Mitsubishi Shogun

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £25,485 to £34,845
On the road price: £31,254 - £40,604
For : New styling, efficient diesel, roomy 5dr, lower prices
Against : Thirsty V6, cramped 3dr, body roll, jerky throttle

It was one of THE 4x4s of the 1990s, with a great image and oodles of desirability. Then, in 2000, Mitsubishi launched an advanced all-new Shogun...and dropped the ball. The new model was, on paper, far better than the old, coming complete with advanced monocoque construction to improve ride, handling and refinement. Trouble was, Mitsubishi went overboard with the styling, adding garish side trims, an odd nose and lashings of chrome. It was hardly subtle, and in many eyes just looked tacky. Sales plummeted.

The 2003 Shogun has rectified the situation, with an Evo VII-style nose, simpler side trims and a generally more-composed look. It's now a far more attractive model - arguably the car it always should have been - yet is mechanically the same as the old model. Proof that there was never any issue with how it drove. For a large 4x4, the Shogun's pretty able, with a decent ride quality and reasonable stability, if quite a bit of body roll. It's no saloon car, but quite accomplished for the breed, and comes with two superb engines. The 3.5-litre V6 is a real firecracker but it needs plenty revs to perform, making the slightly noisy 3.2-litre DI-D diesel the best bet. It's exceedingly punchy and, at 29mpg, not too inefficient, and is mated to a very slick manual gearbox and clutch. Shame the throttle's jerky, though. There's also not much space in the back of the three-door, making the LWB seven-seat five-door a far more practical bet, particularly as all Shoguns come with alloys, ABS, side airbags and air conditioning as standard. Certainly worth a look if Land Rover Discovery prices are off-putting.

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