SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Trail boss: 2021 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4x4 Exceed

This vehicle is called Montero in Spanish-speaking countries and Shogun in the UK

It takes all kinds

Posted: February 18, 2021

The numbers

Prices: 4x2 @ R609 995, 4x4 @ R659 995, 4x4 Exceed @ R689 995

Engine: 2442 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder commonrail turbodiesel

Power: 133 kW at 3500 rpm

Torque: 430 Nm at 2500 rpm 

0 to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds

Top speed: 180 km/h

Real life fuel consumption: About 9.6 l/100 km

Tank: 68 litres

Luggage: 88-392-1304 litres

Ground clearance: 218 mm

Turning circle: 11.2 metres

Approach/departure/ramp over angles: 30/24.2/23.1 degrees

Maximum towing mass (braked): 2700 kg

Standard tyre: 265/60R18 110H, M+S

Spare: Full size alloy, stored under body

Fit into garage? 4785mm long x 1815mm wide x 1805mm high

Licensing mass: 2045 kg 

Warranty: Three years, 100 000 km

Roadside assistance: Five years, unlimited km

Service plan: Five years, 90 000 km at 10 000 km intervals

The face says it all: Don’t mess with me. Now in its third generation and facelifted for the 2020 model year, there’s still much that’s traditional in Pajero Sport’s make-up:
•    It’s built in the old style; body on chassis. That means it’s tall so you’ll find the climb-in grab handles, at every doorway, useful if the standard foot rails don’t quite get you up high enough,
•    The 2.4-litre, 4N15 engine, introduced with this generation, still sounds like a diesel. No real effort was made to silence it,
•    It’s a competent off-roader with four shift modes (2H, 4H, 4H with central diff lock, 4L with central diff lock), four track options (mud and snow, sand, gravel, and rock crawl in 4Low only). Selectable rear differential lock is standard,
•    It stands a usable, if not record-breaking, 218 mm clear of the ground so it’s able to tackle most day-to-day obstacles,
•    And you can sense the toughness; its steering is mildly heavy during low-speed manoeuvres and it feels really solid; a man’s kind of truck. But it has a softer side too; illuminated vanity mirrors on both sun visors, a box for sunglasses and the security of keyless operation.

Despite the initial heaviness, it turns in only 11.2 metres. That’s 400 mm tighter than the similarly sized competitor from Brand T. It makes parking easier.

There’s other modern equipment: disc brakes at both ends; double wishbones and coils up front are paired with triple links and coil springs to control the live rear axle for a well-damped and comfortable ride over rough roads; all the safety- and stabilising kit you need; seven airbags; a digital instrument panel with four selectable views and 8-inch touch-screen infotainment with all the must-have connectivity. The top model, Exceed, also provides the option to download and use Mitsubishi’s remote-control app.

This lets owners set the tailgate to automatically open and close as they approach and leave; check vehicle status, including whether doors and windows are open; receive reminders if they leave the vehicle unlocked or headlights on; turn hazard lights off; lock doors and tailgate; monitor fuel consumption and driving range remotely; activate car finder function; set up notifications, or connect to their Apple watches. Sounds too ‘fancy German car’ for my taste but it takes all kinds.

Then there’s a kick-to-open tailgate and a sunroof that tilts and slides. This steals front- and rear headroom, so taller families might want to try before they buy.

All models have 18-inch alloy wheels; LED headlamps with dusk sensing; rain-sensing wipers; rear park distance control and camera; seven seats upholstered in leather; electrically adjustable driver’s chair; automatic, dual zone air conditioning with roof-top vents serving the rear seats, cruise control; headlamp washers on 4x4 models; a 220-volt, 150-Watt power point and an electronically controlled eight speed automatic gearbox supplied by Aisin. It’s smooth and competent but not especially quick. Manual override is via stick or paddles.

I tried the Pajero along my favourite forest trail that had deteriorated even further because of recent heavy rains. The hill is still long and steep but the washaways were deeper and more loose stones had been exposed by soil erosion. But nothing exciting happened – the Exceed 4x4 with its various off-road options turned an all but impassable track into a non-event – fun but almost boring.

Interior space, apart from the sunroof-restricted headroom issue, is good; storage bins and pockets are plentiful and there’s an abundance of accessory sockets. The third row of seats is best kept for the small, young and athletic. I could get in and out but it was a tight fit and I would prefer not to need to.

Summing up, Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport is big enough for most families, competent on most trails and goat tracks, comfortable when the going is gravelly and fairly priced for what it can do. I would happily have one.

Test unit from Mitsubishi SA press fleet

I drove the old one in 2009

A manual in 2012

And a 4x2 in 2022



The numbers

Prices: 4x2 @ R609 995, 4x4 @ R659 995, 4x4 Exceed @ R689 995

Engine: 2442 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder commonrail turbodiesel

Power: 133 kW at 3500 rpm

Torque: 430 Nm at 2500 rpm 

0 to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds

Top speed: 180 km/h

Real life fuel consumption: About 9.6 l/100 km

Tank: 68 litres

Luggage: 88-392-1304 litres

Ground clearance: 218 mm

Turning circle: 11.2 metres

Approach/departure/ramp over angles: 30/24.2/23.1 degrees

Maximum towing mass (braked): 2700 kg

Standard tyre: 265/60R18 110H, M+S

Spare: Full size alloy, stored under body

Fit into garage? 4785mm long x 1815mm wide x 1805mm high

Licensing mass: 2045 kg 

Warranty: Three years, 100 000 km

Roadside assistance: Five years, unlimited km

The numbers

Prices: 4x2 @ R609 995, 4x4 @ R659 995, 4x4 Exceed @ R689 995

Engine: 2442 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder commonrail turbodiesel

Power: 133 kW at 3500 rpm

Torque: 430 Nm at 2500 rpm 

0 to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds

Top speed: 180 km/h

Real life fuel consumption: About 9.6 l/100 km

Tank: 68 litres

Luggage: 88-392-1304 litres

Ground clearance: 218 mm

Turning circle: 11.2 metres

Approach/departure/ramp over angles: 30/24.2/23.1 degrees

Maximum towing mass (braked): 2700 kg

Standard tyre: 265/60R18 110H, M+S

Spare: Full size alloy, stored under body

Fit into garage? 4785mm long x 1815mm wide x 1805mm high

Licensing mass: 2045 kg 

Warranty: Three years, 100 000 km

Roadside assistance: Five years, unlimited km

The numbers

Prices: 4x2 @ R609 995, 4x4 @ R659 995, 4x4 Exceed @ R689 995

Engine: 2442 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder commonrail turbodiesel

Power: 133 kW at 3500 rpm

Torque: 430 Nm at 2500 rpm 

0 to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds

Top speed: 180 km/h

Real life fuel consumption: About 9.6 l/100 km

Tank: 68 litres

Luggage: 88-392-1304 litres

Ground clearance: 218 mm

Turning circle: 11.2 metres

Approach/departure/ramp over angles: 30/24.2/23.1 degrees

Maximum towing mass (braked): 2700 kg

Standard tyre: 265/60R18 110H, M+S

Spare: Full size alloy, stored under body

Fit into garage? 4785mm long x 1815mm wide x 1805mm high

Licensing mass: 2045 kg 

Warranty: Three years, 100 000 km

Roadside assistance: Five years, unlimited km

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.