Mitsubishi Pajero Sport holds its own against Fortuner and Everest

Based purely on sales, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport might have been seen as a mere left field pick in the past. But things have taken a very interesting turn of late.

A recent spike in sales has put not one, but two feathers in the very underrated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport’s cap.

It outsold all its siblings in the Japanese carmaker’s local stable over the last three months and in May also became the official opposition of the body-on-frame SUV segment’s runaway leader, the Toyota Fortuner.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport continued its upwards trend in May with a monthly sales number of 138, which is 34 up from April. This makes it only the second car in the Mitsubishi stable to reach three figures twice in 12 months after the Eclipse Cross.

The Fortuner (196) still led the way despite its production being halted after the flood damage to the Toyota Prospecton assembly plant.

Pajero Sport overtakes Everest

However, the big victim of the Pajero Sport’s newfound success was the Ford Everest, of which only 129 were sold in May. It was a significant plunge for the Everest as its sales have been hovering around the 200-unit mark leading up to May.

The fourth contender in the segment, the all-new Isuzu MU-X, enjoyed a good month in May, recording sales of 90.

What no doubt contributed to the newfound success of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport was the introduction of the Aspire models in March.

The new offerings offer South African buyers what they love: windgat looks. We recently had the chance to sample one in 4×4 guise.

Looks are in fact the only things separating the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Aspire from its siblings. The Aspire is only offered in striking Jet Black and White Diamond which both feature a two-tone roof. It also features a black front grille to complement Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design, while black roof rails and 18-inch black alloy wheels round off the aesthetics.

Powering the Pajero Sport

The Aspire’s power comes from the familiar 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine which produces 133 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque. Like the rest of the Pajero Sport line-up, it is mated to eight-speed automatic transmission.

The diesel mill is an absolute gem and being a Mitsubishi, will probably last forever. It goes about its daily business without any fuss, while the slick gearbox making the driving experience a smooth one.
Despite tipping the scales at just over two tons, acceleration is very decent, providing enough oomph when needed during overtaking.

Mitsubishi claims it will sip 8.1 L for every 100 km and we managed a very respectable 9.6 L over the course of a week, which consisted exclusively of city traffic.

The rough stuff

We did not take it off-road as Road Test Editor Mark Jones did his fair share of dirt track driving in the flagship Exceed two years ago.

ALSO READ: Aspire suited Mitsubishi Pajero Sport priced

Fitted with the latest version of Mitsubishi’s Super Select II 4WD System, there are various off-road driving modes to choose from. 4H, 4WD high range with CD locked and 4WD low range with CD locked.

Additional electronic off-road assistance allows a choice between Gravel, Mud/Snow or Sand mode, while Rock mode is available in low range.

Adding to its off-road capabilities is a generous 218 mm ground clearance, hill decent control and rear diff lock.

Plenty of spec

Aspire models feature all the other specifications standard on the standard 4×4 and 4×2 models. These include a fully trimmed leather interior, keyless operating system, eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, reverse camera, rear park distance control, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, colour digital instrument cluster, electronically adjusted driver’s seat with lumbar support and two rear USB ports.

The exterior features electrically adjustable, fold-away side mirrors and LED daytime running lights.
A generous set of safety specifications include a reinforced body construction, seven airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist system and hill-start assist system.

With its third-row seats upright, the Pajero Sport Aspire has limited boot space of 193-litres. Fold them into the floor though and the space goes up to 813-litres.

Priced at R686 995 for the rear-wheel drive and R736 995 for the four-wheel drive version, the Aspire models come at a round R20 000 premium over the standard 4×2 and 4×4 derivatives. The fifth and final model in the range, the flagship Exceed 4×4, costs R751 995.

Conclusion

The Pajero Sport Aspire matches its rivals in the Toyota, Ford and Isuzu stables pound-for-pound on almost all fronts, while managing to undercut them in the price department. Capability-wise there is really nothing to choose between the lot other than the badges.

But even those who prefer other brands to that of Mitsubishi have to admit that the Pajero Sport Aspire is the mostly radically styled body-on-frame SUV out there at the moment. And one that is deservingly breaking the shackles of merely being regarded as a left field choice.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Aspire comes standard with a three-year/100 000 km warranty and five-year/90 000 km service plan.

For more information on the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, click here.