Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4DI-D 4x4 Aspire (2022) Review - Dakar Rally Car for the road

• Mitsubishi Pajero Sport colours and price guide
• Space & Interior 
• Is the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport expensive to maintain?
• Comfort & Convenience 
• Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Toyota Fortuner: here’s our winner
• New vs used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: What are the top 3 differences?
• Fuel Economy 
• 6 extras you should fit on a new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
• Top 3 things you need to know about the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
• 6 accessories you should retrofit on a used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
• Toyota Fortuner vs Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: which one has the lowest running costs?
• Keen on a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport? Check out new and used deals on our website.
• Do you want an Instant Offer on your car? Check out our new tool here.

Mitsubishi has long been in the business of making versatile 4x4s. One particular nameplate that has graced the offroad is the Pajero. We had the 4×4 Aspire with Mitsubishi's Super Select ll 4×4 system on test and these are our thoughts.

In this article:

The Mitsubishi Pajero is more or less globally a household name and for good reason. Mitsubishi has, for the longest time, conquered in the 4×4 space with their more than capable vehicles. Not only that, in motorsport settings, they’ve proved to be tough competition. On test, we had the Pajero Sport 2.4DI-D 4×4 Aspire with Mitsubishi’s Super Select ll 4WD system to get to grips with.

The Aspire trim level slots just below the top-of-the-line Exceed, but you get a vehicle with a good feature set and good technology. With the Pajero Sport here though, what shines is how Mitsubishi aced the core principles of what makes this not only a good 4×4 SUV but also a good family vehicle too.

Styling 

The Pajero Sport’s main styling theme is ‘Ultra Modern’. This is indicated by an unmistakable rugged appearance with strong lines, imposing size and one standout feature being the front grille which Mitsubishi dubs their ‘Dynamic Shield’ grille. It looks like a pillar which could be indicative of the robustness of the vehicle. The design of the grille does flow nicely with even chrome eyeliner for the headlights. Boring it is not.

Across the car, you can see the motorsport-inspired cues similar to what Mitsubishi has put forward in its Dakar Rally participation. The windows past the C-Pillar roll off like a sports hatchback. This does unfortunately hurt visibility for blindspot head checks slightly though. There’s a cheeky yet stylish roof spoiler and a rear diffuser to round off the look. With the Aspire trim level, the grille, wheels, rear diffuser roof and spoiler are painted in gloss black. Unfortunately, the colour choice for the Pajero Sport is drab with only white, grey and black colours to pick from. While they are very nice looking colours in the metal, at least to compliment the styling cues, some more bright or vibrant colours would have been nice. Despite that, the design is futuristic and tough looking.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport colours and price guide

Space & Interior 

While the exterior of the Pajero Sport errs more on the radical end, the interior tones things down but still maintains the modern feel. The centre console and dash extrude forward but opt for simplicity with a touchscreen infotainment system and physical air-conditioning buttons with audio cues to let you know when you’ve reached minimum and maximum settings. Cabin materials are soft touch with supple leather accounting for most of the cabin materials being on the seats, steering wheel, door cards and even on the centre console. The use of the padded materials in key places like the armrests and such is well thought out and looks good.

The interior space is good and you even get a 3rd-row seat capable of seating adults but we’d rather say use it for children unless you don’t have a choice. These 3rd-row seats do fold down but not 100% flat like how the Ford Everest can. You get a 2-pin inverter socket in between the 2nd row rear seats with 2 USB-A charging ports. The interior of the Pajero Sport is pleasant to be in and has a quiet cabin space to boot. Load capacity ranges from 193-litres to 893-litres depending on if you fold down the 3rd and 2nd-row seats. This car will do well on long road trips.

Is the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport expensive to maintain?

Comfort & Convenience 

Comfort is delivered in spades with the Pajero Sport. Whether you’re on or off the road, the vehicle is consistently comfortable, which is what you’d tend to expect with an SUV geared for the rough and tumble. Inside you’ll find convenience features such as a pan and tilt steering wheel, charging ports aplenty with an HDMI port and an infotainment system that’s easy to use with menus where everything is laid out for you and isn’t a fuss to use. The sound system quality is good with nice clarity and no rattles from louder, bass heavy music.

