Mitsubishi SHOGUN PININ
Vanessa Hinkley Checks Out Mitsubishis Smallest 4x4
If you fancy a small, affordable four-wheel drive vehicle, then Mitsubishis cute little Italian-made Shogun Pinin may do admirably. Here is a baby brother for the bigger Shogun, the Japanese upstart lifestyle 4WD that scared the life out of
Land Rover a decade or so ago and led that company to respond with the Discovery. These days, big off-roaders arent quite as popular as they were. Traffic jam-inducing school runs in monster vehicles are under threat, fuel is getting pricier while residents parking bays and multi-storey car park spaces are getting smaller.
Perhaps its time to move down a size in lifestyle 4WDs? Firstly, do you really want a 4x4 instead of the ever- practical hatchback or estate car? If we are to be brutally honest, most 4x4 drivers never really put their off-roaders through their paces off the road. A quick sidestep onto the verge to let something pass the other way or an easy escape from a muddy field at the school sports day is about as tough as it gets for most owners. But if you want to be different and to give the kids a real treat, then the Shogun Pinin will happily fit the bill. In fact, the importers think it will prise some people out of their GTi hatchbacks.
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When I stepped up into the two-tone blue and silver Elegance 3-door model which I borrowed this week, I really did feel as if I was on top of the world. You sit high up with good all-round vision: so what if you really should be up a mountain track instead of in the middle of town to take full advantage of its attributes? Unrivalled off-road ability isn't what you'd get with your Shogun Pinin anyway, so the experts would say, but if you do take it into the forest to walk the dog, then it should handle the softest mud patches and rockiest inclines with ease.
Inside, there's plenty of room for four people, but your dog would have a hard time in the back, as theres little room in the boot behind the rear seats. A couple of slimline briefcases is about the limit. The back door is hinged correctly for right-drive markets like ours so it opens from the kerb side. It can prove heavy when you have a handful of grocery bags, though.
Theres a bodystyle choice of either three or five doors and Id go for the five-door option every time. The extra pair of doors and greater length add to the models versatility for family use: still, its also a fun and practical package as a three-door.
Two things set the Shogun Pinin apart from other small 4WDs like Suzukis Grand Vitara or Daihatsus Fourtrak. One is the suspension which smooths out all but the nastiest surfaces as easily as a family hatchback. The other is the provision of the pokey 2.0-litre GDi engine which means the baby off-roader which looks as aerodynamically smooth as a suburban semi can sprint to 60mph in 10.
8 seconds and you can have great fun seeing off many hot hatchbacks at the traffic lights. It handles well in tight places, too, but you will have to learn to make allowances for that extra width across the front, compared to the traditional car bonnet. The power steering, which comes as standard, is a must. The dashboard is pretty much standard Japanese off-roader but the Italian connection Pininfarina has modifed the styling and assembles the baby Shogun for European buyers has resulted in some additional silver textured strips to divide the facia.
I liked the dash-top display for the stereo and trip computer which becomes the map when the optional satellite navigation system is fitted.
At the end of the day, if you want a 4x4 which cuts a dash but is easy to handle, then the final consideration will be your budget. The model I was driving, the 3-door Elegance, would set you back £13,599. Equipment is pretty much as you expect on this type of vehicle: dual airbags and central locking on the £12,999 base version, electric windows, sunroof and mirrors on the Equippe I drove.
This stylish little three-door Shogun Pinin Elegance would suit my lifestyle perfectly. But I do wonder how practical it would be for the working mum with children, rushing from work, to school, to Sainsbury's and back, with endless bags to take to the childminder, PE kit for school and a stack of groceries to ferry home. Thinking about it, this might just be why, image apart, so many women opt for a four-wheel drive - to inject a bit of spice and fun into the daily routine. The more practical alternatives can be so very dull. Speaking personally, I certainly wouldn't think twice about the Shogun Pinin. Ask me again if I'd like one when I set off to the French ski resorts.
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