Mitsubishi Shogun first drive

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Wednesday, 11 January 2012 10:23

Mitsubishi’s new vehicle sales in the UK are on the slide. In the last six years they have gone down from annual sales of 35,502 to 17,184 units.

Although their light commercial vehicles sales improved by 7.6 per cent in 2011 their passenger car registrations fell by 19 per cent. Ten years ago UK annual sales of their vehicles were close to 50,000 units

The recession, aging models and strong competition have all combined to dull Mitsubishi’s sales. The UK importer has also opted-out of the loss making daily rental and short-term fleet business. They have now reverted to being a niche importer selling to retail, business user-chooser customers and the utility sector operators such as the Police, Motorway, Fire and Rescue Services.

A new generation electric mini car is already on sale and hybrids will follow as will a supermini sized family car. But it is the stalwart Shogun and its family of 4x4s, SUVs and Double Cabs that must keep the brand afloat in the short to medium term.

In 2011 UK sales of Mitsubishi 4x4/SUV models, including their L200 pick-ups, amounted to over 13,000 vehicles. The Mitsubishi total UK new vehicle sales for 2011 were just 17,184 units so 4x4s/SUVs/Pick Ups are a huge proportion and a huge dependency for sales.

The Shogun three and five door range sells around 1,500 units a year, the Outlander SUV range around 2,000 sales, the relatively new ASX compact SUV had nearly 3,000 sales in 2011 and the famous and market leading L200 pick-up range around 7,000 UK registrations, mainly double cab versions.

The Shogun all terrain heavyweight 4x4 has been a stalwart of the brand’s range since 1983 when the three door version was introduced to Europe. This was followed in 1985 by the five door version which set the standard for large off-roaders by having seven seats as standard.

This seven-seat layout has been copied by most manufacturers of similar large 4x4s and soft SUVs. Land Rover admit that the launch of the Shogun five door brought about their design and development of the Discovery which like the Shogun sits between the workhorse Land Rovers and the high specification premium brand Range Rover models.

Through its lifetime the Shogun, also known in other markets as the Pajero and Montero, has been a huge sales success around the world and a formidable off road competition vehicle with numerous Dakar Rally wins.

Today, in its latest 2012 form with improved specification, a cleaner CO2 emissions 3.2-litre diesel engine and substantial towing weights, the Shogun remains the figurehead and best known model in Mitsubishi’s vehicle range. Prices range from £30,099 for the Shogun 3-Door up to £42.799 for the new 5-Door Black. The Lancer Evo X FQ could be described as the brand’s ‘halo’ model especially when Mitsubishi were one of the main contenders in the World Rally Championships. Evo prices range from £31,349 to £38,559.

Lance Bradley, managing director of Mitsubishi Motors UK which is now owned 100 per cent by Mitsubishi Corporation said recently at a Press briefing, “An issue for us is the uncertain and unfavourable financial exchange rates between the Pound, Euro and the Yen which forces prices up although we have been trying to absorb the worst of the factory price increases. The earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand did not adversely affect UK sales as we always hold four months of stock.”

To this end Mitsubishi has returned to ensuring they and their 113 UK dealers keep the buyers happy through improved customer satisfaction. Bradley said “Excellent service between us, our dealers and our customers is and will be the key differentiator for our brand in the UK. Our research shows that buyers will spend 10 per cent more for the same type of product if the customer service is better. Ninety-one per cent of customers will not return after poor service but 82 per cent will come back to us if their complaint is dealt with quickly. On average customers tell nine people about good service but tell 20 people about bad service.”

Mitsubishi now have an on-line, via their website, a Customer Satisfaction facility where customers give their dealer a star rating. The top rating is five stars and 80 per cent of UK dealers have a minimum of four stars. There is also a direct email link from the website customers can use to Mitsubishi’s managing director to raise any issues.

Just announced by Mitsubishi is their programme to make all their UK dealers Electric Vehicle Centres in readiness for the plug in hybrid models coming our way in the next 18 months. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV all electric small hatchback is already on sale.

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MITSUBISHI’S STALWART SHOGUN HEAVYWEIGHT 4x4 IMPROVED FOR 2012

Probably the most famous model in Mitsubishi’s passenger car range is the Shogun available in numerous generations since 1983. Also known in other countries as Pajero and Montero, the Shogun has in its time established worldwide the market for a heavy duty 4x4 positioned between the workhorse utility Land Rover type of vehicles and the premium brand large all terrain models such as the Range Rover.

In 1985 the five door Shogun was introduced with seven seats fitted as standard, a facility now adopted by most other manufactures of large SUVs.

For 2012 the long serving three and five door Shogun has received further updates to keep it competitive in its segment. Although in the last five years UK sales have fallen from 3,700 annual registrations to around 1,500 units in 2011, the vast majority of them five door models. This fall is due in part to added competition from improved Land/Range Rover models, softer SUV 4x4s such as the Audi Q5/Q7 and BMW X3/X5/X6 models and the introduction of less expensive, cheaper to run ‘crossover’ look alike lightweight two and four wheel drive models such as the Nissan Qashqai, Honda CR-V and Ford Kuga.

The 2012 Shogun range still consists of three and five door models, all having the latest 3.2-litre, four cylinder DI-DC direct injection turbodiesel engine and four wheel drive with high and low ratio gearing. Prices range from £30,099 up to £42,799.

