Practical Pajero Sport every inch an off-roader

It seems like every second SUV on the road is a Toyota Fortuner, and the reason for its staggering sales figures is undoubtedly its good resale value - not to mention the reliability of the Toyota badge. Then there’s the Chevrolet Trailblazer (voted Car Magazine’s Top Large SUV of 2012) which is excellent in its own right, and the newly launched Ford Everest. Their diesel powertrains are quite refined, and these life-sized SUV's (specifically in auto guise) aren't difficult to drive, hence the popularity among the soccer-mom fraternity.  But if you have an alternative streak like me, wouldn't you like to drive something “lesser spotted”?

This week I drove the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Shogun edition, which is not an SUV you see every day. Can it compete with the big dogs like the Fortuner and the ‘Blazer?

In the looks-department, the Pajero Sport won’t be winning any Top Model contests. It feels a bit dated, whereas the latest Trailblazers and especially the Fortuners look much more fashionably futuristic.  In its 'Shogun' outfit of Yokohama all-terrain tyres, rock sliders, a snorkel and a roof-rack, it looks rather aggressive, and ready to take on the Sani Pass during a mudslide. The Shogun edition has all of this extra 4 x 4 kit added (including a detachable tow hitch and spotlight for the roof rack), for the same price as the flagship Pajero Sport. The extra trimmings alone are worth 70K.

The interior can hardly be described as ungainly - it's just a little 'last season', compared to the competition. The touchscreen on the centre dash with a seperate trip computer directly above that, takes up a lot of visual space. But the upside to this, is that the information on the touchscreen is placed nearer to the driver’s field of vision and easy to reach with one’s fingers. A rear view camera and Rear Park Distance control are both standard features that are imperative in a vehicle this long. Ergonomically, everything is where it should be, and even though the cabin is not particularly stylish, the materials used feel like quality. Satellite controls for the sound system and telephone are mounted on the leather-clad steering wheel, as are the Cruise Control buttons. Bluetooth with hands-free voice control is standard. The sound system is not as good as the Ford Everest or Trailblazer's, but it's not terrible either. The seats are covered in durable-looking black leather and are comfortable, even on road surfaces that have seen better days.

Not exactly driveway candy, the Pajero Sport (in its safari-outfit) was almost begging us to take it on a little off-road adventure. So on Sunday afternoon we took it to Gansbaai in the Western Cape, turning into De Kelders to enter at the main gate of Walker Bay Nature Reserve. Once we passed the communal parking area, I engaged 4WD and we continued over some arduous bits, with plenty of sand in-between. (The SuperSelect 4WD-system has four driving modes: 2WD, 4WD, 4WD mode with lock-up, and 4WD low-range with lock-up.) The Pajero Sport did not stand back for any of the obstacles in its way, and enthusiastically followed in the tracks of a Ford Ranger Double Cab, which then got stuck in a spot of sand. (In the Ranger's defense, the driver wasn't especially sand-savvy.) Our Pajero Sport had no such issues. I was impressed with what it was capable of, and had an immense amount of fun driving it on this rogueish terrain. In town, it wasn't such a hit with me - it is rather diesel-heavy, and its combined figure is a far cry from the 8.5 litre per 100km, according to Mitsubishi. Instead you can bargain on about 11.5 litres per 100 km upwards. In town it managed to go up to a frightening 15, and I'm hardly an aggressive driver. The 2.5-litre engine (mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox) is gruff and noisy  - not exactly comparable with the new Ford Everest. For the daily commute to school and work, I wouldn't recommend it to the ladies. But for the die-hard adventurers out there, the old-school engine will surely be easier to maintain on cross-continent trips. Speaking of trips, the Shogun variant is equipped, as standard, with a detachable Garmin GPS. There's also a practical rubber mat in the gigantic boot, if you want to throw some muddy sports equipment in there.There's an additional powerpoint in the rear as well.

In a segment this tough, the Pajero Sport would not be my first choice. I would rather buy something that will please the city-slicker in me as well as my inner-outdoorsy girl. My husband, who has driven the latest Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8D 4 x 4 LTZ Auto (R 575 000), Toyota Fortuner 3.0 D-4D 4 x 4 Auto (R 548 300) and above mentioned Pajero Sport (R 514 900), prefers the Fortuner. But if you take all the standard 4x4- paraphernalia into consideration, the already cost-effective Pajero Sport Shogun gains loads of Brownie points.

Facts & Figures

Price	: R 514 900
Engine	: 2.5 litre turbo-diesel
Transmission	: 5-speed automatic
Power	: 131 kW @ 4000 rpm
Torque	: 350 Nm @ 1800 -3500 rpm
Fuel tank	: 70 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: 11.5 - 14 l / 100 km
Maximum static roof load	: 80 kg
Boot capacity (3rd row down)	: 1149 litres
Boot capacity (2nd & 3rd rows down)	: 1776 litres
Towing capacity (braked)	: 1200 kg
Ground clearance	: 205 mm
Safety	:  6 airbags, ABS     with Brake Assist, EBD, stability and traction control, immobilizer, privacy glass, rear view camera, park distance control (rear), front fog lamps, dusk sensing headlamps, high-mounted stop lamp.