The promise of adventure comes in the form of a special Pajero Sport Shogun 4×4 Auto, which is packed with Africa-ready off-road accessories and extra luxuries at no extra cost to customers.
“Pajero Sport families, like Pajero families, use their vehicles regularly heading off the beaten track. With this in mind, we approached some of South Africa’s best known off-road specialists to put together a list of bespoke adventure gear for the Pajero Sport,” says Wynand Pretorius, Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Mitsubishi Motors SA.
Pajero Sport Shogun has Geolander all-terrain tyres from Yokohama, which are paired with Mitsubishi-approved heavy-duty front, and rear shock absorbers from Tough Dog, the Australian 4×4 outfitter started by the legendary Ed Mulligan.
Mitsubishi also partnered with Stofpad for custom-fitted underbody protection. Stofpad created special heavy-duty protection plates for the engine and gearbox and also fitted each Pajero Sport Shogun with their robust rock-sliders. Stofpad’s rock sliders replace the standard running boards and are anchored in the chassis for durability and true body protection.
“The combination of extra off-road protection, hard-wearing shock absorbers and all-terrain tyres will open a world of possibilities for 4×4 enthusiasts who enjoy technical driving,” says Pretorius.
An off-road snorkel, custom roof rack (with spotlight) from Front Runner and a detachable tow bar complete the overland kit, and this ensures that every Pajero Sport Shogun will be easily distinguishable, no matter where it will take the owner.
Inside the leather clad cabin, the Pajero Sport Shogun is fitted with an extra rubber cargo protector for camping and adventure gear.
With all the off-road equipment fitted to Mitsubishi’s exacting showroom standards, it is hard to imagine that anyone would need further encouragement to head to the bush, mountain or desert, but there is more. Every new owner of a Pajero Sport Shogun will also receive the latest new Garmin GPS Nuvi-cam device that is pre-loaded with popular African overland routes and maps thanks to Maps 4 Africa.
These extras bring the total tally of off-road equipment to over R70 000. Despite all these additions the Shogun’s retail price remains N$514 900, the official retail price of the standard 2.5 Di-D 4×4 Auto.
The Pajero Sport is equipped with Mitsubishi’s popular 2.5 Di-D turbo diesel engine in high-power specification. This engine is fitted with a common rail direct injection Diesel system and a variable geometry turbo (VGT) that combine to deliver 131kW and 350Nm of torque, which peaks at a low 1 800 rpm and remains fully available at 3 500 rpm.
In the Pajero Sport Shogun the engine is mated to the very popular 5-speed automatic gearbox, with gear selecting paddles behind the steering wheel. The self-shifting gearbox complements the Pajero Sport’s in-cabin controls for 2- or 4-wheel drive and for locking the rear differential when engaged in low range.
The Pajero Sport is fitted with Mitsubishi’s unique Super Select 4WD-system offering four driving modes, 2WD, 4WD mode, 4WD mode with lockup and 4WD Low range with lock up. This 4WD system is considered to be one of the most advanced off-road control systems and played a major role in Mitsubishi’s unmatched performance during the DAKAR Rallies where Pajero raked in 12 wins, seven of them in consecutive years.
The new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Shogun will be sold in limited numbers, but the first units have already been dispatched to Mitsubishi dealers across South Africa, Swaziland and Namibia. The Pajero Sport Shogun will cost N$514 900 and is sold with a 5-year or 90 000 km service plan and a 3-year or 100 000 km manufacturer’s warranty.