To tap the huge potential of the SUV market in India, Mitsubishi, with its Indian partner Hindustan Motors (HM), imported the Pajero in India. The new Mitsubishi Pajero SFX has received a refreshing facelift. This third-generation Pajero is available globally with a 3.2L diesel engine but in India it is powered by a 2.8L turbo-diesel engine. Adopting a ''One Country One Price'' policy, Mitsubishi vehicles are priced the same throughout the length and breadth of the country.
The Pajero competes mainly with Ford Endeavour, Honda CRV, Hyundai Captiva and Toyota Fortuner.

Engine:
The Pajero sold in India is the second generation model. The Pajero is powered by a 2.8 litre diesel unit that puts out 118bhp and 29.8kgm of torque. That may not sound like much, but this engine’s party piece is its responsiveness. It doesn’t feel underpowered when driving at city speeds, but does run out of breadth fairly soon on the highway. Coupled to this engine is a 5-speed gearbox along with the legendary manual shift super-select four-wheel drive system that uses a lockable central differential as well as a limited slip differential.
Being two generations old, this car doesn’t possess the same refinement levels as the others in the market. The engine is audible throughout its running, it’s fairly smooth, but the noise levels are a bit on the higher side.

Exteriors:
The Pajero has a body-on-ladder design; it has a tall stance with good ground clearance. The SUV''s bulky body and bumpers give it a masculine look. Its silver-colored bumper runs across the body like cladding and garnishes the door. The chromed handle, side mirrors and six-spoke alloy wheels add some gloss to the SUV.

Interiors:
Step into the cabin and you’ll feel that you are in a car from the 80’s. The design and the curves keep reminding you about the age of this design. The central console houses the three pods which tell you about the pitch, altitude and outside temperature. Sit in the driver’s seat and you’ll find that it is very comfortable and it’s relatively easy to find a good and comfortable driving position. But the see-through headrests are very hard and you really can’t rest your head against them.
The middle row is comfortable and offers good support but is a bit compromised due to the new integrated elbow rests. The last row however, isn’t too good; the floor is too high and there is hardly any legroom and is best left for kids and for short journeys. All the rows get dedicated vents for cooling. The boot space with all the rows in place is pretty good. You can also fold the last row out of the way along with folding of the middle row to liberate considerable amount of space. But the last row should have been completely removable like in the Endeavour.
You get decent amount of equipment on the Pajero which includes power steering, power windows, rear wash/wipe, remote locking, leather interiors along with ABS and two airbags.

Ride and Handling:
The Pajero is decidedly an old car, but it surprises with its pliant ride and it’s sorted out handling which can embarrass its newer competition. It absorbs most bumps with aplomb. Even large craters don’t unsettle this brute too easily. Steering is sharp and responds well to the inputs and gives excellent feedback as well. Body roll is present but it’s not threatening. It’s a much better package than its direct competitor the Endeavour Thunder+.

Safety:
Some of the safety features on the Pajero include twin airbags and ABS as standard, 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) seatbelts, front and rear door impact bars, collapsible steering column, high-mount stop lamp and child-protection rear door locks.

Fuel Economy:
The 2.8L Diesel engine gives a mileage of 7.5 kmpl in city and around 10.5 kmpl on highways.

Variants, Price and Colors:
The Pajero is available in only 1 variant in India which comes with a 2.8 litre SOHC Turbocharged intercooled Diesel engine.
The Pajero SFX comes at a Ex showroom price of Rs.20,64,000
The Pajero comes in 7 exciting colors - Carbon, Navy, Graphite, Flame, Granite, Limestone and Deep Purple.
The Pajero has undisputable off-road abilities, has a refined diesel engine and road manners that are surprising for an off-roader but has out-of-date interiors and poor equipment.

Our Verdict:
Competent machine built the old-fashioned way. Worth a good look if you don''t mind its age.