Part of the changes for the 2012 model year is a renaming of some of the trim levels. The Warrior top spec level remains for three door versions along with SG2 and both levels have manual and auto transmission options. The best selling five door, seven seat Shoguns are labelled SG2, SG3, SG4 and a special edition ‘Black’ version with more glitz and bling including shiny black alloy wheels – a version aimed at the non off-roading business types. The SG2 level has auto or manual transmission choices, the other levels all have automatic transmission as standard.

Apart from minor visual changes and an improved look to the interior the most significant change to the latest Shogun is the engine. The 3.2-litre, four-cylinder DI-DC common rail turbodiesel unit now allows the 3-door manual to return 36.2mpg and the 5-door auto 33.2mpg - up from 30.7mpg and 26.7mpg respectively for the official Combined consumption cycle.

Emissions drop too, from 246g/km to 213g/km on manual variants and 280g/km to 224g/km for automatic variants. This is a significant improvement dropping the three door model by one Band for VED road tax duty and the five door variant by two Bands. Proving that the Shogun hasn’t gone soft the braked towing capacity for both three and five-door models remains the same at 3,000kg for SWB and 3,500kg for LWB.

The Shogun has always appealed to a wide range of customers but not as many buyers as in the past as the competition has increased. But the customers still range from contractors and farmers who use the vehicle as a workhorse both on and off road, to the Police and Rescue Services, to business users and the chauffeur market and to mum’s transport for the school run. There is also a popular following in the ‘travelling’ community as the Shogun maintains its classless appeal.

Core to the Shogun is its body/chassis durable design. It’s distinctive, long, tall, wide and with muscular wheelarches and short front overhang. Underneath the skin is a monocoque bodyshell but cleverly with a ladder frame chassis incorporated within the structure. It is no old fashioned body on a ladder frame chassis and the benefits are strength, long life durability with taught and torsionally stiff body control. This gives good on road driving control and the ride comfort is generally first rate due to the front wishbone and the sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. Some body roll during cornering is evident but the handling is predictable and the suspension, even with the large 20-inch wheels on my test drive SG4 five door model, was really good at ironing out the worst of the bumps and potholes. The only issue was the inconsistent feedback from the power steering.

During my test drive of the updated 2012 model year five door version I only had chance to drive it on road where the fuel consumption averaged a creditable 30.2mpg.

But in the past I have driven Shoguns/Pajeros/Monteros – all the same vehicles, off road in countries as far afield as Australia to the USA, in mud, rock, desert conditions and even the in the sea and it was superb and trustworthy all the time. I have used many models throughout many generations as my company car both in three and five door body forms so I know from firsthand experience just how competent they are when the going gets tough or even being more commonly used for day to day business work on traffic congested roads. The fact that our Police force uses them says something about the vehicle’s stature, competence and reliability.

Unusually the Shogun uses a 3.2-litre engine but with four cylinders, not six cylinders, which is more common in this heavyweight 4x4 sector. This means it is fuel frugal but lacks big engine ‘muscle’. It responds a little more slowly from a push on the accelerator and of course the five speed automatic transmission slows the reaction time as well. The engine pumps out 197bhp and a relatively modest, in this class, 325lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm. Top speed is 111mph and the acceleration time is a not too shabby 11.1 seconds.

The rest of the mechanical specification includes all wheel drive control with two wheel high ratio driving the rear wheels and four wheel drive selectable on the move.

There is also the 4x4 traction in low ratio with locked centre differential all selected though a transfer box lever, not an all terrain response dial which has become more popular with modern large 4x4s. The drivetrain includes active stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking and brake-force distribution.

The specification and trim is high for all models and the SG4 model higher still. All the must-haves are included, electrically controlled windows and door mirrors, on board computer, compass, barometer and altimeter, multi-speaker Fosgate sound system, integrated Bluetooth, powered sunroof, automatic lights and wipers, keyless entry, air conditioning front and rear, leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, seven seats in three rows with the rear row easily folded away into the load area floor when not in use and on the rear door is a proper spare wheel.

Although the competition from newer big 4x4s is very strong and the Shogun might be showing its age, today’s version should not be overlooked because it can still give a good account of itself whether used for hard work, just work or family leisure. It remains a tough, roomy and reliable 4x4 for all-reasons.

MILESTONES. 2012 Mitsubishi Shogun LWB 3.2 DI-DC SG4 Automatic. Price: £41,799. Engine/transmission: 3.2-litre, four cylinder, direct injection turbodiesel, 197bhp, 325lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm, 5-speed auto, 2WD/4WD, high/low ratio transfer box with centre differential lock. Performance: 111mph, 0-62mph 11.1 seconds, 34.4mpg Combined Cycle (30.2mpg on test), CO2 224g/km, VED road tax £580 First Year rate then £260 for the second year onwards, BIK company car tax 35%. Insurance group: 34A. Dimensions: L 4,385mm, W 1,875mm, H 1,890mm, passenger capacity up to 7-seats, load space 215 to 1,790-litres. For: Large proper rugged 4x4 with seating for seven, good looks, great off road capabilities, high specification, comfortable, lower CO2 emissions for 2012. Against: Modern large premium SUVs have better road manners and brand desirability. Miles Better News Agency

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