By Otsile Kadiege

Today Mitsubishi Motors South Africa added an additional grade to their popular 7-seater SUV – the Pajero Sport. The limited-edition Aspire model, which sits beneath the top-spec Exceed, adds numerous cosmetic upgrades to the Pajero Sport.

Exterior and interior

Outside, the Aspire grade adds black roof rails, a black front grille and 18-inch alloy wheels – also in black – to the bold-looking Pajero Sport. The Pajero Sport Aspire is only available in Jet Black or White Diamond body paints. Key features inside include black leather seats, power slide and reclining function for the driver’s seat, newly added power lumbar support, electric windows all round with one-touch auto up/down function, and dual-zone climate control with a rear ventilation duct for the second row of seats.

The Pajero Sport Aspire also offers Bluetooth connectivity with hands-free voice control, coupled to Mitsubishi’s advanced smartphone-link display audio (SDA) connected to a large eight-inch touch screen. All models have additional USB and accessory sockets (dual USB for the rear passengers) and a 220 V AC 150-Watt power plug.

Powertrain

Powering the Pajero Sport Aspire is Mitsubishi’s 2.4L MIVEC four-cylinder intercooled turbodiesel engine with 133 kW and 430 Nm.  It’s paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s available in 4×4 and 4×2 guises. The 4×4 Aspire features Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD-II system, which is said to deliver consistent performance in the most challenging driving conditions and over the most rugged terrain.

Safety

Like the rest of the Pajero Sport range, the Aspire model features Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body construction, seven airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, active stability and traction control (ASTC), an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and an emergency brake assist system (BAS) to list a few.

Pricing and warranty

Pricing for the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is priced as follows:

1. Pajero Sport 2.4L DI-DC 8AT (2WD) – R654,995
2. Pajero Sport 2.4L DI-DC 8AT (2WD) Aspire – R674,995
3. Pajero Sport 2.4L DI-DC 8AT (4WD) – R704,995
4. Pajero Sport 2.4L DI-DC 8AT (4WD) Aspire – R724,995
5. Pajero Sport 2.4L DI-DC 8AT (4WD) Exceed – R739,995

All Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models have a three-year/100 000 km manufacturer’s warranty, a five-year/90 000 km service plan and five-year roadside assistance. Service intervals are set at every 10 000 km.