Which Mitsubishi SUV is your favourite?
Years ago you could get a sedan or station wagon, or a kombi. If you wanted to remotely bash any kind of bundu, you had to get a specialist offroader. Expensive to buy and run, clunky do drive, but it would get you there. Then two more classes of vehicles came along, around the 2000s. The people mover and the sports utility vehicle, or SUV. At first, the people movers were more popular, since they were cheaper, with as many seats as you could fit into a box on wheels. The old SUVs did not drive as well as a sedan and cost more than a people mover.
But since then the SUV has come into its own, now the hottest selling class of vehicle on the market. The reasons are many, but it’s mainly because carmakers have subdivided their SUVs. The basic SUV configuration – loads of space, off-road capability, good handling and fuel consumption – has been refined to suit many different lifestyles. Let’s look at Mitsubishi’s SUV range and try and fit these into the different categories.
Mitsubishi ASX – Great In The City, Master Of The Open Road
The ASX is a lifestyle choice, perfect for the city and great on the open road, tar or gravel. This superbly comfortable vehicle gives you the power and economy of a 2-litre, four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine. Perhaps the most compelling reason to fit your family into an ASX is its 5-star ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) Safety Rating.
Mitsubishi Outlander – when you prefer your adventure to be comfortable
The Outlander is the ASX plus. Still a very refined vehicle, still as safe as they come (5-Star safety rating), it is bigger, with a 2.4-litre motor and a 6-Step Sports mode. The Outlander also boasts some nifty luxuries, such as a roof-mounted DVD player in the back for when the trip gets a bit long. The Outlander is great for the urban commute and the adventure holiday.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – A Major Move Off-road
The Pajero Sport will take you off-road in superb comfort. It is a 4×4 and boasts a 2.4-litre DI-DC 8-speed auto – in other words, a fully-fledged grunt mobile. Your Pajero Sport will take you to the boardroom or the bundu with equal aplomb.
Mitsubishi Pajero SWB – Big Dog #1
This short wheelbase Pajero is a rally-proven offroader, probably the most agile in its class. Although driven by the powerful 3.2 DI-DC engine and packed with interior and exterior features, the Pajero SWB still boasts a combined fuel consumption of only 9.5 litres per 100km. No wonder it is one of the best-selling 4x4s in the country.
Mitsubishi Pajero LWB – Biggest Dog
This long-wheelbase Pajero comes in only one variant: huge. The Pajero LWB 4×4 has the same powerful 3.2-litre diesel as the SWB. It will allow you to drive anywhere, safely and in complete comfort, and take a lot of friends and their luggage with you.
Which Mitsubishi SUV For You?
These are all great SUVs, but in the end, it will come down to what you need and what you are willing to pay. Can’t’ choose between the ASX and the Outlander? The SWB or the LWB? Or thinking of the Sport? Test drive them and you will quickly realise which Mitsubishi SUV has your name on it.
