Mitsubishi Shogun: new arrival

Arrived: Jan 2009
List price (including options): £34,849
Average economy: 21.0mpg

The Mitsubishi Shogun has been -

Just a few weeks into our tenure we've done little with the Shogun other than the average owner might. That means it's been running to and from home and the office and picking up groceries at the weekend. That may not be the best way to demonstrate the Shogun's mighty off-road prowess but it'll be heading out to Chamonix, France soon where its four-wheel drive and seven-seat capability should come into its own.

We're loving the -

I know big 4x4s are the automotive equivalent to the devil for environmentalists but I can't help but like it. Many people say they buy big machines like this because it makes them feel safe, but I'm not entirely convinced by that argument. However, I do love the feeling of preparedness. Driving the Shogun you always feel like you've got the equipment to cope with any problem - be it a flash flood or a snowstorm that catches out the gritters. That might not be such an issue where I live in London, but back at home in Scotland it's a valid argument for ownership.

The Shogun is big though: long and tall. Thankfully it's the range-topping Diamond model we've borrowed, which means it comes with a rear parking camera. Diamond trim means it comes with just about everything else too, this Shogun fully-loaded at £34,849 - that's a good bit cheaper than a middle of the range Land Rover Discovery and cheaper too than Toyota's comparable Land Cruiser model.

But not so impressed by -

That reversing camera is handy but it's rather unsure of the Shogun's length. On more than one occasion I've had to get out and check to see whether all the beeping is really necessary - to find there's still a good few feet behind the big 4x4.

The ride can be a bit unsettled on those big 20-inch alloy wheels and the 3.2-litre turbodiesel has never really been noted for its refinement. Despite improvements recently it's still noisy when revved. Doing so does little to increase the pace either, the Shogun not a car that likes to be hurried. That's perhaps not such a bad thing, as do so and economy will inevitably suffer.

We're looking forward to -

The Shogun will be heading out to Chamonix, France for a few weeks where it should really shine. There we'll need its four-wheel drive capability and its capacity to seat seven. Really, it's exactly the environment where such a car should excel, and even with our brief acquaintance so far we've no doubt it'll do a very good job indeed.

Kyle Fortune