The tough Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a supremely capable 7-seater SUV that rivals products such as Toyota’s popular Fortuner, the Ford Everest, Kia Sorrento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Isuzu MU-X. Having done an extremely challenging off road course with it recently revealed why it’s so it so popular as an off roader.
By RUBIN VAN NIEKERK
Big bakkie-based family SUVs offer many advantages and the Pajero is a vehicle with diverse talents, a stunning eight speed transmission and an unmatched price point. Should you pick the flagship you will still pay approximately R 10 000 less than the mid-range price point of its five rivals! If you compared all the flagships, then you pay R 100 000 less for probably the most capable off-roader. Or in my humble opinion the only one that challenges the Fortuner. Living with the Pajero Sport is not challenging at all as it’s light on the steering wheel, easy to park and does not skid all over wet roads, which is a common affliction with some SUVs and most bakkies with uneven weight distribution.
“Sometimes many intangibles go into a great car. Yes, the recently updated Pajero Sport nails the brief in terms of affordability and value for money – especially at the top of the range where an all-bells-and-whistles Exceed model undercuts similar competition by upwards of R100 000, but it’s in less obvious ways that the Mitsubishi snatches the award here, too. Its recent makeover has imbued it with a sleeker, less polarising aesthetic. As CAR Magazine found in their February 2021 test against the Toyota Fortuner, it possesses all the high-quality specification and refinement of its arch-rival, while feeling lighter on its feet to drive and more robust when the going gets tough. In their opinion you really can’t go wrong with the Pajero Sport.” – Car Magazine May edition.
