Tow Test: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

A great all-rounder let down by lacklustre towing performance

Launched in late-2015, it didn’t taken long for the Pajero Sport to find more than 1000 Australian buyers – 1157 to be exact, based on data for the first three months of 2016.

As a result it’s catapulted near the top of the growing ute-based off-road SUV market – behind the cheaper and older Isuzu MU-X (1720 sales), but ahead of other newish rivals including Toyota Fortuner (1013), Ford Everest (1008), and Holden Colorado 7 (800).

It’s popularity is no surprise to the judges of the recent off-road SUV comparison from sister site Carsales, which saw the Pajero Sport perform well enough on- and off-road and in the value-for-money stakes to achieve a second-best ranking, just behind the Fortuner.

Like the Toyota, the Mitsubishi stands out as much for its sealed as dirt and gravel-holding abilities, which are not shabby by any means. We drove a more bitumen-focussed and incidentally similarly priced, all-wheel drive Hyundai Santa Fe not longer after the Pajero Sport, and were surprised how close the gap was in refinement, comfort, and technology.

While boasting a sophisticated four-wheel drive system on par or better than some ‘hardcore’ off-road rivals, the Pajero Sport is among the latest breed of rugged off-roaders that ‘test drive’ really well around the block, which should suit most owners likely to spend the majority of time around town, dreaming about their next off-road escape.

Even in top-spec Exceed grade ($52,750 plus ORCs) as tested here, the Pajero Sport offers close to unbeatable value with a long list of standard features including dual-zone climate control, leather-lined as well as heated and electrically-adjustable front seats, auto headlights and wipers, electric park brake, keyless entry and starting, 18in alloy wheels with all-terrain tyres and a 7.0-inch colour touch-screen infotainment system with digital radio, SD card input, Bluetooth, and satellite navigation courtesy of Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity.

There’s also a bunch of handy electronic aids including a reversing, 360 degree camera, rear parking sensors, hill start assist, hill descent control, and trailer sway assist, with the icing on the cake more advanced driver assistance aids like blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision alert and autonomous emergency braking, plus a seven airbag, five star ANCAP safety rating.

THREE TONNE TOW TUG

Like the proverbial kitchen knife ad on the shopping channel, that’s not all when it comes to this crowd-pleasing Mitsubishi. Like the Triton ute on which it’s based, the Pajero Sport is capable of towing as much as 3100kg, which just tops the three tonne towing maximum of its Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Holden Colorado 7 rivals.

To test the claim, we hitched up a lotus caravan weighing 2500kg, or about 80 per cent of the maximum rating. But after 200km of winding, country roads and highways, it performed about the same as Triton ute we used to tow a 3000kg van around the Flinders Ranges. Which is to say, not great.

Not helped by some strong cross winds on the day, there was noticeable swaying and pitching of the 2070kg (unladen) tow vehicle. The constant movement -- very much a ‘tail wagging the dog’ scenario -- was in stark contrast to the unfussed nature of a LandCruiser or Land Rover Discovery we’ve found when towing similar weight caravans.

The sideways movement wasn’t enough to activate the electronic Trailer Sway Assist feature, but was enough to make us slow down to a more stable speed of 80km/h or less.

A low tow ball weight of 115kg means we can’t point the finger at any rear suspension sag, which if too heavy can push up the front of the tow vehicle and causing weight distribution issues.

Like the Triton when towing towing three tonnes, the 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine provided just enough grunt for leisurely acceleration but with little safety margin. In conjunction with the slick-shifting eight-speed auto it performed best when cruising on the flat on a light throttle, at around 90km/h. The transmission was kept pretty busy but it was mostly unnoticeable to the driver.

The sluggish towing performance was in stark contrast to the swift progress when carrying a full load of five passengers without a trailer, although the weight difference was telling (about 2300kg versus 4800kg when towing).

The extra 2.5 tonnes also showed up the limitations of the relatively small four-cylinder engine, which went from consuming a respectable 8.7L/100km ‘solo’ (not far off the official combined figure) to 18.5L/100m when towing. It never laboured, but had to rev pretty hard at times to cope with the big load.

On a more positive note, engine braking down hills was excellent, with down-changing made easy thanks to large manual-shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

While a bit more weight onboard – the Pajero Sport has a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 2710kg and Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 5400kg – might have improved towing stability, it would also put more strain on the engine, and drain the fuel tank even quicker.

COMFY TOURER

The below-average towing performance was a shame, as it otherwise sets up as a terrific long-distance tourer: comfortable behind the wheel, good steering feel and quiet cabin to make the most of a decent stereo.

There’s no third row seat option unlike its rivals, but that’s a good thing if you don’t have a big family and want to carry plenty of gear with no fold-up seats cutting into the rear storage area.

There’s adequate shoulder, head and legroom in the second row, but like most SUVs it works best as a four seater, unless the middle seat passenger doesn’t mind a numb bum. Like the Fortuner, the middle seat belt retainer protrudes uncomfortably from the seat base. With a long trip ahead, our 10-year-old was forced to sit on a cushion.

No complaints about the drop-down rear DVD screen and two wireless headphones though, which kept the troops entertained for the entire trip.

VERDICT

As we’ve found with many dual-cab utes and to a lesser extent their wagon derivatives, the Pajero Sport’s three tonne-plus tow rating doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

We’re yet to tow with the new Everest or Fortuner, but based on our experiences with the MU-X the Isuzu is a better option if towing performance is more important than styling, comfort and latest tech.

2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed

Price: $52,750 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel

Output: 133kW/430Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)

Maximum tow rating: 3100kg (310kg towball mass)

Safety rating: Five star (ANCAP)

Tow Test: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

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