The updated Pajero Sport became the flagship of the Mitsubishi model range not from a good life: the real Pajero will no longer be produced. Too much money would require updating the SUV, which has been produced since 2006. And Mitsu’s priorities have changed. As a result, the place on the throne was given to the successor, who has a utilitarian pickup truck in his pedigree.
The restyling was introduced last year, there are already cars on the Drive2, but due to well-known events, a full-fledged test drive for the press is being conducted only now. It is known that the changes are mainly in the field of ergonomics and convenience of everyday use, and almost all the equipment has remained the same. There are several reasons for this: Mitsubishi is not in the best shape, and the conservative audience can not be called demanding.
The new lighting unit includes turn indicators, fog lamps and added turn illumination. All LED optics are in the “base”. The shape of the bumpers is selected so that an increase of 20 mm in front and rear does not affect the angles of entry and exit at the same clearance of 218 mm.
We have cars in the maximum Ultimate configuration with the well-known 4N15 turbodiesel with a volume of 2.4 liters, developing the previous 181 hp and 430 Nm. Gasoline cars with a three-liter V6 were not brought — there is no need to be distracted by a version with a sales share of less than ten percent. It’s good that there are several owners of previous Sports in our group at once: I can compare my feelings with their operating experience.
The restyling returned the car to a pronounced rear bumper, where the fog lights are located. The shape of the lanterns is preserved. Many owners appreciate the unusual appearance: they say, you can always see your own on the night highway.
The sports driver from my crew knows the car so well that he generously gives me the steering wheel for the entire trip. There will be less fuss with adjustments: even in the top-end configuration, there is no memory of the seat position, the height and departure of the steering column are adjusted manually. Even the new-fangled Mitsubishi Remote Control application can be linked to only one phone. No “I”, “wife” and “dog” profiles for you. If you want to connect a second phone and control the locks, trunk door, headlights using the application (see the video in “Behind the Scenes”) – untie the first one.
A balm for the soul of the owner is a new central tunnel with additional niches: you can put a smartphone, and not just one! And it is no longer necessary to occupy cup holders with a small change — in addition to the niche at the base of the console, there is a compartment under the tunnel with access on the sides.
We start from the center of Tyumen: ahead is a 500-kilometer journey to the historical heart of Siberia, the city of Tobolsk, and back. Dry weather and a ban on going into the forest limit the off-road part of the route, and in addition to asphalt, you can only count on gravel and primers. Packed with a set of clothes “for dirt” remains unclaimed. However, the pre-style Sport has already proved everything on the off-road, and the update does not limit the abilities of the crook in any way.
The matte display of the dashboard is not of the highest resolution — the inscriptions seem blurry, there is not enough clarity. The graphics are not the most modern, but the screen is not overloaded with information.
The traffic jam at the exit allows you to evaluate the new Auto Hold function. But we don’t stand long enough to find out how the Sport behaves after ten minutes, which is limited to automatic holding in place. Ultimate also offers adaptive cruise control, a blind spot monitoring system with an indication in the mirrors, all-round cameras and auto braking up to 80 km/h. One of the novelties is a signal about approaching vehicles during parking maneuvers.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are still wired. The new multimedia is more responsive than on dorestyle. For Russian realities, the “head” from Yandex, available only for Instyle execution, is preferable. In the top version, they could not, they say, make friends with all-round cameras.
I’m comfortable behind the wheel, only the leather of the seats is too hard. The knees do not touch the center console with swollen sidewalls. They say they added a thickness to them so that our burly man did not rest against the plastic of the tunnel. But the authors of the Drive complained more about its overall width, which makes the interior seem cramped. It didn’t get any better.
To free up space on the console, the temperature control is transferred to the handles with a soft stroke and a fixation that is indistinct for off-road operation. The button of the electric drive of the fifth door can be blindly confused with the emergency button located next to it.
Four USB ports are available from the interfaces: two for front and rear passengers, as well as an exotic HDMI connector. A 220-volt outlet at the back, and not in the trunk, is a very good solution. The design of the two-stage heating buttons is much older than this car.