Below the gear selector in the centre console, you’ll find the Super Select ll 4WD control dial along with the Hill Descent Control and terrain select buttons. The Super Select controls are easy to use with clear notifications about the system in the instrument cluster. Vehicle feature operation is intuitive and all the buttons and control modules are within easy reach.

Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Toyota Fortuner: here’s our winner

Performance 

Powering the Pajero Sport is a 2.4-litre MIVEC inter-cooled turbo diesel 4-cylinder engine producing 133 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque. This engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission with the Super Select ll 4WD system. Power delivery is meaty and gear changes are seamless. The engine and transmission combo work well together and you have the option of using paddles mounted to the steering column to change gears manually. At the same time, the engine is quiet in the cabin and far from a rough diesel powerplant.

What shines is the handling and 4×4 capability of the Pajero Sport. It’s common knowledge that you associate the Pajero nameplate with offroad performance. This vehicle continues that tradition but refines it further without comprising its core principles. While we did not do axle-busting 4×4 activities during our test period, we did take the vehicle off on some rougher roads to see what the SUV is capable of. Ground clearance is at 218mm. The suspension is tuned for performance but still maintains serene ride quality both on and off-road. It doesn’t wallow about. The steering feel is on the heavier end but satisfying to swing. The Super Select system does what it says on the tin and does it easily with Terrain Select to manage traction on various surfaces. Hill descent control is also present. The Super Select system has the following modes: 2-wheel drive high range, 4-wheel drive high range, 4-wheel drive high range locked centre differential and 4-wheel drive low range locked centre differential.

New vs used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: What are the top 3 differences?

Fuel Economy 

Claimed combined fuel consumption on the Pajero Sport is 8.1 l/100km. The best we got during our test period was 9.3 l/100km combined cycle. This is acceptable in a real-world setting. The figure hovered around the 10l mark when had a lead foot on certain drives.

6 extras you should fit on a new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Safety 

Safety features in the Pajero Sport include:

• 7 airbags
• ISOFIX Child seat anchors
• Active stability and traction control
• ABS and EBD
• Active brake assist system
• Hill Start Assist
• Rear park distance control with reverse camera
• RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body construction.
• Chromatic rear view mirror
• Dusk sensing headlamps
• Rain sensing wipers

Top 3 things you need to know about the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Price 

*The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Aspire comes with the following:

• 3 year/ 100 000km Manufacturers Warranty
• 5 year / Unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance
• 5 year / 90 000km Service Plan

6 accessories you should retrofit on a used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Competitors 

• Haval H9 2.0T 4WD Luxury
• Isuzu mu-X 3.0TD LS
• Toyota Fortuner 2.8GD-6

Toyota Fortuner vs Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: which one has the lowest running costs?

Verdict 

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Aspire is a 4×4 SUV that aces its core elements rather than load itself up with a plethora of features and get lost in its purpose doing so. It’s a great all-around package that is hard to fault. The only complaints we had amounted to just nitpicks. The Super Select ll 4WD system is intuitive to use and quite capable. The cabin is plush with leather and soft-touch materials. The vehicle is pleasant to drive and brutish. It’s a vehicle we know we’re going to miss.

Keen on a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport? Check out new and used deals on our website.

Do you want an Instant Offer on your car? Check out our new tool here.

Tayedza MbiriStarting his petrol-infused passion at a ripe young age playing a plethora of racing video games, Taye has been into the motoring industry for years. During his university years studying Law, he dipped his toes into motoring photography, videography, and exploring what Southern Africa has to offer for the motoring scene at large. Most recently, he presented a YouTube series for a famous Japanese manufacturer and now finds himself fresh on the AutoTrader content creation team. He hopes to own a 90s Subaru one day soon. View News & Reviews

Keyword: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4DI-D 4x4 Aspire (2022) Review - Dakar Rally Car for the road