Test drive Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero, Shogun) LWB 2000 - 2003 SUV

The third coming

Mitsubishi’s car department of the Mitsubishi concern, almost two decades ago, made a strong move, happy the world of the Pajero SUV. Individual Russians (mainly new ones) joined this good in the early 90s, when the second generation of Pajero did not accept the expanses from the taiga to the British seas. Nowadays, it is not so easy to determine by the car the social status of its owner, and the choice of brands is now much wider. Meanwhile, the third generation of Mitsubishi Pajero has already appeared ...

The very first Pajero saw the light in the distant 1982. The correctness of the concept of this SUV clearly demonstrates at least the fact that the first -generation Pajero is still leaving the assembly line - its licensed copy, Hyundai Galloper, is often found on Russian roads in the neighborhood with the present Mitsubishi Pajero of the second generation, which appeared 9 years after First. In 2000 - again after 9 years - Pajero changed once again. This time radically. Previous modernization and restyling do not count, now we are dealing with a fundamentally different car.

In fact, we saw the new Mitsubishi Pajero in the fall of last year - at a car dealership in Japan, where its official world premiere took place. But with all the prestige and internationality of the Tokyo car dealership, a certain local aura is still inherent in him, therefore, the prime minister was soon repeated - both in the USA (Detroit, January) and in Europe (Geneva, March). And the presentation for the car press was held in Spain, in the vicinity of Barcelona.

Spring in Spain ... instantly the cliches of the whole Spark, the cloudless sky ..., as well as The Rain in Spain ..., have nothing to do with the weather - and thank God. Instead of the promised sunny twenty -five degrees, variable cloud cover with a temperature of ten degrees below was waiting for us. In the mountains, it was generally almost overturned, but more on that later, but for now we are pacing at the airport’s parking in front of the brain of the brand new Pajero.

The first impression is that the car looks larger and more massive, especially in an inflated short -lacked version. And what does buying statistics tell us?

The length of the car really increased - from 4060 to 4280 mm in a car with a three -door body and from 4680 to 4795 mm - with a five -door. The width is also by 90 and 100 mm, respectively, now it is 1875 mm. But the height of both versions decreased by 45 mm and became equal to 1845 and 1855 mm, respectively.

The wheelbase stretched to varying degrees. In a short -drawn car between the axes - 2545 mm, which is 125 mm larger than the previous Pajero, and the long -border added 55 mm, and now the front and rear wheels shares 2780 mm.

The main changes in the back of the new Pajero can be called bulges over the arches of the front wheels and the lower edge of the side windows as we approach the rear rack of the roof is more noticeable in a three -door body. In general, the car looks very good and modern, which is not least owed to the new stylistic concept of Mitsubishi.

No less serious alterations are in the design of the body. For the first time, the Mitsubishi car of this class of the body is made with the so -called integrated frame. In fact, this means that the traditional spar frame is welded along the entire length into the base of the body.*

This solution increases the hardness of the body, therefore, improves the controllability of the car and its passive safety. It became possible to abandon the longitudinal torsion in the front suspension on the transverse levers. Now the vertical load is transmitted directly to the body with cylindrical springs. The same principle was used in the rear - independent on transverse levers, as on Pajero Evolution. Both pendants are collected on subframes, the passages of pendants are increased by 30-40 mm. The design of the steering mechanism has been changed - now it is a quite passenger scheme of the gear -rack.

Three engines are installed on the car - two diesel and one gasoline. The last, most powerful of them is the V -shaped six -cylinder GDI with a volume of 3497 cm cubic meter, which is the development of a well -established 6G74 motor of the previous generation. As a result of modernization, the characteristic of the torque has been changed - the engine provides 80% of the maximum value of 318 nm already at 1500 rpm. To comply with rigid environmental standards, the power has slightly reduced, now it is 202 hp. at 5000 vol./min.

Both diesel engines are in -line four -cylinder, with turbocharged. The first is a acquaintance of other Mitsubishi cars 2.5 liters of a motor (100 hp, 240 nm), it is popular with European buyers and is proposed mainly in relatively inexpensive GL and GLX trim levels. The second diesel is designed specifically for the new Pajero. 165 hp are removed from a volume of 3.2 liters. (3800 vol./Min.) And 373 Nm (2000 vol./Min.). Such indicators are provided through the use of a 16-valve head and direct injection. It is this motor, as well as the V6 gasoline will be on cars officially supplied to Russia.

Let's move on to the transmission. On the new Pajero, a five-speed mechanical box or the same InVeCS-II machine with a manual switch mode can be installed. Both boxes are known. Of greater interest is the new all-wheel drive transmission SS4-II, which divides the torque between the front and rear wheels in relation to 33:67 to 50:50 in the 4N mode using a viscous coupling. It monitors the difference in rotation of the front and rear wheels, and as soon as it suspects something was wrong, it begins to brake the elements of the planetary center differential (which, in fact, provides the initial asymmetry of the moment to reduce the insufficient rotation of the car), partially or completely blocking it.

From the 2N mode to 4N and 4HLC, you can cross by transferring the handle on the upholstery of the tunnel - at a speed of up to 100 km/h. The 4HLC mode eliminates the viscous coupling from its responsibilities: the coupling is resting, and the center differential is blocked and turns into a regular gearbox. This is followed by the 4LLC mode, in which, with a still blocked interdersh differential, the reducing transmission of the handout is turned on.

