Johannesburg - Mitsubishi's aging Pajero SUV has been facelifted and upgraded - and its model range simplified - for 2015, while keeping the inevitable price increases within the bounds of sanity.
The Mitsubishi Pajero earned its off-road spurs with a record 12 wins - seven of them consecutive - at the infamous Dakar Rally, but that was a long time ago in marketing terms and, according to the maker, most of the detail work in this upgrade has been based on feedback from the toughest critics of all - customers.
Cosmetically, there's a new grille and bumper with chunkier styling, now incorporating switchable LED daytime running lights, with a steeply undercut lower edge so as not to compromise its approach angle.
Each of the three derivatives - down from four - now has its own special alloy rim design, and the two long-wheelbase derivatives sport a new spare-wheel cover that completely encloses the spare.
The only major change inside is that the standard rear-view camera now shows its image on the infotainment system screen, and automatic headlight dimming is now available across the range.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
That range now comprises the short-wheelbase, three-door GLS, the long-wheelbase, five-door GLS and the range-topping long-wheelbase GLS Exceed - each with Mitsubishi's familiar 3.2-litre DI-D common-rail direct-injection turbodiesel four, rated for 140kW at 3800 revs and 441Nm at 2000rpm, mated to five speed auto transmission with manual override.
Given the Pajero's background, a proper four-wheel drive system is practically a given, including high and low range, and viscous-coupling centre and rear differential locks.
However, it avoids today's obsession with fly-by-wire pushbutton controls in favour of a dead-simple four-way shift lever. The 2H mode drives the rear wheels only, for economical, easy driving around town and on the open road, while 4H (which can be engaged at up to 100km/h on the fly) sends 34 percent of the drive to the front wheels and 66 percent to the rear wheels, intended to give it much the same driving feel as an all-wheel drive road car such as a Subaru or Audi quattro.
The 4HLc mode locks up the centre differential for 50:50 front-to-rear power delivery and changes the traction-control set-up, while 4LLc engages low-range and deactivates traction control for crawling over really nasty terrain.
Finally, as a last resort, a switch on the centre console locks the rear differential and if that won't get you there, perhaps you should be travelling in something with a big fan on top.
WHAT YOU GET
Standard kit includes electric windows with tinted glass, leather upholstered heated seats with power adjustment, reclining rear seats (with an extra two in long-wheelbase models that fold flat into the cargo-bay floor) a sliding front arm rest with two storage levels,
Bluetooth, voice control and a touch-screen operated radio/CD/MP3 player with USB and aux ports.
The Exceed ups the ante with a 12-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system, xenon headlights with washers, 18” alloys, an electric sliding/tilting sunroof and a wood and leather-trimmed combination steering wheel.
WHAT YOU PAY
The short-wheelbase GLS retails for R569 900, and the long wheelbase GLS for R639 900 - each a R10 000 increase on its predecessor - while the new Esteem flagship will cost you R659 900.
Prices include a three-year or 100 000km warranty and and a five-year or 100 000km maintenance plan; service intervals are 10 000km.
Print colleague Denis Droppa was at the SA release of the 2015 Pajero; see his driving impressions in The Star, Mercury or Cape Times motoring supplement on Thursday.