NEW Mitsubishi Pajero Review: THIS IS EPIC!! transcript

All right, this is very exciting. What you are looking at is the new Mitsubishi Pajero. That's right. It is not a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, although it is built on the Triton platform, but a lot of it has changed. So, today I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about the new Mitsubishi Pajero and why I think that this is genuinely so exciting, particularly when you start to compare it against some of those really popular competitors like a Land Cruiser Prado.

I know, wild thing to say. Let's get into it. All right, let's talk about the way that this thing looks. Now, obviously this is very kitted out in the Australian spec. Clearly, we have the bull bar, we have the lights made in Australia, that's Lightforce. Uh in fact, this is the Australian spec. We're getting the horizontal slatted grill in Australia, not the honeycomb, but I've got to say, without all this stuff on it, frankly, it looks really good.

I know that a few commenters haven't loved it so far, but I really like it. And in terms of sizing, it is actually very similar to something like a Land Cruiser 300 series. It's about as wide, about as tall, but not quite as long. So, this is really squarely going up against the Ford Everest and the Land Cruiser Prado. And I think they've done a phenomenal job with the design, particularly from the front. Let's check out the side.

All right, let's talk about the side of this thing. So, you're going to see these 18-in alloy wheels. And this is just got some random Yokohamas on it. I don't know if these are going to be upgraded. Hopefully, they will be. You have Pajero spelled out there. Metal side steps, but that could just be an accessory. Achilles entry and go. Not sure if it's privacy glass. These aren't final final specs, but we are being told that this is the Australian car.

And this is our fuel filler. We can't open it, but here's a photo. It does require AdBlue now. We'll talk about the engine in just a second. I like this Super Select four-wheel drive Pajero. That's a very Thai spec thing to do. Let's talk about the bum. All right, talking about the bum now, and don't sue me. I like the way that this thing looks. I like the lights on it, particularly when they are actually lit up. It looks really, really good in the flesh.

We have a tow ball here. We don't know what it's going to be able to tow. >> Sorry for the interruption, but check this out. I've just looked at this, and I can see that it says the max tow bar capacity is 3,500 kg. That means that this thing should be able to tow 3 and 1/2 tons. So, that's pretty damn good. I mean, at this point everything in the class can tow 3 and 1/2 tons, but the old Triton used to only be able to do like 3 tons or just over 3 tons.

So, good to see this will be 3 and 1/2 tons. It is built on the same platform as a Triton. And by the way, on that, even though it is built on the Triton platform, what the engineers have told us is only the front of the ladder frame that is the same as the Triton. Everything else about it is different. They're saying that the vast majority is heavily revised or it's just been completely replaced. And so, to them this is not just a Pajero Sport, which they will still be selling in other markets in its current guise.

This is a real true blue Pajero, but very boxy. I like it. Let's check out the bum. And yes, we have a power tailgate here. Not a huge amount of space here, but you can of course drop all of these rows and get plenty of space. By the way, I see here Yamaha. This thing does get a Yamaha sound system. If there's one thing that Mitsubishi does so well, it is the sound system. So, I'm really excited to test that out when they allow us.

But here in Japan, it is a no-go. Arigato gozaimasu. Let's talk about this engine because the block is the same as in a Triton. It's a 2.4 L turbo diesel engine. It's now Euro 6D compliant, so you will have to add AdBlue for this thing, but it makes it better for the environment and also better for Mitsubishi with NVEs because let's be honest, a car like this, a new diesel vehicle in the world of NVEs, is not great particularly for a company like Mitsubishi.

Now, it affects Mitsubishi. But they are saying that this is an upgraded engine. The turbo is actually changed from the bi-turbo which interestingly they they just switched to in the Triton, but they're putting back a single turbo on this, but it's got a variable valve geometry thing to it. So, the veins of the turbo can move. Essentially, what they're promising is 10 extra newton meters of torque. It's got 480 newton meters of torque, 150 kW of power.

And so, that puts it kind of squarely at the heels of a Prado, which just has a little bit more torque on paper anyway. Again, we'll have to see what this is actually like to drive when it does launch. But, it does also have double wishbone suspension up front, a five-link multi-link rear end, extra-long suspension travel, and also the six-speed automatic is gone, and now it's an eight-speed automatic. It still retains the super select system, so it's a permanent full-wheel drive with a really trick center differential [music] that can lock.

