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The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has always been a quiet achiever in a market full of vehicles that generate more excitement, that have greater cache with the car-buying public, and sell better than the Pajero Sport.
It generally moves less than half the units top-sellers such as Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X move in the same amount of time.
But ignore this 4WD wagon to your detriment.
The Pajero Sport is a woefully underestimated 4WD yet this low-key, no-nonsense ute-based wagon has impressive value-for-money appeal and is renowned for being reliable and robust.
And it’s for those reasons – and more – that the Pajero Sport has an ever-growing legion of fans.
A new generation is due in 2025, but for the time being the current-gen Pajero Sport has had a range-wide refresh including the introduction of 18-inch alloys, front and rear design tweaks, as well as new interior styling inside and new exterior paint options.
I’m about to tell you why you shouldn’t ignore this 4WD.
(Note: For the purpose of this yarn, I’ll be referring to the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR, which is the top-spec wagon in the updated line-up.)
The GSR is a seven-seat 4WD wagon with a listed price of $64,840 (excluding on-road costs). The vehicle pictured is $69,094 (excluding on-road costs) because it also has carpet mats ($249), towbar kit ($1546), towball ($42), electric brake controller ($710), snorkel ($1103), and roof rack/cross bars ($604).
It is 4840mm long (with a 2800mm wheelbase), 1815mm wide, 1835mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2130kg.
The Pajero Sport’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 133kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm at 2500rpm – and eight-speed automatic transmission is a respectable, well-proven combination, but it’s sluggish and far from dynamic.
One of the major points of difference this Pajero Sport GSR has with its rivals is Super Select II 4WD, a system that adds an extra and very welcome element of safety and sure-footedness to your driving experience. Via a dial to the rear of the auto shifter, you can switch from 2H into 4H (four-wheel drive, high-range) to give you the best traction possible in traction-compromised situations, i.e. rain-soaked blacktop, rough back-roads or dirt tracks peppered with loose rocks and potholes.
There's no risk of transmission wind-up when 4H is engaged in the GSR because the centre diff remains open.
Then turn the dial to 4HLc (four-wheel drive, high-range, locked centre diff) and you're ready to take on more difficult terrain but at lower speeds, because now the centre diff is no longer open.
If you want to tackle even harder stuff than high-range 4WD territory, turn the dial to 4LLc (four-wheel drive, low-range, locked centre diff) and the Pajero Sport has the opportunity to excel in low-speed, low-range four-wheel driving.
It has a rear diff lock, which is engaged/disengaged via a button in front of the shifter and this further helps you to comfortably maintain safe forward momentum.
The GSR has selectable off-road modes, including Gravel, Sand, Mud/Snow (when in high-range 4WD) and Rock (when in low-range 4WD). Each of these modes adjusts engine output, transmission settings and braking, the aim being the acquisition of superior traction to suit specific conditions and terrains.
A fair bit is packed in for the price and the Pajero Sport generally compares evenly with most other similarly priced seven-seat 4WDs on the market.
Standard features in the GSR include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), digital radio, as well as three-zone climate-control, front and rear parking sensors, and a power-operated tailgate.
Exterior paint options include White Diamond, Terra Rossa, Graphite Grey and Black Mica, but for the GSR you can also choose from White Diamond with black roof, Terra Rossa with black roof, and the new Graphite Grey with black roof.
The Pajero Sport cabin has always been practical, but due to the most recent upgrade, it now has more of a premium look and feel. From front to back, this interior is a well set-up space. The driver and front passenger seats (both power-adjustable) are supportive, with a cosy feel to them. The other seats are fine.
The reach- and height-adjustable steering wheel has paddle shifters for energetic shifting if you get the urge.
The dash and touchscreen media unit are well integrated, but that 8.0-inch screen is not big enough – more about that later.
The second row is comfortable, though the entire cabin is more squeezy than spacious. There are three top tether points, two ISOFIX points, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as USB charge points and a power socket in the back of the centre console bin.
Third-row seating, with its flat seat base, is a spartan affair in terms of comfort, but at least passengers there have access to cupholders and air vents.
The Pajero Sport’s cabin is quite narrow compared to most of its rivals and there are plenty of other SUVs and 4WD wagons around that offer more room inside for people, gear and dogs.
With the third-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 131L. That rear cargo area has power sockets and tie-down points.
With the third row stowed away, there’s a claimed 502L of cargo space. With the second and third rows stowed, there’s a claimed 1488L.
The Pajero Sport is a solid daily driver – not spectacular, but better than ordinary. Compared to other similarly sized 4WD wagons, it is narrower and has a higher centre of gravity than its rivals, so it’s nimble – with an 11.2m turning circle – but it also feels floaty on roads and tracks.
It is reasonable on sealed surfaces, although it is sluggish, noisy and there’s substantial body-roll through sharp turns, especially compared to some of its more refined rivals, such as the Ford Everest.
But it is a very capable off-roader – and a lot of that has to do with the aforementioned Super Select II 4WD system.
Also, the GSR has decent off-roading tyres – Toyo Open Country A32 all-terrains (265/60R18 110H) – but it would perform even better with a set of more aggressive all-terrain tyres.
Wheel travel is adequate, ground clearance (218mm) is reasonable, although you still have to be mindful of this vehicle’s approach (30 degrees), departure (24.2) and ramp-over (23.1) angles. Wading depth is listed as 700mm.
Payload is listed as 645kg (about standard for this size of 4WD wagon), gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 2775kg, and gross combined mass (GCM) is 5565kg.
The Pajero Sport has an official fuel consumption of 8.0L/100km (on a combined cycle), but on my most recent test in the GSR I recorded 9.8L/100km after a mix of highway driving and high- and low-range 4WDing.
It has a 68L fuel tank so, going by that on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 694km from a full tank.
The Pajero Sport range did have the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, but that expired in January 2023. As standard it has dual front airbags, driver knee, front-side and curtain airbags, as well as two ISOFIX points and three top tether points in the second row.
Driver-assist tech includes AEB, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning/intervention, hill descent control, trailer stability assist and more.
The Pajero Sport has a 10-year/200,000-kilometre manufacturer’s warranty if it is serviced as per the schedule at an authorised Mitsubishi dealer.
Mitsubishi’s 10-year Capped Price Servicing applies – with prices ranging from $399 to $999 – and servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km whichever occurs first.
All Pajero Sports come with 12-months roadside assistance, which can be extended to four years if the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Mitsubishi dealership.
There were no power, torque or driver-assist tech changes to the upgraded Pajero Sport – so if your heart is set on more grunt then you’d better wait for the 2025 Pajero Sport which is tipped to have the new Triton’s twin-turbo engine (producing 150kW and 470Nm) and it’ll be paired with an eight-speed auto.
The Pajero Sport is narrower and has a higher centre of gravity than its rivals, so it feels floaty on roads and tracks at speed.
Also, if up-to-the-second interior styling is your particular fetish then you should look elsewhere because the Pajero Sport cabin feels cramped and dated.
The 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is too small – but thankfully the likely introduction of a 9.0-inch screen in the 2025 Pajero Sport will resolve that issue.
In terms of potential as a tow vehicle, the Pajero Sport lags behind most other 4WD wagons in this part of the market because it offers 3100kg braked towing capacity, rather than the accepted standard 3500kg.
The Pajero Sport is a very effective 4WD and it’s more than reasonable as a daily driver.
It’s an unsung quiet hero amid a glut of soft, cityfied “off-roaders” and over-hyped big rigs.
The Pajero Sport is the real deal, a proven touring vehicle – albeit with some limitations – and it still has plenty of value-for-money appeal.
Don’t ignore it.
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