Mitsubishi SHOGUN PININ RANGE
Imagine if everyone who bought a four-wheel drive actually used it for four-wheel driving. The hills would be alive not with music but with the sound of spinning wheels. Footpaths would become freeways, cart tracks would become carparks.
And cars like Mitsubishi's latest Shogun Pinin, now available in five-door form, would cruise on serenely, ignoring it all. You see, even in this fantasy scenario, you're about as likely to see a Pinin owner venturing off the tarmac as a squadron of pigs flying over the Houses of Parliament. Not that this compact little 4x4 is less than able when it comes to grip in the glop. On the contrary, it's arguably the most accomplished car in its class when conditions get rough, thanks to a gearbox that allows power to be shifted from rear to four-wheel drive at speeds of up to 62mph. Should things get truly tricky, there are also high and low gear ratios, with a centre lockable viscous coupling along with a rear axle limited slip differential. As a result, this car will ford a river, find its way through a boggy forest - or indeed scale the up-ramp at your local multi-storey carpark. Mitsubishi has designed it to do all three but knows that on-road performance is all that will really matter to most customers.
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A budget 1.8-litre MPI engined variant is also available, good for 113bhp, and mated to a permanent four-wheel drive transmission,.
"A faster, fresher and less compromised compact 4x4..."
The importers think that GTi customers will be particularly attracted to a car of this kind - with good reason. Sales of the Pinin's two closest rivals (Land Rover's Freelander and Toyota's RAV4) have - in three-door form at least - been mainly to the kind of people who ten years ago would have bought a Golf GTI. Since dynamically, there's nothing particularly sporty about either of these two 4x4s, it's easy to see why Mitsubishi see a place for a faster, fresher and less compromised competitor. Having identified their niche, the Japanese engineers decided to design the car precisely for its intended European market, enlisting the help of Pininfarina (hence the name) who are now producing Shogun Pinins in their Italian plant at the rate of 35,000 units a year. There's evidence of this association with the addition of that famous badge just in front of the rear wheelarch, but you wouldn't know it otherwise. The styling is chunky, smart but ultimately sensible: perhaps the Orientals had the final say. Nevertheless, many customers in this sector will like it, particularly if they're coming out of cars like Suzuki Vitaras or Daihatsu Fourtraks. Moreover, after these vehicles (and many like them), the suspension of the Pinin will be a revelation, smoothing out all but the nastiest surfaces just like a family hatchback. Only the extra bodyroll (and slightly greater wind and engine noise) reminds you that you're in a 4x4. Two mainstream trim levels are offered Equippe and Elegance although Warrior special editions are also available. Prices range from £12,999 to £19,999. The five-door variant offers a bit more space in the back and a more rugged appeal than its more urban little sibling.
Equipment is pretty much as you'd expect from a Japanese car of this kind: dual airbags and central locking on the base model, electric windows, sunroof and mirrors on the Equippe. Inside, there's nothing particularly remarkable about the dash layout, though some effort at uniqueness has been made with silver textured strips that divide the facia. There's also a dash-top screen for the radio and trip computer display which can also be used for the satellite navigation system (normally optional but included as standard for a limited period) - unusual in this class of 4x4. Since the three-door model is just 3735mm long and 1695mm wide, you shouldn't be expecting too much in terms of rear passenger or luggage space. Sure enough, rear legroom is nominal, while the luggage compartment can just about handle a couple of slimline briefcases. If you want more room, youll have to opt for the five-door and sacrifice some of those chunky good looks. Still, supportive height-adjustable seats mean that front seat passengers are much better off, even if the driver has to do without the adjustable steering wheel that would have bought complete comfort.
On paper, the little Mitsubishi's hi-tech GDI petrol engine ought to be extremely frugal. However, a combined figure of just over 30mpg suggests that its been tuned more for performance. At least it's environmentally sound. No other rival gets close in terms of clean emissions. There's a choice of five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions, neither of which will feel particularly sporty. Both however, will be well suited to urban use, where the responsive rack and pinion power steering and the great all-round visibility should make the Pinin feel nippy and manoeuvrable. The 1.8-litre MPI engine doesnt turn out quite so impressive statistics, but it is a good deal more affordable.
Pay money, take choice. Add to that the usual long and comprehensive Mitsubishi warranty, plus likely strong resale values and the Shogun Pinin should find a ready market in the UK. If you decide to buy one, why not buck the trend, take it off road and actually put its Shogun heritage to the test. But then again, you might encourage others to do the same and fill those hills with the sound of spinning wheels - a painful picture.
Better perhaps to stick to your local multi-storey...
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin range
PRICE: £12,999-£19,999 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 225g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8 MPI 3dr] 0-60mph 11.7s / Max Speed 96mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 GDI 3dr] (combined) 30mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and passenger airbags WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE: (length/width/height) 3735/1695/1695mm