The rear diff can lock as well, so they're promising extreme off-road capability. Will it be that? Well, we'll have to wait and see. But, I've got to say, little changes to the engine, and I don't [music] actually mind because the Triton engine, as we recently found out in our Triton versus a Tasman comparison, is really bloody good. What about the interior? Let's talk about that. All righty. Interior now of the new Mitsubishi Pajero, and I'll be honest with you, I actually know the price of this car.

I can't tell you yet. Make sure you stay tuned to carsales.com cuz we'll be releasing that tomorrow. But, suffice to say, this thing is going to be very competitively priced, and I really like it. It's soft-touch materials absolutely everywhere. It feels extremely plush, like exactly what the old Pajero used to feel like, like almost too much use of materials. Yeah, this feels really quite nice. You do have soft-touch materials in most places.

Scratchy up here, but this is nice, and you do feel quite cocooned. And like I said, this is more going up against the Ford Everest and the Land Cruiser Prado, so it just does feel good. You have a pretty massive glove box there with this like leather. You've also got a pretty big glove box there, a couple of cup holders, wireless charger. You've got a normal shifter, that's good to see, a normal steering wheel. Also, no annoying eyesight monitor right there, which is fantastic.

Hopefully, it's not like the Triton, which blocks par- part of the screen, it's just terrible. You've also got your full-wheel drive selector. This thing has like eight different off-road driving modes, and having tested the Triton heavily off-road, I can tell you that yeah, it's going to be absolutely fantastic off-road. Considering it is partially based on the Triton, and physical air conditioning controls, mega. Also, you do get a couple of monolithic displays, and this is pretty cool.

I love how you've got the old-style Mitsubishi gauges, the altitude, roll, and pitch. And one of my favorite new things ever, a Mitsubishi Pajero handle. That's pretty cool. Grab handle. Let me show you out the back seats. How do you like your accessories? Like a a little table here. Doesn't feel very good, but anyway, I guess you can get accessories. You've also got other things like I don't know where to put this now.

Um a USB-C fast charger, map pocket. Now, I'm 5' 11". Sitting in the back here, I've got heaps of leg room. Toe room is great as well. Head room is very very good. And check this out. You can slide these seats megally. And you might want to do that because yes, you have a third row. You also get a third zone of climate control. You've also got a household socket here. That's pretty cool. And uh air vents in the roof.

So, yeah, it's pretty well equipped. And we're assuming this is the mid-spec cuz there isn't a sunroof in this one, and that will be optional. So, this seat, mind you, is all the way back, but it is really easy to get into the back, which is good. I feel like Mitsubishi are finally fixing the getting in and out of the third row, which was never great, but remember, I'm 5' 11". And yes, I can just fit behind myself with this seat all the way back.

You can definitely compromise and get a bit more space there. Head room is pretty good, too. And toe room is actually quite good. So, I've got to say, I'm actually quite impressed by the back seats of this thing. Again, we're going to have to reserve a lot of judgment for when we're actually back in Australia, but right now, at the the tip of my toes, this interior is a nice place to be. All righty. Final thoughts now on this, the new Mitsubishi Pajero.

Should you be rushing out to sign up to buy one of these things? Well, I've got to be honest with you, I am really impressed. I like the way that this thing looks. I think it looks absolutely fantastic. I don't care that it's body-on-frame and they're calling it a Pajero. They can use whatever name they want. The reality is this is a fantastic product, at least at first glance. It's going to be really interesting to see how it drives because obviously that's one of the things that can really surprise you, and sometimes in a negative way.

But considering that it's using the same Triton powertrain, but with more power and a different turbo and some other things done to the engine. The interior looks genuinely nice and I can't tell you about pricing yet, but So, I think that this thing is going to be really, really good. Make sure you stay tuned to castles.com. We'll be releasing the price and specs on this very, very soon. Let me know in the comment section below what do you think about the new Mitsubishi Pajero.

Are you as excited as I am and is this an RIP Prado? Ciao for now.