From the outside the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport looks modern. The styling resembles the family look of the latest model Outlander and other PHEV vehicles. Though on the inside, it has the familiar feel of a Pajero which has been a constant in the Australian 4X4 market for decades.
Though the Pajero Sport isn’t the old Pajero which was discontinued a few years ago in Australia. The Pajero Sport is based on the Triton and is basically a ute with body. Which makes more sense to me than a dual cab ute because it comes with seven seats and a boot to put the shopping. (I accept that I’m an outlier in a market with where the top selling vehicle is a utility).
A trip to IKEA over the weekend also confirmed my view that the Pajero Sport is more versatile than a ute for most people. The furniture we purchased easily slipped into the back with the seats folded down. If it was a ute, I would have needed some rope and 20 minutes on YouTube to refresh the knots they taught me in the Boy Scouts.
So what’s it like to drive? Better than ute. It’s more stable on the road and comfortable around town. It’s not an SUV so you can feel the stiffness in the chassis required for off-road adventures and towing. As a family car it got the tick of approval from everyone.
The Pajero Sports comes in 2WD or 4WD and five or seven seats depending on model. I had the GLS 4WD with seven seats that sells for $58,240 driveway in NSW. It had the right level of comfort for me with climate control and the optional leather seats with power adjustments.
If you upgrade to the Exceed it comes with more safety including Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. You also get a colour digital instrument display and a premium sound system with eight speakers.
Recently, Mitsubishi announced updates to the MY23 range which will arrive in April. Shaun Westcott, Mitsubishi Motors Australia CEO, said “The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport continues to elevate Australian adventures, bringing reliability and value to the large SUV segment.”
“This family-friendly vehicle features several key specification updates for the 2023 model year, ensuring it continues to be the vehicle of choice for those wanting to drive on or off road, with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive models,” he said.
A new Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) has been added as standard equipment to Pajero Sport GLS 4×2 and 4×4, as well as EXCEED and GSR models, Mitsubishi’s TPMS alerts the driver via a dashboard warning when a tyre falls below a pre-defined pressure. This pressure can be independently set by the driver to suit the terrain or conditions at hand.
The popular Pajero Sport GLS Deluxe option will continue as part of the 23MY Pajero Sport range, boasting the below specifications over the regular Pajero Sport GLS:
- Front seats power adjustment
- Leather seat, door and console lid trims
- Multi Around Monitor
- Steering wheel camera switch for added convenience
