Mitsubishi Shogun review (2006 onwards model)

It was difficult to ignore the headlines on the front page of The Times as I boarded my flight for Barcelona. The media and environmentalists’ favourite whipping-boy, 4x4s, were taking another hammering on the front page. This time the gleeful report suggested that 4x4 sales are in freefall.

So you might think it’s not the best time to be launching a new 4x4 model, let alone two. But that’s exactly what Mitsubishi are up to, launching their new Shogun and Outlander (more of the later next week) under the Spanish sun, prior to their appearance in the showrooms in the UK in March.

I’ve nothing against 4x4s. Sure, some are unnecessarily big and use more fuel than ‘normal’ cars, but you can say the same about many other things. Houses for example. Nobody’s started complaining about people living in houses bigger than they need. Yet. It’s all about choice, and in the case of the Shogun the traditional arguments for buying an off-roader remain pretty valid. That’s because it remains a proper 4x4, pleasingly rugged while others pander to the on-road market at the expense of off-road ability. So the diesel engine, although some 4 decibels quieter than the old one, is still noisy, the five-speed manual shift long and fairly ponderous and the ride sometimes jittery.

A genuine workhorse

But if you’re buying a Shogun it’s likely you’re buying it because you actually need it, not because it’s some sort of statement. As such you won’t care that it’s not saloon car sharp, or executive car quiet. You’ll be more interested in how effective is the Shogun at hauling your gear. And it’ll be very good, the LWB is able to pull a braked trailer of up to 3300kg, the SWB model managing 2,880kgs. Hook up a horsebox, boat or a caravan the size of a house to it and the Shogun’s 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine will shift it with little fuss. All the while the four-wheel-drive system and the Shogun’s weight will aid stability, that all-wheel-drive traction useful on boat launching ramps or around slippery stable yards.

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It’s a clever, but simple to use, 4x4 set up. Using a traditional transfer lever to switch between on and off-road settings. 4 Low enables you to take Shogun virtually anywhere you wish, the Shogun’s off-road capability nothing short of astonishing. But when you don’t need its mountaineering skills you can switch it to two-wheel-drive to minimise fuel consumption. Admittedly, on the road it’s outclassed by, say, a Discovery, but then the Shogun’s a fair bit cheaper, and certain to be more reliable. That’s not to say the Mitsubishi is completely agricultural to drive, the body control has been significantly improved, reducing the roll in corners, allowing the Shogun to compete well with it most obvious rival – Nissan’s Pathfinder.

Well kitted out

Prices for the Shogun start at just £22,949 for the three-door models. £26,449 will get you into a decently equipped manual Equippe model, and although you could spend £34,999 for a Diamond model with chrome everything, a Warrior is the best choice. It comes with everything you could want - Sat Nav and a 30Gb hard drive to download your music onto, a rear view camera, leather and powered and heated front seats – for £31,999 with an automatic transmission. You’ll want that auto, too, as it’s much better than the rather ponderous manual.

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Mitsubishi makeover

Outside it looks much like the old car, but revisions sharpen up its looks – the Shogun was always a handsome machine - this new one looks like it’s had some serious personal grooming. So there are some smart new headlamps and a chunky grille, the still familiar Shogun shape outlined by slightly softer, less set-square lines. Externally they’re so subtle it’s tempting to call the changes a facelift, though Mitsubishi claims only 26% of the new car is carried over from the old one. That might be true, but it still feels like a Shogun on the road, albeit a bit sharper and more composed, with the gruff diesel providing adequate, rather than startling, performance.

How to insure that expensive 4x4

That diesel is the only engine offered now. The petrol engine sold in such tiny numbers that it’s no longer available in the UK. While it might not be quiet, that turbodiesel engine isn’t too thirsty, the combined consumption as high as 30.7mpg for some models - the highest CO2 emitting model producing 280g/km. That’s not too bad, and certainly not quite the planet-terrorist the media would have you believe. Indeed, to put those figures into perspective, something as inoffensive as a Volvo’s S80 V8 AWD executive saloon manages less miles-per gallon, while also emitting more CO2.

Verdict

But the trouble is the Shogun is so much more visible. All those sports cars and big executive saloons slip under the environmentalists’ radar as they’re not so obvious. And that’s the problem with 4x4s. People are happy to criticise them without really looking at the bigger picture. With virtually all 4x4 manufacturers changing their model lines at the moment, people are holding off their new 4x4 buys, too. So, really, it might not be such a bad time to launch two new cars after all. And if you’re after a properly rugged one, that’s priced sensibly and looks good - then you could do a lot worse than Mitsubishi’s new Shogun.

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The lowdown