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What's the difference?
The Wildtrak grade in Ford’s Ranger line-up has attracted plenty of fans over the years and now the wagon version has arrived.
The Ford Everest Wildtrak replaces the Sport as the second-most expensive variant in the Everest line-up, under the top-shelf Platinum.
At more than $74,000, the Wildtrak gets some extra driver-assist tech and Wildtrak-specific wheels and styling that lower-spec versions don’t.
But under the metal it is no different to any other V6 Everest – same engine, same suspension, same everything.
So, how good is it off-road? Well, 'Bi-Turbo' and V6 Everests have proven very effective 4WDs on my tests in the past, so I wasn’t expecting any surprises – but you never know.
Read on.
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has a solid reputation as a very capable off-road vehicle and it also functions well as a daily driver, without ever being truly exceptional.
The top-spec GSR packs plenty of standard features onboard, so, with the next Pajero Sport not due to arrive here until 2025, is the current-generation seven-seater worth your consideration? Read on.
The Everest is a very impressive seven-seat 4WD wagon, with real off-road capability.
As standard, it has a lot going for it. It’s quiet and refined on-road, very capable off-road and packed with features.
Do you need any of the Wildtrak additions? No, but if you have the cash and fancy a nice-looking, feature-packed off-road wagon you could do a lot worse than an Everest Wildtrak.
I still like the Sport, though…
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a very capable off-road vehicle and it also functions quite well as a daily driver. And in top-shelf GSR guise, it has plenty of standard features onboard.
This 4WD wagon is infrequently outmatched when faced with serious 4WD challenges and, even though the whole package is feeling more than a bit dated, the Pajero Sport still represents a decent value-for-money option in an increasingly expensive car market.
The Everest Wildtrak retains the same dimensions and design as regular grades, but its few styling differences boil down to a front bumper with darker accents, LED fog lights, black wheel arch flares and window trim, as well as Wildtrak badging and branding.
As mentioned, it has 20-inch Asphalt Matt Black alloy wheels with all-season tyres – but you can option 18-inch ‘Boulder Grey’ alloys and all-terrain tyres for no extra cost.
On the inside it has 'Ebony' leather upholstery with 'Cyber Orange' stitching, a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, and interior ambient lighting.
Exterior paint jobs include the no-cost 'Arctic White', or choose from 'Aluminium', 'Meteor Grey', 'Absolute Black', 'Blue Lightning', 'Equinox Bronze' and the Ranger Wildtrak’s distinctive like it or loathe it 'Luxe Yellow' paint on our test vehicle.
SUV wagons based on utes (Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X et al) all share a similarly inoffensive generic kind of look.
The Pajero Sport is easy enough on the eye.
The leather-appointed interior is comfortable and functional, but in the Wildtrak everything has an extra level of classiness to it.
There are plenty of storage spaces with sizeable bins, bottle holders in each door, cupholders for everyone – even third-row passengers get cupholders and places for their bits and pieces.
The driver and front passenger have access to two 12-volt sockets and two USB ports.
The portrait-style touchscreen is easy to use although there’s a confusion of choices going on and sometimes it takes a few substantial taps on the screen to activate the function you want.
The power-adjustable front seats are comfortable and supportive, without ever being too much of either.
The cabin feels a bit too cosy – narrow but tall – and second-row seating is a bit squeezy for three adults, especially in terms of hip and shoulder room for larger blokes, but it’d be fine with slighter adults and even gangly teens.
Second-row passengers get a pair of pop-out cupholders in the armrest, and can control their air con temp and fan speed, as well as open or close their air vents as they see fit, and use a 230-volt or 12-volt socket from their seat.
The second-row has a 60/40 split-fold seat back and the third-row has a 50/50 split-fold. There are five child-seat anchor points, and two ISOIX anchor points in the second row.
Third-row seats can be manually deployed or stowed away. The third row is for kids only, I reckon, with shallower room all-around.
When all seven seats are in use there’s a claimed 259 litres of cargo space in the rear; 898L when the third row is stowed away; and 1823L of cargo space when the second row is also lowered. The area behind the third row has bag hooks each side, and luggage tie-down points on the floor.
There is a 12V power outlet in the rear cargo area, plus the Wildtrak has a hands-free power tailgate.
The Pajero Sport is 4825 millimetres long with a 2800mm wheelbase. It is 1815mm wide, 1835mm high and it has a listed kerb weight of 2125kg.
Up front, the seats (power-adjustable driver and front passenger) are very supportive, with a nice wrap-around feel to them.
The steering wheel has paddle shifters for sporty shifting and it is reach- and height-adjustable.
The dash and 8.0-inch touchscreen media unit are nicely integrated, but that screen is too small – and that’ll be rectified somewhat with the likely introduction of a 9.0-inch screen in the 2025 Pajero Sport.
All buttons and dials on the current Pajero Sport are easy to locate and operate, even when you're bouncing around off-road.
Second-row passengers have access to three top tether points, two ISOFIX points and a fold-down armrest with cupholders. There are USB charge points and a power socket in the back of the centre console bin.
The second row is rather comfortable. I sat behind my driving position and there was plenty of head and legroom.
Passengers in the third-row seat have access to cupholders and air vents.
