Pajero Sport’s cabin, although maybe a little narrow compared with its competition—it measures less across the beam than Everest, Fortuner and Colorado 7 – easily copes with as many as five adult passengers, especially where legroom and headroom were concerned.

In terms of in-cabin functionality the Pajero Sport presented a pretty user-friendly picture with easy access to Bluetooth, climate-control and radio functions, as well as a nicely tactile cruise control rocker switch on the steering wheel that made its operation an easy business (generally, until they got a little steep, the diesel assisted holding pre-set speeds on descents).

What we didn’t really like was the touch-screen sound-system controls which are difficult to use on the run (although there is a supplementary volume-control rocker button on the left steering column spoke). And we particularly didn’t like AM radio function which was so muffled it was almost impossible to listen to music, let alone talk-back radio. FM and DAB (digital) were better, but limited in range and still not ideal.

And despite the provision of a lidded centre cubby/armrest, door pockets, glovebox and two cup holders in the centre console, the Pajero Sport fails to provide easily-accessed places for holding keys, sunglasses, wallets, mobile phones and other paraphernalia.

But that’s the minutiae. Toting everything up, it’s clear Mitsubishi has done a pretty good job morphing from Challenger to Pajero Sport. And adding the title Pajero to the nomenclature is not going to do any harm building recognition of a vehicle that has previously operated under the radar in Australia.

If you have no need for more than five seats and are in search of a stylish, well-equipped, easy to live with and ultra-competent all-rounder, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport really does cover all the bases. And it looks like a lot more than merely a tarted-up Triton.

2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX pricing and specifications:
Price: $45,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 133kW/430Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Holden Colorado 7 LT  (from $47,990 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Fortuner GX (from $47,990 plus ORCs)
>> Ford Everest Ambiente (from $54,990 plus ORCs)

Related reading:
Offroad SUV 2016 Comparison