With the all new Shogun Sport, Mitsubishi have made sure that those of you who already know and love the 2018 Shogun LWB will find much that is familiar in this Mitsubishi. As well as the ultra modern looks, the Mitsubishi is still made with the ruggedness and do it all, go anywhere qualities that we expect from the brand, qualities that have been updated and improved with every new model. Off road, with Super Select 4WD, Rear Differential Lock, (for superior traction,) Off Road Mode and Hill Descent Control, the Sport is equipped with enough technology to see it overcome everything and anything that this green and pleasant land of ours has to offer.
Getting into the Mitsubishi using the chunky hand holds attached to the A-pillars is a welcome throwback to its more utilitarian forebears and allows you easy access to the well appointed cabin. Heated, fully adjustable leather seats as well as the ability to transport up to seven in comfort is a bonus especially as the two additional rear seats in the boot space are easy and quick to set up as and when necessary.
Upfront, there’s a 360-degree camera system, Blind Spot Warning, Forward Collision Mitigation system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Unintended Acceleration Mitigation System, Front parking sensors, 8 speakers with 510W amplifier, Satellite Navigation, dual-zone climate control, Keyless operation with engine start/stop, DAB radio, Bluetooth® hands-free telephone connection and music streaming as well as smartening up the cabin with an electronic parking brake. The interior of the Shogun Sport offers luxury when needed combined with the feeling that this is also a place that would shake off the flotsam and jetsam accrued during your more adventurous journeys.
On the road and there’s a more refined feel than that achieved by last year’s Shogun, an effect achieved by the matching up of an all-new 8 speed automatic gearbox with the Mitsubishi’s 2.4L diesel engine. This pairing works very effectively, delivering power of 179bhp at 3500rpm and torque of 317 lb/ft at 2500rpm. There’s also impressive fuel economy figures for a vehicle of this size of up to 32.8mpg combined and emissions of 227 g/km.
The net result of the power and torque on offer from the Shogun’s four cylinder, turbocharged power plant gives you a deceptively strong shove in the back as you push your foot to the floor, the 8 speed box dropping you directly into the Mitsubishi’s power band. 0-62mph of 11.0s and a (irrelevant) top speed of 112mph means that this Shogun Sport will cruise all day long at motorway speeds. This is a car that is all day comfortable. The technology and driver aids helping the longer journeys fly by with my particular favourite being the Adaptive Cruise Control, a quite brilliant bit of kit.
Suspension that copes admirably when traversing both on and off road delivers a surprisingly comfortable ride quality on the pot holed roads we call home but press on and the Sport delivers as well.
Safe, powerful, well specced, comfortable, practical and economical within it’s class, the Mitsubishi Shogun Sport is a more than capable addition to the range. It’s a SUV that is more than worthy of it’s Shogun badge, a SUV that will challenge you every day to find it’s limits. You know what though, it’s extremely unlikely that you ever will.
The price? The Sport starts at £37,775 and that is still great value.
Where will you go?