Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Pajero Sport at a glance

The Pajero Sport sits below the full-size Pajero in Mitsubishi's range. It combines a pickup-derived ladder frame, a rear live axle and four-wheel drive with low range in an SUV body. The brand's history is told in the history of Mitsubishi, and its models, including the larger Mitsubishi Pajero, are in the Mitsubishi catalogue.

First generation (1996–2008)

Production started in Japan in 1996, and most export markets received the car by 1997. Based on the Strada pickup with the wheelbase of the second-generation Pajero, it has independent front suspension with torsion bars and a live rear axle, which switched from leaf springs to coil springs in late 2000. It was built in Japan until 2008 and also in Thailand, China and Brazil.

Gearboxes were a five-speed manual, a five-speed INVECS-II automatic and a four-speed automatic. According to the old 1cars text, the wheelbase is 2,725 mm and ground clearance 215 mm. In central and western Europe the first generation was sold until 2008.

Second generation (2008–2015)

The second Pajero Sport moved to the ladder frame of the Triton pickup. It was introduced across Southeast Asia and the Middle East from autumn 2008 and later reached Latin America as the Pajero Dakar.

Gearboxes included a five-speed manual, a five-speed INVECS-II automatic with sport mode and a four-speed Sportronic automatic. In the 2010 ANCAP test, the Australian Challenger scored 9.08/16 in the frontal offset test and 16/16 in the side impact, with stability control fitted as standard.

Third generation (2015 to today)

Unveiled in Thailand on 1 August 2015, the third generation went on sale in Australia in December 2015 and in the UK, as the Shogun Sport, in April 2018. It is built in Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The old 1cars text notes a flat load floor with about 700 litres of space behind the second row and a braked towing capacity of 3.1 tonnes.

The eight-speed Aisin automatic and Super Select 4WD-II with an off-road mode and hill descent control are the key technical features. Facelifts arrived in 2019–2021 depending on the market, with a new front, an 8-inch instrument cluster and infotainment, 360-degree cameras, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a hands-free tailgate, and a second update followed in 2024.

Four-wheel drive

The Pajero Sport's selling point is its off-road ability. The third generation's Super Select 4WD-II system offers several drive modes, including high and low ranges, and adds an off-road mode for different surfaces and hill descent control. According to the old 1cars text, the SUV can ford water up to 700 mm deep.

Rivals: how the Pajero Sport compares

The Pajero Sport competes with pickup-based SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest, and with rugged SUVs like the SsangYong Rexton. Its strengths are a strong ladder frame, real off-road ability with low range, high towing capacity and good safety scores for the third generation. Its weaknesses are a less car-like driving experience than monocoque SUVs and, with the V6 petrol, high fuel consumption: the old 1cars text quotes about 14.5 litres per 100 km in town. Our guide to the best SUVs for price and quality compares other 4x4 choices.