Only five seats for Pajero Sport

When the successor for Mitsubishi's Challenger -- to be called Pajero Sport globally -- arrives in Australia in December, it will bring vastly improved design, refinement, efficiency, technology and off-road capability.

However, unlike all of its direct rivals -- including the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Holden Colorado 7 and Isuzu MU-X -- it won't be available with seven seats.

This is despite the fact a third row will be offered in most of the 90 markets in which the Pajero Sport will be sold, and that previous Challengers – including 1996 original and the second generation from 2008 -- offered up to seven seats, until the MY14 PC-series became a five-seat-only model Down Under in 2013.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited Head of Product Planning, James Tol, confirmed at a preview drive in Japan this week that seven seats will remain the preserve of the Japanese brand's mid-size Outlander and large Pajero SUVs here.

"Our Pajero Sport will have five seats," he said. "The focus is on cargo space. Pajero and Outlander both offer seven seats."

Tol said Australian pricing and specifications won't be announced until closer to launch, by which time Mitsubishi will have had "the luxury of monitoring the success of Fortuner", but suggested the five-seat Pajero Sport will be aggressively priced to compete with its seven-seat ute-based rivals and to attract a higher level of fleet sales.

Like the Challenger it replaces, the Pajero Sport will be an all-diesel, 4WD-only affair available in at least two equipment grades that should again undercut their key rivals on price.

The outgoing Challenger is priced between $42,490 (manual) and $49,990 (LS auto) plus on-road costs, while the all-diesel/4x4 Fortuner and Colorado 7 start at $47,990 and the Everest opens at $54,990. Only the MU-X is cheaper at $40,500 in 2WD form.

Tol said a third row of seats may eventually be made available in Australia, but not before a major model upgrade.

"We're still investigating the need for seven seats," he said. "Demand for seven seats is increasing so we may revisit that. It could be something that comes with a future model update."

However, he also told motoring.com.au the Pajero Sport's lack of full-length side curtain airbags "could have an impact on our decision".

"Those sorts of things can't be changed quickly," said Tol.

Revealed in August in Thailand, where it will be produced alongside this year's new fifth-generation Triton one-tonner on which it's based, the Pajero Sport comes with a reversing camera and seven airbags including driver's knee, twin front, front-side and curtain bags that extend only to the second row of seats.

Unlike in some other markets, Australia's Pajero Sport will come with five three-point seat belts and five adjustable head restraints, and is expected to achieve the same five-star ANCAP safety rating as the Triton, which achieved only a four-star Euro NCAP rating because it lacks advanced driver aids like autonomous low-speed braking.

The Pajero Sport rectifies this, however, by featuring a number of Mitsubishi firsts – all of which will be offered in at least some Australian models -- including low-speed Forward Collision Mitigation up to 30km/h, Blind-Spot Warning, Ultrasonic misacceleration Mitigation System and 'Multi-around Monitor' 360-degree camera.

Other Mitsubishi firsts like a new eight-speed automatic transmission, hill-descent control (up to 20km/h), an electronic park brake and 'tube-style' LED daytime running lights and tail-lights will be standard.

The Active Stability and Traction Control (ASTC) system also features a new Off-road Mode with Gravel, Sand, Mud/Snow and Rock settings, while an upgraded Electronic Time and Alarm Control System (ETACS) includes welcome light, coming home light, emergency stop signal system, reverse-linked rear wiper and auto-folding side mirrors.

There's also a "further evolved" version of Mitsubishi's Super-Select 4WD-II four-wheel drive system operated via a rotary Drive Mode Selector on the centre console, featuring 2WD high-range (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), 4WD high-range with centre diff lock (4HLc) and 4WD low-range with centre diff lock (4LLc), plus a separate electronic rear diff lock button as per Triton.

Mitsubishi Australia says its new large diesel 4x4 "represents a new-generation of SUV with luxury, high-tech safety features and superior comfort while still delivering class-leading 4WD capabilities and great on-road performance". It also claims handling, stability, ride and quietness have been improved.

The Pajero Sport is powered by the 4N15 2.4-litre MIVEC four-cylinder turbo-diesel from the Triton, developing the same 133kW of power at 3500rpm and 430Nm of torque at 2500rpm.

Combined with the new eight-speed auto, however, Mitsubishi claims CO2 emissions of less than 200g/km and fuel consumption reduction of 17 per cent compared to the Challenger, which consumes 8.3L/100km (manual) and 9.8L/100km (five-speed auto).

That means the new auto-only Pajero Sport will consume around 8.0L/100km, undercutting the Fortuner.

Distinguished by Mitsubishi’s distinctive new 'Dynamic Shield' frontal design and claimed to produce a 13 per cent reduction in drag, it's said to feature a higher quality interior with "dynamically styled silver-finish ornamentation and plush sculpted seats".

Three variants will be offered in Thailand (all with seven seats and an automatic transmission), including two 2WD models – the entry-level GLS-LTD and mid-range GT – and the GT-Premium 4WD.

All models ride standard on 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60 R18 tyres and available features will include LED headlights, 7.0-inch colour touch-screen infotainment system with satellite-navigation, digital radio, SD card input, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone climate-control, auto headlights and wipers, leather upholstery, powered driver's seat, paddle shifters, keyless entry and starting, a rear entertainment system, side steps and a range of accessories.

Based on the new Triton's updated ladder platform including revised front chassis rails and beefier first and second cross members, the Pajero Sport is 90mm longer than the Challenger at 4785mm, but rides on the same 2800mm wheelbase and has the same width (1815mm) and height (1800mm).

Mitsubishi claims a class-leading 2585mm of total legroom between the first and third rows, and more front-seat headroom and second-row head and shoulder room than before.

The redesigned front seats and the middle row recline, the second row tumbles forward rather than sliding and the third row, if fitted, is split 50/50 and folds to the sides of the cargo area. No cargo capacity figures are available yet.

Mitsubishi says the 'optimised' position of the rake/reach-adjustable steering column and greater driver's seat sliding range accommodates a wider range of body shapes, while an unchanged 11.2-metre turning circle is augmented by a quicker steering ratio to reduce the number of turns lock to lock.

Also claimed to be class-leading are ground clearance and approach, departure and ramp-over angles, which remain unchanged at a generous 218mm and 30, 24 and 23 degrees respectively.

Double-wishbone front and three-link solid-axle rear all-coil suspension continues but with revised springs, dampers and bushings, while wading depth increases by 100mm to 700mm – matching Fortuner but 100mm short of Everest.

Like the Triton, braked towing capacity rises by 100kg to a competitive 3100kg, although kerb weight rises slightly to 2070kg in its heaviest form, which still undercuts the equivalent Fortuner (2135kg), Colorado 7 (2205kg) and Everest (2495kg).

Five exterior paint colours will be available: White Pearl, Black Mica, Sterling Silver Metallic, Titanium Grey Metallic and the new Deep Bronze Metallic.

To June 2015, the Challenger had found more than 400,000 homes globally. To September this year in Australia, sales are up 62 per cent to 2080, accounting for just 2.4 per cent of the large mainstream SUV segment.