I don’t understand why my colleagues focus on the noise and vibration load of a Mitsubishi diesel. In my opinion, only in moderation. In the city, the motor does not bother me with a growl. Eight-speed” automatic ” Aisin quickly switches gears. There are enough dynamics in urban traffic — both for starting from a traffic light, and for rebuilding in the flow. The force on the steering wheel with a power steering is a little watery, the responses are smooth. The steering wheel makes almost four turns from stop to stop, but the turning radius does not exceed 5.6 m — with live work with hands, the Sport quickly maneuvers in yard areas.
The traffic jam mode of adaptive cruise control has not been tested. Everything is fine on the highway, but the upper threshold is 150 km / h. And if you dial 160, the system turns off imperceptibly. The cruise icon is green, but the “Set” label disappears under it.
On the highway, the car confidently keeps a straight line, without requiring taxiing, but slightly nods in time to the invisible eye irregularities, like a boat on the waves. The amplitude of these fluctuations, fortunately, does not grow. We have already noted that the Sport is well managed for a ramnik. Taking care of passengers and seats without developed lateral support stops from the reckless passage of winding sections.
The front edge of the hood has risen by four centimeters to comply with safety standards. There was the heating of the rest zone of the windshield brushes. Keyless access — still only by the buttons in the handles of the front doors.
It is necessary to prepare for overtaking in advance, because the reserve of traction during acceleration on the move is limited. A second before the changeover, you reset the gear with the steering lobe and keep the pedal in the floor until the end of the maneuver. Diesel is gaining momentum slowly. I am not surprised that flashing of the electronic engine control unit is very common among Sports owners. However, for fans of a quiet ride, the motor will be enough: at speeds up to 120 km/h, overtaking does not seem painful. It’s just a little hard for me after the usual five-liter “eights”. So after all, here the consumption is completely different!
The steering wheel is a little crooked: judging by the fact that the rest of the cars are in order, the corners are gone. The sport is not as loud as a drum, but after 120 km/h, aerodynamic disturbances block the possibilities of noise insulation and the sound pressure exceeds a comfortable level.
Having pulled off on a dirt road, abundantly covered with large gravel, I notice that our tires are pumped over. For comfortable movement on the grader, it is already recommended to lower the pressure, and then the wheels are also heated on the highway. As a result, the rubber does not work, but the energy-intensive suspension compensates for this disadvantage. I have no complaints about it even in this mode, but at the stop I still baited the tires by eye — I did not find how to display the pressure monitoring system readings on the dashboard…
The test car is dressed in a good “ateshka”: Yokohama Geolandar tires with a dimension of 265/60 R18 belong to the All Terrain (A/T) type. You can install 17-inch wheels on the Sport, although Mitsubishi dealers do not offer such. They will fit, for example, from Fortune.
The Super Select 4WD-II transmission allows you to turn on all-wheel drive mode at speeds up to 100 km/h. It responds to the rotation of the washer-controller in motion in three to four seconds. When the front engages, each fuel supply is accompanied by a weak poke, as if the front gimbal has a small backlash. This feature of the transmission, according to the owners, is characteristic of Sports of all generations.
The transmission control washer has become more pleasant to look at and touch, but it clicks more sharply, it does not spring. The Auto Hold button has taken a logical place under the button of the electromechanical parking brake. The side leather pads of the console are more developed.
The road turns into concrete. I apologize to my passengers in advance and send the Mitsubishi at full speed to the hard joint between the two types of coating. The suspension gently swallows a rough drop, there is no creaking or impact in the cabin. They say that dorestyle indecently fucked on a grader, but I do not note criminal jumps. Although only the characteristics of the front shock absorbers have been redesigned. The radiator package is still not protected by a metal grid, although a stone caught on the highway can break through the intercooler and immobilize the car.
The air intake through the right wing is located high enough: the declared depth of the ford to be overcome is 700 mm. However, the breather is not brought up, so getting stuck in water can end up with an emulsion in the rear axle.
I notice a nice clearing with a slope of 30 degrees leading to the river. Here you can use the descent assistance system, but it is more interesting to use the engine braking. It is ineffective on an elevated row: The Sport rolls too fast even in first gear. The step-down allows you to move academically without touching the brakes. I climb back sideways, trying to catch the diagonal hanging. I activate the rear lock — and the car climbs into the hill without any problems. The five-minute offroad is over.
