Norfolk is famous for many things. The Broads, Admiral Nelson, Samphire, just to name a few. One thing though it’s definitely not famous for, is hills.
This makes testing a car like the Mitsubishi Shogun that bit more challenging. On the flat, it performs ‘admirally’, and despite it’s large size, driving and aiming the 5-door Shogun on the road is surprisingly easy to do.
The automatic gearbox works so seamlessly most of the time you won’t even notice it changing gear, and unless you ‘floor’ it, there is rarely a sudden lunge. It’s rather like driving a very large expensive bumper car.
For a car of this size, fuel (diesel) consumption is not too bad, with a combined figure of 34.4MPG (urban 29.1, extra urban 38.7), although the Showroom Salesman may cough when you ask about emissions (216 CO2 g/km), as they are slightly higher than average for comparable models in this category.
The fuel tank is big (88 litres), I went to London and back, (approx 250miles) and the gauge was still well over half way. It means you can get paid, fill it up and forget about it.
The interior has a tough finish, it’s not as flashy as some of the more expensive 4×4’s out there, but it’s strong and durable. The electric seats have orthopedic support, and can be adjusted exactly to suit, this is invaluable over long distances.
The all round view as you would expect is excellent, and being this high up allows another level of perspective to traffic situations, although for someone of my height (6ft 2″), the optimal steering wheel position does slightly obscure the speedo and I had to dip my head to see it.
It means an extra split second looking away from the road, but probably isn’t a valid enough reason to get you off a speeding ticket.
The media / information console is top of the range, perhaps a bit fiddly to get to grips with at first, but if you could set a video recorder 15 years ago you should have no problems. It did take me 20 minutes to find the CD player, but when I did, it revealed itself James Bond-style hidden behind the main screen, über cool.
Load a CD and it will attempt to rip it straight to the built-in hard drive. Be careful with this, because if you listen to Britney Spears in secret you’ll be found out next time your ‘other half’ has a browse through your music collection.
A very small thing, but for a car worth nearly £40,000 the key is a bit on the tiddly size. Throw it into the bowl at your next swingers party and don’t be surprised if you’re the last person to be picked.
However, despite these niggles, the all round driving experience is comparable to the best Range Rovers. The brakes are soft, but measured, and if anything the ride in the Shogun is more balanced in the corners. If that isn’t a compliment, I don’t know what is.
Looks-wise Mitsubishi have greatly improved the Shogun in comparison to its older versions. It’s smart and modern yet tasteful and understated. It doesn’t feel the need to shout ‘look at me’, instead it just whispers it gently into your ear.
During my time testing we had encountered a lot of rain and the beginnings of snow, and I was determined to push the 4-wheel drive capabilities of the Shogun, so if I couldn’t find hills I went looking for mud instead.
Luckily for me there was a perfect location not far away, as I went off-road and into the slushy field I felt the back end of the car slipping and sliding all over the place. Changing the set up to 4-wheel drive instantly improved grip and I was able to power through some pretty serious terrain. Even the normally grumpy Farmer was casting admiring glances over its rear end.
The 5-door Shogun is a classy vehicle and a solid choice for any number of different environments, even if the only off-roading you do is turning round in the school car park.
Top speed: 111mph
0-62 mph(100kmh): 11.1 seconds
Max. output kw (bhp) at rpm: 147 (197) / 3800
Max. torque Nm (lb.ft) at rpm: 441 (325) 2000
Engine: In line4 cylinder 16-valve DOHC common rail diesel , turbocharger with intercooler
OTR Price from £38,799.00
For more info and full tech specs visit hwww.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk