13 July 2012
New car report; Why change a winning formula?
It’s a model that’s been firmly cemented in the minds of Kiwi SUV buyers for the best part of three decades, and although numerous new players have entered the large SUV sector in recent times, the Mitsubishi Pajero remains one of the originals.
It goes with our outdoor lifestyle and despite buyers abandoning the large car sector over the last couple of years, the large SUV market remains buoyant, as nothing much beats this formula for dragging boats, caravans and horse floats around and coping with today’s family demands.
The continued success of large SUV’s has also been at the expense of the people mover market, which has all but ground to a halt of late. Seven seat versatility, great pulling power and the ability to go bush in relative luxury have been factors in keeping the large SUV market alive.
A few minor styling tweaks have been applied for the 2012 Mitsubishi Pajero, but to the untrained eye the changes will go unnoticed, with the design studio no doubt taking the approach that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Dependable off-roader
Still instantly recognised as the bullet-proof truck that carved out a solid reputation for itself in the Sahara Desert, with numerous Paris-Dakar wins, the Pajero remains a favourite with serious off-road bush-bashers closer to home too.
The 2012 Pajero range consists of three models, all seven seaters and all with a decent level of equipment. Starting with the 3.2 DIDC GLS, keyless entry, automatic air-conditioning, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, 17 inch alloys, roof rails and side steps are all part of the standard spec.
The 3.2 DIDC Mitsubishi Exceed we drove recently was loaded to the gunnels with equipment, adding leather seats (heated in the front), electric seat adjustment, 18 inch alloys, a DVD entertainment system in the back and a rockin’ Rockford Fosgate 12 speaker sound system.
The 16 valve 3.2 litre Direct Injection common rail diesel engine in our test vehicle isn’t the quietest in class, but with 150kW of power and 448Nm of torque, this well proven powerplant offers more than enough punch to haul the 2.3 tonne truck around with ease. Fuel consumption is said to be 9.2L/100km with emissions of 240g/km.
The Exceed can also be had with a 184kW/329Nm 3.8 litre 24 valve V6 petrol engine which consumes 91 octane fuel at the rate of 13.5L/100km, emitting 314g/km of CO2.
All models come with a 5 speed automatic transmission, transferring power to the road via a combination of 4WD or 2WD selectable options. Mitsubishi refers to the system as “Super Select”, allowing shift on the fly changes up to 100km/h between 2WD and 4WD high ratio.
Low range 4WD is also available for those who want to venture off the black top, and a 2WD mode offers more economical open road cruising.
Regardless of which engine or model you opt for, they all have the ability to tow up to a 3,300kg braked trailer.
Price competitive? You bet!
Starting at $77,090, the 3.2 DIDC GLS retails at $5k under an entry level GX diesel Prado, the Pajero’s natural market competitor. And at $87,590 for the DIDC Exceed and an extra $100 (for some reason) for the 3.8 petrol Exceed, the luxury models shave close to a whopping $20k off the price of Toyota’s VX Limited, the top shelf Prado.
Another string to Mitsi’s bow is the Diamond Advantage Warranty, touted as New Zealand’s best warranty programme. With 10 year/160,000km cover on the engine, transmission, 4WD case, differential and entire driveline, and a 5 year/130,000km bumper to bumper cover on the rest of the vehicle, the cover does seem more than generous.
Sure, it’s not the most cutting edge, latest hot-shot SUV on the market, but if solid, no-nonsense, tried and tested dependability, at a highly competitive price are what matters, the Pajero is up there with the best.