You will find it hard to persuade a die-hard Pajero owner to change brands. I enjoyed my recent trip in the Legend II limited edition that was released in South Africa in June.
You get some idea of the Pajero pedigree when you realise that this vehicle won an unprecedented 12 Dakar Rallies, of which seven were won in consecutive years!
What the guys at Pajero have done for the Legend II is to add a host of extras, without significantly increasing the purchase price. The SWB I drove was equipped with a heavy-duty engine-protection plate, plus one to protect the gearbox. The vehicle comes standard fitted with Yokohama Geolander dual-purpose tyres with a 265/60 profile.
The LWB and SWB also come with a heavy-duty Bosal towbar, a Pajero-stamped nudge bar and auto-locking and unlocking modes.
Mitsubishi Legend II Images
Something that I consider a real boon for travellers is the top of the range, magnetically-mounted Garmin nüviCam with dash cam, and a Tracks4Africa off-road map set for Southern Africa.
There’s a host of other top accessories available to off-road enthusiasts who own Pajeros. The list will make any specialist enthusiast drool. These optional extras will be fitted by Mitsubishi technicians, will carry the warranty, and will not compromise the Pajero’s 3-year or 100 000 km mechanical warranty. That really is a great offer.
The Pajero is an extremely safe car to drive, with six airbags, ABS braking, EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) BAS (Brake Assist System) Active Traction and Stability Control (ATSC) and Mitsubishi’s patented high strength Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body shell.
For you petrol-heads out there, the 3.2 litre DOHC Intercooled Turbocharged DI-DC engine, using a high-pressure common rail injection system, delivers 140 kW at 3 800 rpm and 441 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. In normal driving, engine power is delivered to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic gearbox, with selfshifting option. The gearbox is mated to Mitsubishi’s Super-Select II 4WD system.
As a tow vehicle, this Pajero drove like a charm with both of the caravans that I tested. I just wish there’d been enough play-time to test the legendary offroad capabilities of this legend.
Mitsubishi Legend II Specifications
Tare: 2095kg
GVM: 2665kg
Towing (braked): 800kg
Overall length: 4385mm
Overall width: 1875mm
Ground Clearance: 235mm