For those to whom this transmission will seem too complex and expensive, it is proposed earlier on the Pajero Sport SUVERO SPORT SPORT system Easy Select 4WD (motor, #1-2, 2000), in which there is no center differential at all. This transmission is installed only in the cheapest GL configuration with 2.5 l diesel.

Another attraction of the transmission is the rear cardan shaft of plastic carbon fiber. Possessing no less bearing ability than a shaft of traditional material, it does not bend in a frontal collision and cannot stick into the fuel tank or into the floor of the body. The rear inter -axial differential has two execution options - with forced blocking and self -locking ...

The salon became noticeably more spacious - this is what an additional 100 mm of the body width went for. When you are inside, it seems that this is not an SUV, but an ordinary passenger car, only the transmission control levers give out its origin.

The first thing you pay attention to is the torpedo with a massive central protrusion, where the airclimatic installation control hilts and a radio tape recorder are concentrated, as well as an information display, which can be replaced by the navigation system (for Russia is not relevant yet). A wide growth on a torpedo passes into the tunnel upholstery panel with a gear lever, a transmission operating mode selector and nests of the cup holders. The combination of devices is now covered with a less massive visor, its readability has become better.

It is not difficult to accommodate behind the wheel due to the large range of adjustments of the chair, including in height. On the GLS version, they are performed by electricity. The steering column is adjustable along the angle of inclination.

The lever of gear shifts of the mechanical transmission is located successfully, but when we tried on a car with a machine gun, we noticed some remoteness of the selector lever from the driver, it moves even more when working in manual mode. The pedals in all indicators can pass for those in an ordinary passenger car, efforts and moves are within the usual boundaries.

Passengers will now be more comfortable - thanks to an increase in the wheelbase. To a greater extent, the effect is manifested in a three-door car: in the back seat it is truly spacious, only it is more difficult to get there. In the five -door version, the place was also increased, but to a lesser extent - the presence of the third row of seats affects. By the way, we did not immediately notice it - now the seats are cleaned on the floor of the trunk, and not hang along the walls. Easy access to the luggage compartment provides a wide door, which part -time performs the functions of the bracket of the spare wheel ...

We leave the airport and move towards Montanya - a special training off -road route, already familiar with the presentation of the Nissan Patrol GR presentation, spent two years ago. We go on a long -bore diesel Pajero. The engine answered the launch of a characteristic shake, and it cannot be said that he calmed down and calmed down at idle. The steering wheel amplifier easily crap wheels 265/70R16 at low speed, so it is not difficult to maneuver when parking.

We get out on a speed road where you can check the dynamic qualities of Pajero. With 3.2 liters of diesel, the car is quite confident and can easily perform overtaking at high speed. Only the tractor sound of the motor is alarming - in the entire speed range. The car behaves on the highway quite worthy, it is quite close in comfort and controllability to the usual light car. The suspension managed to get rid of off -road stools, but at the same time it is not too soft. The machine obeys the steering wheel well and can quickly change the lane without any rolls. With increasing speed, the dependence on her effort on the steering wheel becomes noticeable. The brakes work in conscience, confidently slow down and stop a two -ton car.

We are at the site of off -road tests. Brief briefing - and I go to the highway on the same car, switching a transmission on the go to position 4n. Pajero did not hit the mud in his face (though it was dry), fully confirming the off -road reputation of the brand. I didn’t even have to turn to the lever of the transmission selector for help. Diesel worked miracles, demonstrating excellent weighting on steep climbs and good responsiveness for tender pedaling when traveling narrow places. (I would also like to note the adhesion properties of the Bridgestone tires, which equally showed themselves on the asphalt and on the ground.) Very soon I began to feel the dimensions of the machine, which helped to dodge the trees. On a long -tan Pajero gasoline, we had to go along the forest road to the mountains. The GDI engine is noticeably more fun than diesel, in accordance with this, the dynamics of the car have changed.

We change the car to the short -launched Pajero in expensive GLS configuration with an automatic box. It was cool and damp in the mountains, it began to rain, sometimes it was accompanied by wet snow. I decided not to take risks and turned on the 4n all -wheel drive mode. The road changed the coating, and now under the wheels there was a common asphalt mountain serpentine for these places. Immediately it turned out the peculiarity of driving on an adaptive machine in such conditions: he could not adapt to alternating loads on the gas pedal - either he immediately went upstairs, or did not switch from below for a long time. In the end, I was tired of it, and I went into manual mode where you can go using two gears and good engine elasticity.

With a decrease in altitude, the weather began to improve, the road was straightened, and it became possible to increase speed. Here, our Pajero, being short -minded, proved himself to be characteristic - he began to go out, however, slightly. In addition, there were oddities in the behavior of the gearbox - now in manual mode. Not only is the lever removed from the driver, but also the programs are turned on with a noticeable (about a second) delay. When we asked the Mitsubishi specialist at a press conference, he was clearly confused ... (probably there was some kind of factory defect-in a particular machine, but we could not check this. So we will wait for the new Pajero to officially arrive to Moscow, especially since waiting for long - this will happen in April of this year.)

So we met. The new Mitsubishi Pajero SUV showed itself harmonious from all points of view by the car. This is a worthy successor of the work of their ancestors, famous for their victories in international rally-raids. And in terms of the totality of technical and structural solutions, it can be called iconic - denoting trends in the construction of true SUVs. With such a car, it is not ashamed to meet the third millennium.

P. S. Mitsubishi Pajero cars will be sold in Russia by the official dealer of the concern, Rolf, at a price of $ 47,000 to $ 60,000, depending on the configuration.

Text: Sergey Ivanov
 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 5/2000]