When the center differential is locked, four off-road modes are available that affect the ABS and traction control settings: Gravel, Dirt/Snow, Sand, or Rocks. Turning on the rear lock deactivates the assistance, leaving the car at the mercy of the driver and his experience.
When we get to Tobolsk, we transfer to the bus for a sightseeing tour. So, we need to get things out of the trunk. The weather is sunny and dry, but even if it was raining, we would not have to endure a dirty shower: the new shape of the lining should now effectively drain water, and the door itself has an electric drive and a swing sensor — for the first time on the Pajero. As follows from the voice-over video, it did not work out for me with the opening of the door “from the foot”…
After traveling along a country road, you will not sit down on the edge of the trunk: the threshold is covered with dust, which is actively dragged under the door. According to the creases on the upholstery of the driver’s seat, you can not say that the test car did not pass even two thousand kilometers.
A day at the wheel did not leave a trace of fatigue. I believe that you can easily drive a thousand kilometers in one sitting on Sports. The only thing that was missing in the heat was the ventilation of the seats. If you believe the trip computer, the consumption of diesel fuel for 500 km of a very vigorous run did not exceed 11 liters per hundred. Therefore, the 68-liter tank will allow you to get from Moscow to St. Petersburg along the M11 at one gas station. Let it not be very fast, so as not to be deafened by the wind, but bypassing the queues at the gas station during the peak season.
The protrusions on the inner walls of the trunk are a vestige of the third row of seats that is not available in Russia. Our road travelers place off-road utensils in hollow casings. Developing a new cladding is an unacceptable luxury for a loss-making manufacturer.
The main difficulty with the updated Sport is that we have to get used to the fact that it is now the flagship of the Mitsubishi model line. The car, which has always been perceived as a “junior Pajero, for those who are not old enough”, has become the main one and is responsible for everyone. This is all the more difficult because the Sport was the result of a low-cost adaptation of a rustic pickup truck, and remained. Even in the top-end configuration of the Ultimate, the interior is rough. I, for example, do not care — the main thing is that it is easy to wash. But the brand probably has loyal customers with requests.
Advanced all-wheel drive is a strong argument in the dispute with Fortune. But the modesty of modernization does not bode well for the segment. Mitsubishi would be blamed for the crisis, but the successful Toyota also invests in ramniki with moderate enthusiasm.
All two days behind the wheel of the updated Sport, I tried to figure out whether I would miss the full-size Pajero. I will not. The size of the Sport and its direct competitor Fortune (2.8-3.7 million rubles according to the price list) better meets my needs in the non-premium segment. Moreover, Mitsubishi has not managed to instill in the old-timer the noble asphalt manners that you expect from a car with a load-bearing body and independent suspensions. And on the off-road, of course, I will prefer a frame and an unbroken bridge.
It is necessary to prepare for overtaking in advance, because the reserve of traction during acceleration on the move is limited. A second before the changeover, you reset the gear with the steering lobe and keep the pedal in the floor until the end of the maneuver. Diesel is gaining momentum slowly. I am not surprised that flashing of the electronic engine control unit is very common among Sports owners. However, for fans of a quiet ride, the motor will be enough: at speeds up to 120 km/h, overtaking does not seem painful. It’s just a little hard for me after the usual five-liter “eights”. So after all, here the consumption is completely different!
The steering wheel is a little crooked: judging by the fact that the rest of the cars are in order, the corners are gone. The sport is not as loud as a drum, but after 120 km/h, aerodynamic disturbances block the possibilities of noise insulation and the sound pressure exceeds a comfortable level.
Having pulled off on a dirt road, abundantly covered with large gravel, I notice that our tires are pumped over. For comfortable movement on the grader, it is already recommended to lower the pressure, and then the wheels are also heated on the highway. As a result, the rubber does not work, but the energy-intensive suspension compensates for this disadvantage. I have no complaints about it even in this mode, but at the stop I still baited the tires by eye — I did not find how to display the pressure monitoring system readings on the dashboard…
The test car is dressed in a good “ateshka”: Yokohama Geolandar tires with a dimension of 265/60 R18 belong to the All Terrain (A/T) type. You can install 17-inch wheels on the Sport, although Mitsubishi dealers do not offer such. They will fit, for example, from Fortune.
