Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

The Pajero Sport’s luggage space with the seats all in place is 131L in seven-seat models and 502L in the base GLX, increasing to 1575L with all rear seats folded.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has a five-star rating from ANCAP with a 2015 date-stamp, with the rating based on that of the mechanically related Triton ute.

This rating was based on a frontal offset score of 15.22 out of 16 and a side impact score of 16 out of 16. Whiplash and pedestrian protection were rated Good and Acceptable, respectively.

All 2022 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models come standard with the following safety features:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front, front-side and curtain airbags
• Driver’s knee airbag
• Reversing camera with rear parking sensors

Blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view camera and rear cross-traffic alert are standard in the Pajero Sport Exceed and GSR.

All 2022 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models use 8.0L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle and have a 68L fuel tank.

All Mitsubishi Pajero Sport’s need servicing every 12 Months months or 15,000km km, whichever comes first.

All 2023 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models use a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 133kW of power and 430Nm of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Mitsubishi’s Super-Select II four-wheel drive system features a full-time four-wheel drive mode as well as selectable low- and high-range gearing and a locking rear differential.

The GLX and GLS are offered with a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive.

Though it shares its underpinnings with the Triton, the Pajero Sport does a credible job in concealing its ute origins.

Take, for example, the ride quality. It’s vastly superior to the Triton, banishing the jiggly, unsettled feeling of the Triton.

Much of the credit goes to the three-link, coil-spring rear suspension, replacing the leaf springs of the Triton.

There’s still some impact harshness over sharp ruts but it’s fairly compliant for an SUV with a live rear axle.

Noise suppression is also far superior to the Triton, particularly on the highway. Where the Triton’s engine clatters, the Pajero Sport’s is hushed.

There’s the typical turbo-diesel soundtrack as you punch it from a stop but it never crosses the line into becoming raucous. 

It doesn’t cross the line into becoming particularly fast, either, but there’s adequate power to motivate this large SUV. The eight-speed automatic transmission also feels well-matched to the turbo-diesel four. 

To drive the Pajero Sport, however, is to understand there are still compromises being made.

While it feels dramatically improved over a Triton, it’s no match for a Hyundai Santa Fe dynamically. 

The car-based crossover will run rings around the big Mitsubishi.

While the Pajero Sport isn’t a match for crossovers on the road, it can go farther off road.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Pajero Sport is the Super-Select II 4×4 system in four-wheel drive models.

The default 2H is rear-wheel drive, and there’s the usual 4-High mode with locked centre diff to fix front-to-rear torque flow, and 4-Low that activates the transfer case. But there’s also a 4H permanent AWD setting with open diff that can be used on normal roads, particularly when wet, snowy or gravelly, without you having to fret over transmission wind-up like older-school part-time setups.

There’s an additional rear diff lock to apportion rear-axle torque effectively to stave-off free-wheeling when the surfaces are super uneven, and various surface-specific switchable modes that adjust the throttle take-up and stability control lassitude.

Mitsubishi cites a maximum braked-trailer tow rating of 3.1 tonnes (for 4x4 models), but we’d err on the side of caution with that figure. For a caravan, boat, or 2.2-tonne horse float it’ll do the trick.

There’s a trailer stability assist function built into the stability control, which does a good job stabilising you in crosswinds or over uneven surfaces. You’d be doing well to get turned inside-out or jackknife. Grab a brake controller and tow kit and you’re set for the family getaways.

You can find more details on all the options and inclusions across the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport variants on the official website, and within the official Mitsubishi Pajero Sport specifications page.

White is the standard colour, with all other shades costing $740 with the exception of White Diamond, a $940 option.

The optional shades are:

• Sterling Silver metallic
• Graphite Grey metallic
• Black Mica pearlescent
• Dark Blue pearlescent
• Terra Rossa pearlescent
• White Diamond prestige

The GSR is available only in White Diamond or Black Mica, while the base GLX isn’t available in White Diamond, Black Mica or Dark Blue.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Mitsubishi’s standard warranty covers five years or 100,000km, but so long as you return to one of its dealerships at each service this extends to 10 years or 200,000km.

Servicing at dealerships also lets you take advantage of Mitsubishi’s 10 years of capped-price servicing.

The Pajero Sport may be based on the Triton ute but this isn’t simply a ute with a shell on the back.

Mitsubishi has comprehensively refined the Pajero Sport’s on-road behaviour.

You will, however, feel a difference between this and a car-based crossover SUV like a Santa Fe. Quite simply, you need to evaluate whether you actually need the superior towing and off-road capability the Pajero Sport provides.

If you’re never going to bother taking your SUV off the road, the Pajero Sport isn’t the ideal SUV for you due to its rather cumbersome handling.

It’s also let down by a third row that simply isn’t as comfortable as one might expect from an SUV this size.

The handsome interior could also do with some upgraded materials to truly differentiate it from the Triton.

Nevertheless, if you plan on doing a healthy mix of both on-road and off-road driving, the Pajero Sport represents terrific value.