8 February 2011
Most vehicles are designed to be no more than mere modes of transport. Some are built to be enjoyed by enthusiastic drivers for their performance and road handling capabilities. Others are just flashy fashion statements which serve no real purpose other than boost their owner's egos for their pose value.
Then there are trucks. Grunty, no nonsense, no frills diesel trucks! They work hard for their keep pulling boats, trailers and horse floats the length and breadth of the country. They might not attract admiring glances in the trendy restaurant strips of our glitzy metropolitan centres, but that was never their intention. However, they carry enormous kudos at the boat ramp or the pony club.
The Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed we drove this week falls into the latter category. We're not talking builder's truck here, but neither are we talking posey Remuera tractor. The Mitsubishi badge tends more towards purposeful than snob value.
It's a testament to the toughness Mitsubishi have built into the Pajero that the most gruelling rally of all, the Dakar Rally which runs 13,346km across the Sahara Desert and the Mauritanian Desert has seen a Pajero on the podium almost every year it has been running.
The Pajero serves its desired purpose well, and being the Exceed, there are quite a few creature comforts thrown in.
Standard equipment on the Pajero Exceed includes heated leather seats, leather steering wheel, 18" alloy wheels, power driver's seat, a 12 speaker 6 stack Rockford Fosgate audio system and a few other goodies such as side steps and aluminium pedals.
Quite why the Pajero Exceed comes with aluminium pedals seemed a bit of a mystery at first, thinking they looked more at home in Mitsubishi's own sporty Evo X. But then, we've seen similar looking metalwork by granny's back doorstep to scrape clean muddy boots, so could this be a further concession to the tough truck image?
The Exceed is available with options of a 3.8 litre V6 petrol or a 3.2 litre turbo diesel. The 3.2 Litre direct injection common rail intercooled turbo diesel we drove offers ample power, and while we didn't put it to the test by hooking any toys onto the towbar, the torque of the diesel powerplant led us to believe that we would have hardly noticed the extra weight if we had.
The transmission for both petrol and diesel models is a 5 Speed Auto with sports mode and Mitsubishi's Super Select, shift on the fly (up to 100km/h) 4WD system with 2 speed transfer and rear differential lock.
This is clearly a vehicle which means business. It is a serious 4x4 with tough off-road capabilities, although 2 wheel drive can be selected to improve fuel economy on the road.
And talking fuel economy and environmental impact, it's not at all bad for a vehicle with a kerb weight of close to two and a half tonnes, with a combined cycle consumption figure of 9.2 litres per 100km and CO2 emissions of 240g/km.
Summary
If you're looking for a trendy soft roader with cosseting refinement and "look at me" factor, the Pajero won't be your cup of tea. But if you need a truck that is not afraid of hard work and is suited to applications where there's a serious job to do, then the Pajero will be right up your alley.
The engine performs effortlessly, although it is noisy for a modern diesel and there is a reasonably high level of intrusive cabin noise.
Seating is comfortable and the level of specification is high. Instrumentation and controls are clear and user friendly.
Safety
ABS Brakes with EBD; Active Stability Control; Active Traction Control; Engine Brake Assist Control; Hill Hold Assist; Reversing Sensors; Driver, passenger and side curtain airbags.
Pricing
Model Price
Pajero 3.2 DIDC (Diesel) GLS $73,990
Pajero 3.2 DIDC (Diesel) Exceed (as tested) $84,990
Pajero 3.8 V6 (Petrol) Exceed $84,990
Technical
3.2 litre 16 valve turbo diesel intercooled engine producing 150kW @ 3800rpm and 448Nm of torque @ 2000rpm. (As tested)
Also available;
- 3.8 litre 24 valve V6 petrol producing 168kW @ 6000rpm and 329Nm of torque @ 2750rpm.
- Off road capability providing 36.6 degree approach angle and 25 degree departure angle. 3300kg braked and 750kg non-braked towing capacity.
Driving tips
Be prepared for rugged, relatively unrefined ride quality and take your ear plugs. But hook the boat on, or a trailer load of whatever takes your fancy, and the Pajero will take you anywhere you want to go, across whatever terrain you choose.