This weekend I had the pleasure of testing the Pajero Legend SWB Diesel from Mitsubishi Motors SA. What a fun ‘’little ‘’ SUV it has been. Difficult to refer to it in the diminutive , but it is a manoeverable , nippy and responsive SUV that puts a capital F in fun. I drove it to the Vaal river to see the flooding and there was plenty opportunity for experiencing off-road on the way.
It was not highly technical or difficult , but it gave a feeling of confidence that the Pajero Legend has what it takes.The 3.2 diesel engine is smooth and responsive with an auto gearbox that is just a dream. I would love to tow with it as the car just feels like it wants to ‘’drink the wind’’, so to speak.
And of course the Pajero Legend looks the part as well. From the cool front spot lights and the Legend livery and a way cool sun roof , it shouts ourdoors man to the clouds.
The interior has very cool and functional olive canvas seat covers , cool cup holders , aluminium pedals . Added to this is a media screen with all the info you need about the fuel efficiency , barometer, elevation and even outside temp. Fuel efficiency from the 3.2 diesel engine was 11.6 L/100 km, and this was on the open road , so was a little disappointing . The rear view camera was really great and was very clear ,even though it is a mirror camera.Usb port for your tunes is included , as well as Bluetooth for hands free and heated seats.The rear seats have a 60/40 fold down capacity, which is definitely needed as boot space is very limited. The cool roof rack is great for tents and luggage , but will impact further on fuel use.
The drive was phenomenal and we were three up, it never failed to respond at any time ,and two elderly people on board kept commenting on the comfort and who am I to argue? The 3.2 diesel engine puts out 140 kw of power and a whopping 441 nm 0f torque through its unique and versatile all wheel drive. Being a two door, it is aimed at adventurers.
The standard Pajero SWB is priced at R549 000, which is very competitive in a market where it has few competitors besides the Land Rover Defender SWB and Jeep Wrangler, which have much less standard equipment and far fewer comfort features.
The Super-Select system offers 2WD, 4WD (4H) without locked centre differential, where the power is split 33/67 between front/rear wheels giving the driver the benefits of an all-wheel drive vehicle, including better control for high-speed driving. The 4HLc and 4LLc settings lock the centre differential and split the power 50/50 between front and rear wheels. All this together with the lockable rear differential, makes the Pajero SWB virtually unstoppable.
Standard safety features include six airbags, Active Stability and Traction Control (ASTC) and high intensity discharge headlamps with automatic levelling, while convenience and comfort features include a rear-view camera and park distance control.
The Pajero SWB Legend costs R30 000 more than the standard model, at R579 000, but the 30 lucky buyers get the following extra equipment, worth more than R80 000, to make these models even better suited to a life in the rough outdoors:
• Off-road tyres
• Tyre monitoring system
• Air compressor built into the engine compartment
• Nudge bar
• 6” LED spotlights
• Under-body protection plates to protect the engine, sump and gearbox
• Heavy duty seat covers
• Dual battery system
• Rock sliders
• Roof rack.
The Mitsubishi Pajero SWB is ideally suited to the requirements of those who love the great outdoors, and is the perfect ambassador for the brand slogan of “Life’s an adventure”.
To sum up this medium size SUV is definitely one of my favourite SUV,S right now,it really impressed with its drive and looks and is on the shopping list.