First Ukrainian test drive of the updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: a good car for bad roads

Yes, it’s not only still alive, it’s new again, having undergone another liposuction. And even if the «sport» in it is still nothing more than eating sushi at speed, the Pajero Sport is more convincing than ever. It is so updated that its photo is not yet available on the official website. And it’s knee-deep in all these updates, this badge marketing, these roads, and the lack thereof.

Anthropologists lie, they lie! Not all dinosaurs are extinct. And even if you can count the frame SUVs that remain on our market on the fingers of an experienced milling machine operator’s left hand. However, they will surely survive the crossover boom and the invasion of electric trains, just as they withstood the onslaught of two oil crises at once. All of these lizard ancestors are characterized by rationalism, which is taken to an absolute level, and an unhealthy craving for conservatism. It’s no joke that the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen have been on the market for more than two centuries. Compared to them, the Pajero Sport looks like a student’s student, but it hasn’t changed more than a sake recipe in its 28 years. On the other hand, due to its relative youth, the Pajero Sport is devoid of old-fashioned ridiculousness «Rengler» and closet-like «Helicopter».

From its very birth, our hero was not a sporty modification of the Pajero and had nothing to do with the flagship at all. In fact, the Sport was and still is a version of the Thai L200 pickup with a closed body and more comfortable suspension. The marketers’ calculations that the Pajero’s «Dakar» glory would be enough for two remained their wet fantasies.

Diamonds say goodbye to sharp edges

Its metrics are unchanged. It has the same boxy design with a ladder frame, «outright» all-wheel drive with a transmission reduction series, locking center and rear interwheel differentials. At one time, the Japanese made good money on a model derived from a pickup truck, but today the world is ruled by SUVs. The flagship Pajero is now dead, and Mitsubishi small cars and minivans remain only in local markets. And although sales of «sports» are falling every year, and the company’s financial picture since 2017 has been similar to the cardiogram of an asthmatic running the Tokyo marathon, the creators continue to believe in it.

The updates were mainly limited to cosmetic procedures, equipment nuances, and minor tweaks. Externally, the «neophyte» is most easily identified by the false radiator grille with stylized honeycomb instead of chrome plating and the new design of the 18-inch alloy wheels.

The third generation Pajero Sport was launched in 2015 and has already undergone a full restyling and several facelifts. Next year, the fourth generation is expected, but on March 18, an updated version of the «sport» was released in Thailand. Or, in the language of technologists, another unification package.

For those who have not yet gotten used to the «sport» design, the «black package» a la the Royce Black Edge with lacquered decor is a good choice. It includes a blackened top, roof rails, a false radiator grille, bumper and rear-view mirror covers, plus an optional rear spoiler.

Following the L200, the SUV got a new grille, bumper skirts and new design of the wheels, and a digital 8-inch «instrument cluster with more modern graphics. Other markets will get a few more updates, such as a new steering wheel from the same pickup, plus various options such as a folding ceiling monitor (HDMI/USB, Ø12.1) for rear passengers.

In the presentation, special attention was paid to the Heat Guard leather upholstery with burgundy inserts on the seats, door cards, and armrest. According to the manufacturer, it does not heat up when exposed to direct sunlight, which actually turned out to be imperceptible. Under our sun, everything heats up, and it feels more like the skin of an old dermantine.

In other words, the damage to vital organs is minimal. It is also nice that the innovation did not particularly affect the price — in the small homeland, in terms of Thai baht, they ask for $38.6-47.1 thousand: UAH 1.879-1.999 million.

The Pajero Sport has not only new wheels, but also tires — Toyo A32 Open Country. In a normal test, it’s hard to say whether they are better or worse than the usual Bridgestone Dueler H/T 205/60 R18. But they definitely smooth out the stiffness of the solid suspension better on asphalt.

Is it an outdated design? It’s hard to say. It’s more like a different concept. After all, if the development of a model goes exclusively in an evolutionary way, without looking back at fashion, this means, in particular, many years of consistent «work on errors». This was the case, for example, with the goat-riding rear «leaf spring», which was replaced with a spring suspension at the earliest opportunity.

In turn, the 2.5-liter atmospheric diesel 4D56 did not pull at all, slowing down the traffic flow every now and then? No wonder, it remembers the Sapporo Olympics. Okay, so here’s the VGT turbocharger with variable geometry, common rail injection, and balancing shafts — all of which together increased output from 99 hp and 240 Nm to 178 hp and 350 Nm.

In the city, the Sport looks like a deep-sea fish thrown up by the surf in shallow water. In traffic jams, taxi drivers’ «bodices» bellow at it, unforgiving of slowness. And he sighs, dreaming of deep fords, diagonal hangings and rafting on the Southern Bug.

And to prevent fans of offroad and countryside from buying a «ticket to Kuwait» in the first bunch of high-speed turns, in proportion to the increase in diesel performance, the «sport» frame was significantly strengthened for torsion and the suspensions were reconfigured.

Was the whole world not ready for the stripped wheel arches and bizarre stern optics? Everything was immediately redrawn in a more familiar way. Did the Bridgestone Dueler H/T 205/60 R18 tires prove to be too harsh and noisy? Here are the Toyo A32 Open Country 265/60R18.

