Toyota Fortuner vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

The mid-spec GXL has most of the Mitsubishi fare, excluding the active driving aids and rear seat DVD. The basic price buys a six-speed manual and it costs $2000 to fit an auto, which brings a 30Nm boost in torque. Servicing is every six months or 10,000km and costs $180 a visit. Over the three-year warranty period, that amounts to $1080.

A marginal sticker advantage puts the Pajero Sport in front early. The outlay gets an eight-speed auto transmission linked to a 2.4-litre turbo diesel, keyless entry, digital radio, reversing camera, diff lock, auto lights and wipers, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot warning, rear DVD players and heated front seats. Servicing over the first four years or 60,000km costs $2090.

Derived from the HiLux, it comes with occasional third-row seating. The back pews fold to the side rather than tumble into the floor, so the exposed floor mounts are just waiting to snag a parcel. Old-school interior has a vertical layout through the centre stack, with vents, seven-inch touchscreen and aircon controls cascading down. The side bolsters on the seats help support knees when off-road.

The Dynamic Shield styling endows the front of the Pajero Sport with a solid, horizontal stance that befits a tough off-roader. I'm less convinced about the upswept rear windows (resembling the donor Triton vehicle's curved rear end). Bewilderingly, Mitsubishi Australia opted not to take this vehicle as a seven-seater, so there are orphan cupholders behind the second row seats.

The 2.8-litre turbo diesel is comparable with the Mitsubishi on outputs but it's hauling a slightly heavier body, so performance is about on par. Claimed fuel use with the six-speed auto is 8.6L/100km and it will haul 2.8 tonnes of boat, horse float or caravan.

The low-down torque from the diesel donk isn't tamed by the traction control and this car will readily chirp wheels on takeoff. The eight-speed auto is a new transmission that needs some fine tuning but it actively aids solid acceleration once under way. Fuel economy is a claimed 8L/100km and the Pajero Sport can tow 3100kg.

A five-star ANCAP rating and a crash-test score of 33.95/37 put the Fortuner into sedan territory for safety. That's backed by seven airbags and, when driven off-road, a suite of traction aids for traversing hills and a variety of surfaces. Pedestrian protection is even rated as good.

This is a tough truck. The Pajero Sport blitzed a five-star ANCAP rating with a score of 36.22/37. A driver's knee bag lifts the airbag count to seven and it uses the latest version of Mitsubishi's "Super Select II" four-wheel drive software to maintain composure in most circumstances short of being on its side or roof.

The Fortuner drives like a beefier Toyota Kluger on the road and like a LandCruiser off the blacktop. There's still some body movement around turns but it feels more settled on the bitumen and only marginally less so in the scrub. The compromise is smarter than the Mitsubishi's, given such vehicles will spend the majority of their time on the tarmac.

A brief off-road stint highlights just how capable the Pajero Sport is. It gives away 8mm of ground clearance to the Toyota but is just as capable of taking on most terrain. The softer suspension is a blessing in the bush where you aren't bucked around as much as the Fortuner. It's a different story on the bitumen where the extra body roll and pitch isn't appreciated nearly as much.