By Khulekani Dumisa

Recently, we spent time with the solid but often overlooked, updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4×4 Auto. The most obvious change up front is the company’s new design language dubbed the “Dynamic Shield,” which includes a revised grille, LED headlamps, daytime running lights and cornering fog lamps. At the rear, there are shorter LED rear combination lamps and a thicker bumper with a rear diffuser.

Inside, the 7-seater SUV, there is a fair amount of hard plastics but the cabin also benefits from more soft-touch materials, more leg room, and elbow space. Connectivity is taken care of by a new 8-inch colour touch-screen infotainment system that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. All models now have additional USB and additional accessory sockets (dual USB for the rear passengers) and a 220AC 150-Watt power plug. This is super convenient for working on the road as the laptop remains fully charged.

Powering the Pajero Sport is a 2.4-litre MIVEC four-cylinder inter-cooled turbo diesel offering 133kW and 430Nm. The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Some thoughts

We enjoyed our time with the underrated but impressive Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4×4 Auto. It is a solid offering on nearly all fronts. The looks, whilst always a subjective matter, are decent, especially with the latest improvements by Mitsubishi. The interior is solid and spacious. Connectivity is taken care of by ample USB Ports for front and rear passengers.

The Pajero Sport does lag behind competitors somewhat. Most are moving towards the luxurious side of things adopting much more premium and softer materials inside. Is it a deal breaker? Perhaps for some. We found that we could live with it. Nothing about it says it will let you down in the next 10 years, the diesel engine feels confident and the drive is assuring on the open road and tricky off-road situations being a proper 4×4. Fuel consumption is forgiving. During our stint with it, we saw figures as low as 7.4l/100km on the open road, and do not recall going over 8.6L/100km in the city. This is impressive considering the power at your disposal and sheer weight of the SUV.

All thing considered, the Pajero Sport may not be bringing in the numbers that the brand once did but it is an honest product that will not let you down, and for the price, seems all worth it.

Price

Prices of the Pajero Sport range start from R704,990.