The Super Select 4WD-II transmission allows you to turn on all-wheel-drive mode at speeds up to 100 km/h. It responds to the rotation of the washer-controller in motion in three to four seconds. When the front engages, each fuel supply is accompanied by a weak poke, as if the front gimbal has a small backlash. This feature of the transmission, according to the owners, is characteristic of Sports of all generations.
The transmission control washer has become more pleasant to look at and touch, but it clicks more sharply, it does not spring. The Auto Hold button has taken a logical place under the button of the electromechanical parking brake. The side leather pads of the console are more developed.
The road turns into concrete. I apologize to my passengers in advance and send the Mitsubishi at full speed to the hard joint between the two types of coating. The suspension gently swallows a rough drop, there is no creaking or impact in the cabin. They say that dorestyle indecently fucked on a grader, but I do not note criminal jumps. Although only the characteristics of the front shock absorbers have been redesigned. The radiator package is still not protected by a metal grid, although a stone caught on the highway can break through the intercooler and immobilize the car.
The air intake through the right wing is located high enough: the declared depth of the ford to be overcome is 700 mm. However, the breather is not brought up, so getting stuck in water can end up with an emulsion in the rear axle.
I notice a nice clearing with a slope of 30 degrees leading to the river. Here you can use the descent assistance system, but it is more interesting to use the engine braking. It is ineffective on an elevated row: The Sport rolls too fast even in first gear. The step-down allows you to move academically without touching the brakes. I climb back sideways, trying to catch the diagonal hanging. I activate the rear lock — and the car climbs into the hill without any problems. The five-minute offroad is over.
When the center differential is locked, four off-road modes are available that affect the ABS and traction control settings: Gravel, Dirt/Snow, Sand, or Rocks. Turning on the rear lock deactivates the assistance, leaving the car at the mercy of the driver and his experience.
When we get to Tobolsk, we transfer to the bus for a sightseeing tour. So, we need to get things out of the trunk. The weather is sunny and dry, but even if it was raining, we would not have to endure a dirty shower: the new shape of the lining should now effectively drain water, and the door itself has an electric drive and a swing sensor — for the first time on the Pajero. As follows from the voice-over video, it did not work out for me with the opening of the door “from the foot”…
After traveling along a country road, you will not sit down on the edge of the trunk: the threshold is covered with dust, which is actively dragged under the door. According to the creases on the upholstery of the driver’s seat, you can not say that the test car did not pass even two thousand kilometers.
A day at the wheel did not leave a trace of fatigue. I believe that you can easily drive a thousand kilometers in one sitting on Sports. The only thing that was missing in the heat was the ventilation of the seats. If you believe the trip computer, the consumption of diesel fuel for 500 km of a very vigorous run did not exceed 11 liters per hundred. Therefore, the 68-liter tank will allow you to get from Moscow to St. Petersburg along the M11 at one gas station. Let it not be very fast, so as not to be deafened by the wind, but bypassing the queues at the gas station during the peak season.
The protrusions on the inner walls of the trunk are a vestige from the third row of seats that is not available in Russia. Our road travelers place off-road utensils in hollow casings. Developing a new cladding is an unacceptable luxury for a loss-making manufacturer.
The main difficulty with the updated Sport is that we have to get used to the fact that it is now the flagship of the Mitsubishi model line. The car, which has always been perceived as a “junior Pajero, for those who are not old enough”, has become the main one and is responsible for everyone. This is all the more difficult because the Sport was the result of a low-cost adaptation of a rustic pickup truck, and remained. Even in the top-end configuration of the Ultimate, the interior is rough. I, for example, do not care — the main thing is that it is easy to wash. But the brand probably has loyal customers with requests.
Advanced all-wheel drive is a strong argument in a dispute with a Fortune maker. But the modesty of modernization does not bode well for the segment. Mitsubishi would be blamed for the crisis, but the successful Toyota also invests in ramniki with moderate enthusiasm.
All two days behind the wheel of the updated Sport, I tried to figure out whether I would miss the full-size Pajero. I will not. The size of the Sport and its direct competitor Fortune (2.8-3.7 million rubles according to the price list) better meets my needs in the non-premium segment. Moreover, Mitsubishi has not managed to instill in the old-timer the noble asphalt manners that you expect from a car with a load-bearing body and independent suspensions. And on the off-road, of course, I will prefer a frame and an unbroken bridge.
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