MITSUBISHI / PAJERO SPORT 4WD GT

4x4 bargain

Like the Toyota Fortuner, the G-Wagon replacement from Mitsubishi is now an SUV with proper dynamics and dimensions - at a price to virtually negate the fully imported Pajero's presence in Thailand

RICHARD LEU

Interior is well-made and feels classy against rivals.	Interior space is more than enough.
Rear-most seats are usable and can fold flat.
Full set of transfer gears for optimum off-roading.

If you really want to know how discrete automotive taxes are in Thailand, Mitsubishi has a good case in point.

The mid-size Pajero sport-utility vehicle that was launched in Thailand earlier this year is priced at B3.95m, whereas the just-launched Pajero Sport costs a hearty one-fourth less. That's four Pajero Sports for the money needed for a Pajero.

You now wonder: why such a startling price difference when the two are basically the same in size and have engines exceeding 3.0 litres (3,000cc)?

First, the Pajero is a completely built-up import facing 80% tax. The Pajero Sport, by contrast, is assembled in Thailand and subject to no more than 30% (depending on how many parts are imported from abroad).

Engine is punchy, but coarse and noisy.

Second, the Pajero's 3.5-litre engine additionally faces 50% excise duty, while only a flat 20% is applied on the Pajero Sport regardless of engine size (3.2-litre tested here, a 2.5-litre is also available).

Why? Because the Pajero Sport is built off the Triton one-ton pickup capable of enjoying the special rate given on PPVs (pickup passenger vehicles) - just like the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-7 and Toyota Fortuner.

Having said that, it's clear that import duties are outrageously high in Thailand. From another perspective, the Thai auto-assembling industry is still highly protected which, of course, isn't a bad thing at all since Thais can enjoy the most attractive prices possible.

So like its rivals, the Pajero Sport is absolutely good value for money. Seven seats, mid-size SUV body, off-road capability, diesel economy and performance all come at the price of a top-spec C-segment saloon like the Toyota Corolla.

That explains the boom in sales Toyota had experienced with the Fortuner, as well as its Sport Rider predecessor. Because of this, Mitsubishi can now enjoy the frills, too, with its Pajero Sport - if you merely take product substance into consideration and not the variable factors like brand acceptance, resale value and after-sales service.

But debate over the Pajero Sport begins to hot up when you take its design - an important part in SUVs - into consideration. The Fortuner's looks have proven this fact.

Instead of possessing that rugged, 4x4 appearance of the G-Wagon predecessor, the Pajero Sport now has smooth surfaces, subtle front end and tidy-looking tail lamps which seem to work more on a saloon rather than in an SUV.

The window panes, as well, have been kept strictly conservative and the banana-shaped C-pillars of the Triton's have also disappeared which, of course, is something you can either like or loathe.

During the driving trails of the Pajero Sport last week, it was almost unanimous among testers that the Fortuner still looks better with more resolved proportions, particularly with that prominent facelift reminiscing those of the trucks sold in the US.

The Pajero Sport could be spared by the blander-looking Everest, but not necessarily by the MU-7 that still arguably looks okay even after mid-life.

Jump inside the Pajero Sport and it's a rather different story. Mitsubishi has done a reasonable job in sprucing up the cabin to make it look different and more upmarket than in the Triton, as well as over the G-Wagon's tacky and cheap interior.

A colour combination of black, cream and silver, together with porous leather and well-built interior all help give the Pajero Sport an avant-garde feel against all of its rivals.

The chunky gearlever is also different from the Triton, principally because the automatic gearbox is a more advanced unit featuring manual override with the widest range of transfer gear modes in the market.

The Pajero Sport is a seven-seater like the rest, but it raises the bar in terms of versatility. The second and third rows of seats can fold flat, a trait inherited from the Pajero. And mind you, space in all seven chairs is enough for adults.

But what afflicts the Pajero Sport is the process to stow the rear-most seats in which you still have to remove the headrests despite them being able to sink to nearly the level of the backrests.

Even so, the Pajero Sports's cabin has the best combination of space and versatility in its class. There are also small cubbie holes under the boot floor, but not enough of them elsewhere to suit the vehicle's outdoor concept.

Perhaps, this is part of Mitsubishi's efforts in containing costs as much as possible in order to yield the attractive price the GT asks for - B1.24m. Don't expect side airbags of the Everest, stability control of the Fortuner and navigation system of the both.

Even at its own game, the Pajero Sport omits the G-Wagon's off-road data counter like the altimeter. But then the Pajero Sport is miles ahead of its predecessor with automatic climate control, electric driver's seat and touch-screen monitor for various digital accessories (why not include sat-nav?).

What's better, though, than the interior is the way the Pajero Sport drives. Thanks to revisions in PPV regulations like the removal of the minimum wheelbase length of 2,850mm and requirement of rear leaf spring suspension, the Pajero Sport has far better driving manners than the G-Wagon - and against all existing opponents.

The ride quality now is cosseting, body control in a straight line at high speeds remains taut and tyre noise is barely evident, even at speeds over the legal limit.

This clearly shows that coil springs can enhance handling and ride balance. The Everest and MU-7 haven't been developed to these new rules yet, so dynamically they're behind.

The decision by Mitsubishi to shorten the wheelbase down by 50mm yet being longer than in the Fortuner apparently hasn't backfired in terms of agility.

The Pajero Sport has a turning radius of 5.6m - tightest in-class - and feels so when making U-turns. At the same time, it can now enjoy an edge over the Fortuner in terms of interior space and tauter on-road ride, and feels so again in practice.

But what's still cooler in the Fortuner is its more direct and better weighted steering. It still feels slightly vague in the Pajero Sport, but better than in the G-Wagon and without that irritating off-centre feel in the Triton. Strangely, Mitsubishi says the rack is tuned the same in the SUV and pickup.

Ride is taut, yet comfortable.

When it comes to off-roading, the Pajero Sport also excels with adequate clearance, comfortable ride and sufficient grunt from the 165hp 3.2-litre turbo-diesel lifted directly from the Triton.

Which then could be bad news, since the engine refinement has never been a strong point in the Triton. Likewise, the motor is coarse in the Pajero Sport, noisy when pushed, spoils long-distance cruising and doesn't match the successful noise suppression of other factors.

At least, you won't have a problem at all hustling the Pajero Sport around in any part of this country with matching braking ability. There's plenty of go for such a two-tonner, but ultimately lacks the all-round ability of the 3.0-litre counterparts found in the Everest and Fortuner.

Despite being a huge improvement over the G-Wagon, the Pajero Sport still has some room for improvement over its rivals, especially against the Fortuner whose recent update has seen a better specification and cosmetic fix.

But if you consider these weakpoints as trivial (along with the rather dated engine), then you are bound to end up in a capable pickup-based SUV with good levels of comfort, practicality and versatility - all at a price that can only be considered a bargain in the environment prevailing in the Thai car market today.

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