That’s how, step by step, the Japanese came up with the «golden ratio» SUV that drives better the worse the road is. So don’t worry that the next-generation Sport will turn into another toothless crossover. No, it will remain the same omnivorous predator on the highway for at least another 10-15 years. This is its main trump card. And, fortunately, not the only one.

The redrawn bumper plates made them a little more elegant, but still the bumper massifs seem to be carved from solid pieces of Carrara marble. Due to their new shape, the length of the SUV has increased by 5 cm. The ground clearance has increased by the same amount, up to 22.2 cm.

The absurdity of the situation is that this is the last opportunity to buy a real, purist SUV. Secondly, the flagship model (Pajero is long gone) is offered with all its bells and whistles at the price of a compact crossover. Now it is being asked for UAH 1.879 million — as if it were some kind of Mini Countrymen that would get stuck at the exit from asphalt to dirt.

Under the hood is the same «turbo four» 4N16 that vibrates ungodly at idle and infects the steering wheel and pedals with the dance of St. Witt. Apparently, this senile grumble is the only thing the Japanese have not been able to cure in «sport». On the other hand, the first two generations shook so much that drivers with weak vestibularity were advised not to look at the instrumentation.

Perhaps, of the four colors offered, the Sport looks most elegant in the white W85 (White Diamond) color. If such an epithet is appropriate for a creation of the Mitsubishi design school.

Unlike the pickup, the «Sport» only has a «mid-range» variant with 184 hp and 430 Nm. In the city, this is not that little, but the old 8-speed Aisin automatic transmission still does not impress with its agility. Only the steering wheel shift paddles help. But this way of clicking the steps is for amateurs. It’s a pity we didn’t come across a more modern «six-speed» from the same L200 with a shortened (from 3.69:1 to 4.09:1) main pair, which in some markets will replace the same old Toyota «automatic» as the engine.

There are a few more changes in the middle. Instead of the old 4-spoke steering wheel, there should be a 3-spoke one from the L200. However, we ended up with a transitional version with an unchanged heavy steering wheel. The lack of adjustments hasn’t gone away either. Ergonomics was and remains a weak point.

On the contrary — as soon as you drive off the asphalt, the car turns into a king of beasts. This is where you realize its true purpose. Tested on all types of off-road terrain and the world’s most grueling races, Super Select is one of the best all-wheel drive transmissions, with only the Ingolstadt quattro to rival it. While the flagship Pajero had an asymmetrical center differential, the «sport» divides the torque between the axles equally by default.

As before, there is one mono-wheel drive (2H) and three all-wheel drive modes: regular 4×4 (4H), with a locked center differential (4HLc) and with an activated lowerslope (4LLc). Improving anything here is like playing soccer in a minefield. In addition, Super Select comes as standard with blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and automatic braking.

Support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless protocols — this is great and finally. But you expect at least one wireless charging station from a flagship model. I would also like to see the buttons on the small monitor finally enlarged because it’s simply unrealistic to press the right one while rocking. On the other hand, the Sport is bought for its cross-country ability and reliability, and far from civilization, a decent stove and good underbody protection are valued much higher than design and multimedia delights.

Special thanks for your faith in the driver. While other brands leave everything to electronic imitations, in «sport» the off-road arsenal is still in the hands of the driver. What inspires additional confidence — with a similar gentleman’s set, you can drive in any direction without checking maps and weather forecasts. It’s this feeling of omnipotence that the Pajero Sport tries on with its flaws. Especially if you treat them as the flip side of the advantages.

Poor ergonomics, significant rolls, bouncy suspension, brooding tandem «diesel automatic» — the flip side of the permissiveness medal off the road.

Yes, it shakes mercilessly on bumps, but others would have slowed down completely. And while crossovers nod to every pothole, the Sport flies without a dump or a hint of a breakdown. Yes, the steering wheel does not shine with information, but it easily dampens bumps. And you don’t need to expect passenger car handling, crossover dynamics, and the virtues of a family minivan from an SUV. Indeed, you will never know whether there is life beyond two hundred» — after 120 km/h, it seems to rest against an invisible wall and further acceleration turns into torment. But flying at the same speed on a dirt road, admiring the articulation of the suspension, is simply priceless.

It would seem that the era of such dinosaurs has long gone to the «far west». But if you suddenly want to catch up with the setting sun — Pajero Sport will rush after you at the same second. No matter the road. It’s hard to describe in literary terms the expressions on the faces of your neighbors on the M-03. With a politically correct blink of the turn signals, the Sport jumped off the highway and onto the dirt road winding in «green» at drone speed. This is priceless and without alternative. There is no other family SUV for less than 2 million. As well as roads without potholes, of which we have more and more every day.

Technical characteristics of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Body, type	SUV
Dimensions (LxWxH), mm	4840/1815/1835
Wheelbase, mm	2800
Declared ground clearance, mm	222
Trunk volume, liters.	–
Curb weight, kg	2065
Engine	2.4
Power, hp.	184
Torque, Nm	430
Type of drive	complete
Pendant	independent/independent
CHECKPOINT	8AT
Dynamics 0-100, s	12,3
Maximum speed, km/h	180
Fuel consumption, l (mixed)	8
Cost, UAH	from 1 935 000
The cost of the test car, UAH	2 099 000
Competitors	Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
	Jeep Wrangler
	Mercedes-Benz G-Class