2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed – seven-seat practicality test
Robert Pepper’s 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed seven-seat practicality test.
PRICE : $52,750 (plus ORC); WARRANTY : five-year, 100,000 kilometres; SAFETY : five-star ANCAP; ENGINE : 2.4-litre 4cyl DOHC MIVEC intercooled turbo-diesel, 133kW @ 3500rpm, 430Nm @ 2500rpm; TRANSMISSION : eight-speed automatic, 4WD; BODY : 4.79m (L); 1.82m (W); 1.81m (H); TARE WEIGHT : 2045kg (GLX), 2060 (GLS), 2070 (Exceed); TURNING CIRCLE : 11.2m; GROUND CLEARANCE : 218mm; APPROACH / RAMP / DEPARTURE ANGLES : 30 / 23 / 24; WADING DEPTH : 700mm; SEATS : 7; TOWING : 3100kg braked / 750kg unbraked, 310kg TBM; FUEL TANK : 68 litres; SPARE : FULL-SIZE ALLOY; THIRST : 8.0L/100km ADR81/02 combined cycle; FUEL : diesel
WE HAVE DRIVEN the Pajero Sport in Japan ahead of its Australian launch, at its Australian launch and conducted an extensive on and offroad test, but all that was with the five-seater variant. Back in July Mitsubishi announced the Pajero Sport would gain seven seats; the base model GLX remains a five seater but the GLS and Exceed models add a third row. So we borrowed a top-spec Exceed for a week-long test, and as this is the only significant change to the vehicle since our other recent tests we’ll focus this test only on the seating.But first, the question on your mind must be addressed.
Pajero or Pajero Sport?
Back in December 2015 we broke the news in Australia that the Pajero was to be discontinued, which was a shame but not a great surprise given it’s not really been developed very much since its launch in 2000. When the Pajero Sport was launched there was immediate confusion; both vehicles are offroaders of about the same size, but at least the Pajero had seven seats, whereas the Sport five. Now the Sport also has seven seats the difference narrows still further, so in brief, why buy a Pajero when you can have a Pajero Sport?The short answer is it’s hard now to make a case for the Pajero; the seven seat system on the Sport is better, it can tow more, is lighter, more fuel efficient and offroad capability is pretty much equal…and the Sport is less expensive. The only advantages the Pajero has over the Sport are ground clearance, thanks to its fully-independent suspension, a larger fuel tank and a rear-mounted spare which offroaders will like. Both vehicles run the Super Select 4WD/AWD transmission, but the Sport has an efficient eight gear ratios to the Pajero’s 2000-era five. You’d need to get into personal preferences to choose the Pajero over Pajero Sport, because there’s nothing in the specifications sheets or my testing that would indicate the Pajero is a better buy, especially as the Sport is cheaper.
4WD, SUV or people mover?
Here’s another question we get from time to time - if you need to shift up to seven people; what do you buy? Broadly, there are three categories of vehicle:The Pajero Sport is definitely a 4WD. It has significant offroad capability and can tow 3100kg, although at much reduced payload. It will appeal to people who want that offroad/towing capability along with the seven-seat feature.
The Pajero Sport as a seven-seater
So with the context out of the way, on with the review. Evaluating a vehicle as a seven-seater really means looking at the entire interior and how well it works as a people mover, and in the case of the Pajero Sport, how easily it can be converted ba...
Pricing and Range
The Pajero Sport has only been on sale for about a year, so there’s no major changes to the models since our last test, just a few refinements which are:GLX $45,000 plus onroad costs GLS $48,500 plus onroad costsExceed $52,750 plus onroad costsThe driveaway offers at publication are:Out of that lot; if you want a 7-seater then the extra safety features of the Exceed are tempting and not bad value. Those not wanting seven seaters - tourers and towers - will perhaps be better off with the GLX as much of the safety gear is more applicable to suburban situations. The annoyance for offroaders is that there’s no differential lock on the GLX…shame because many will want the Sport without 7 seats but with the locker.
Summary
Most of the 4WD seven seaters designed for offroad use and heavy duty towing are a step behind the more road-oriented SUVs when it comes to the interior, and the Pajero Sport is no exception. I’d put it a bit below the average for its class on the basis that the second row doesn’t slide fore/aft, the fold-down of the third row is messy, the narrow second row, lack of forward tie-down points and the location of the child restraint points in the roof, to name but a few criticisms. Unfortunately, the vehicle doesn’t fight back with any particularly impressive features to make it stand out from the crowd. The result is a bit surprising as our review of the Outlander showed that Mitsubishi know how to make a cleverly designed seven-seater which addresses most of the shortcomings we’ve listed here.
Further reading
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