Like your tyres extra knobbly? Don’t mind a bit of sand deep in the crevice of your, er... door pocket? Well, Mitsubishi South Africa has just launched a new Pajero that might be up right your donga.
The new Pajero Legend edition has been locally developed to celebrate the SUV’s 30th birthday, and it’s equipped with all the kit necessary for a trans-Africa expedition. It’s based on a normal Pajero GLX model, with an unchanged 3.2-litre turbodiesel drivetrain, but with around R120 000 worth of rough-and-tough add-ons. Mitsubishi SA says all the extras, from the roof rack right down to a set of camo camping chairs, are exactly what its hardcore off-roading customer base might go right out and buy in aftermarket accessory shops.
Up top you get said aluminium roof rack with a very clever foldable table built into it, a pair of jerry cans, a high-lift jack, a spade, and a gas bottle that all mount into their own little quick-release nooks. There’s also a dual-battery system that helps power up a huge refrigerator unit in the boot, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, an air compressor, and a set of LED spot lights that I’m told were developed by the US military.
SPECIAL SATNAV
Other additions include a bull bar, a tow bar, some heavy-duty “Legend” embroidered seat covers and an off-road recovery kit. Mechanically nothing’s changed from the already extremely capable Pajero GLX barring a set of beefier Goodyear tyres, a snorkel and an undercarriage skid plate. To top off the package Mitsubishi’s thrown in a special Garmin navigation unit loaded with the latest Garmap Africa Series and topographic mapping features. But be warned, this device may be the cream of the crop for adventurers, but it’s nothing like the simple ones commonly used to find your way through suburbia.
Thirty units have been built so far; one of which I was let loose in over some of the toughest passes the Swartberg Mountains near Oudtshoorn could throw at me, and the big Mitsubishi impressed.
DUSTY ROMANCE
As I said, a standard GLX (which is slightly more off-road orientated than the more luxurious GLS model) with its 141kW and 441Nm, low-range gear ratios, diff-locks, and independent suspension with generous ground clearance, will easily cover this type of ground in stock trim but all the Rambo gear just adds to the dusty romance (and wind noise at high speed) of a bushveld trek-mobile like this.
My only worry is that 50-litre fridge that takes up so much space in the load area, so make sure your family’s expedition luggage is weather-proof because you’ll need to stash it on the roof. Of course the fridge can be taken out by loosening the snazzy ratchet straps holding it in.
The whole package is priced at R619 000, which is a R90 000 premium over a normal Pajero GLX; that means you score R30 000 worth of bundu-bashing paraphernalia free.
All Pajeros come with a three-year or 100 000km warranty and a five-year or 100 000km maintenance plan as standard. - Star Motoring