2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLS car pool review
Seven seats add versatility to rugged family SUV.
- Road Test: 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed
- Head to Head: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport v Haval H9
- Rewind: Driving the old Mitsubishi Challenger
Why are we driving it?
Mitsubishi has given the Pajero Sport a mid-life update, adding a third row of seats as standard to the top-end Exceed and mid-range GLS tested here. The entry-level GLX remains a five-seat proposition.
What we like
The price is right. Mitsubishi added the third row of seating to the Pajero Sport at no additional cost, which means it is still available in GLS form for $48,500 plus on-road costs. That puts it in the same game as Ford's mid-range Everest Trend, an admittedly larger car that costs an extra $11,490 to park in the driveway.
Safety is a strong point too, with curtain airbags extending to the third-row on all seven-seat models as part of a strong suite worthy of a five-star ANCAP score. Standard equipment is impressive, with a reversing camera, digital radio, a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, an electronic parking brake, shift paddles and more fitted at no extra cost.
Mitsubishi's Aisin-sourced eight-speed automatic is much better than the old five-speed auto used in the previous-generation Challenger, and the car benefits from a rear differential lock as well as an easily-grasped multi-mode all-wheel-drive system capable of handling tarmac, gravel, mud, sand and rock conditions.
Unlike some rivals, the Pajero sport offers reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel, and there is plenty of space too with 673 litres of cargo room in the boot and up to 1827 litres if you fold its floor flat.
What we dislike
Let's start with Mitsubishi's marketing message. This certainly isn't the "ultimate family sports car" Mitsubishi hopes it could be, as it drives more like a dual-cab ute than any sports car we've had the pleasure of pedalling.
That makes sense, as the Pajero Sport is based on the latest Triton pickup, which explains the car's rough on-road manners and simply executed cabin. The steering is imprecise compared with less rugged rivals.
Mitsubishi offers the Pajero Sport with modern driver aids such as forward collision mitigation, and blind spot warning systems, but they are exclusive to the top-level Exceed model that costs an extra $4250.
The engine feels a little grumpy and undernourished as well, its 133kW/430Nm outputs falling short of the 143kW/470Nm offered by Ford's Everest – although the Mitsubishi's 400kg-lighter weight allows a 100kg higher maximum towing payload of 3.1 tonnes.
Would we buy it?
The addition of a third row makes the Pajero Sport worthy of consideration. It's a competent car with a decent dash of off-road ability and sharper pricing than rivals from Ford and Toyota.
2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLS pricing and specifications
Price: $48,500 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 133kW at 3500rpm
Torque: 430Nm at 2500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Fuel use: 8.0L/100km