In terms of packability, the Pajero Sport’s cabin is quite narrow compared to most of its rivals and there are plenty of other SUVs and 4WD wagons around that offer more room inside for people, gear and dogs.
Boot space is a listed 131 litres with the third-row seats in use and there are power sockets and tie-down points in that rear space.
Fold the third row out of the way and cargo space increases to 502 litres. With the second and third rows stowed away, there is a combined 1488 litres of cargo space.
All in all, the Pajero Sport’s interior is a functional space, but it’s feeling a bit dated.
For reference, the 2024 Triton will be 15mm longer (5320mm, with a longer wheelbase 3130mm) and 50mm wider (1850mm) than the current generation model. And with the 2025 Pajero Sport set to follow suit, that’ll mean more space in the wagon’s cabin for driver, passengers, gear and your dogs.
The 2024 Triton’s newly developed ladder-frame chassis is claimed to have a 40 per cent increase in bending rigidity and a 60 per cent increase in torsional rigidity over the current generation.
The upcoming Triton will also get a towing capacity boost from 3100kg to 3500kg, bringing it in line with its rivals.
So, following on from the Triton’s changes, the 2025 Triton-based Pajero Sport will be bigger, heavier and with greater towing capacity.
The seven-seat Ford Everest Wildtrak has a suggested retail price of $74,704 (excluding on-road costs) and is only available with the V6 turbo-diesel engine.
For your reference, at time of writing, it’s about $1100 more than the equivalent Ranger Wildtrak.
Standard Everest features include a 12.0-inch touchscreen (in portrait-style layout) with sat nav, Apple CarPlay (wireless or wired) and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, and leather-accented trim.
Wildtrak-specific additions are mostly limited to updated styling as well as 20-inch ‘Asphalt Matt Black’ alloy wheels with all-season tyres – but you can option 18-inch ‘Boulder Grey’ alloys and all-terrain tyres for no extra cost – and there’s also a 360-degree camera and tyre pressure monitoring system.
The MY23 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR has a recommended retail price of $65,440 (excluding on-road costs), but our test vehicle also has premium paint ('Terra Rossa', $200), electric brake kit ($689), towball ($41), carpet mats ($236), and towbar kit ($1495), pushing its price as tested to $68,101 (excluding on-road costs).
Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), paddle shifters on the steering wheel, leather-appointed seats, power-adjustable and heated front seats, LED daytime running lights, 'Multi Around Monitor', dual-zone climate control, 18-inch black alloy wheels and a power tailgate.
Exterior paint options for the GSR include our test car's Terra Rosa as well as 'White Diamond' and 'Black Mica'.
For your information, the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton offers more than a few clues as to how well the 2025 Pajero Sport will be equipped and upgraded.
The upcoming Triton has been revealed to have a refreshed interior, a more modern multimedia system (with a bigger screen at 9.0 inches), and more driver-assist safety tech (including AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection as standard across the range).
So, it’s likely the 2025 Pajero Sport will benefit from those changes, as well.
The Ford Everest Wildtrak has a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine producing 184kW at 3250rpm and an impressive 600Nm from 1750rpm to 2250rpm and a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Wildtrak has a full-time 4WD system with selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be used on sealed surfaces.
It has selectable drive modes including 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Tow Haul', 'Slippery', and for off-roading: 'Mud/Ruts', and 'Sand'.
These all adjust engine outputs, throttle control and transmission behaviour to best suit the terrain you’re on and the driving conditions you’re exposed to.
The Wildtrak has a locking rear diff.
The Pajero Sport has a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine, which produces 133kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm at 2500rpm, and it has an eight-speed automatic transmission.
This is not a dynamic combination, but it’s a well-proven and respectable one.
The GSR has Mitsubishi’s 'Super Select II' 4WD system and a rear diff lock. The Super Select dial sits to the rear of the shifter and enables the driver to switch from '2H' (two-wheel drive), '4H' (4WD high range), '4HLc' (4WD High Range with locked centre diff) and '4LLc' (4WD Low Range with locked centre diff).
The driver is able to safely switch between 2WD (2H) and 4WD (4H, 4HLc) at speeds up to 100km/h.
The GSR has a button-operated off-road mode system – with 'Gravel', 'Mud/Snow', 'Sand' or 'Rock' settings, each of which tweaks engine output, transmission settings and traction control to best suit the terrain – and hill descent control.
The 2024 Triton will retain the current-generation’s engine but it will have a twin-turbo and it will produce more power: 150kW at 1500rpm over the current engine’s 133kW at 3500rpm. The new Triton will have a maximum tuned torque figure of 470Nm; the outgoing Triton produces 430Nm.
The upcoming Triton will keep the six-speed automatic transmission.
The 2025 Pajero Sport will have that new twin-turbo engine, but it’ll paired with an eight-speed auto.
Official fuel consumption is 8.5L/100km on a combined cycle.
Our fuel consumption on this test was 15.4L/100km after a lot of 4WDing.
The Everest has an 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel figures, if your trip involves a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 520km out of a full tank.
Official fuel consumption for the Pajero Sport GSR is 8.0L/100km on a combined cycle.
Its real-world fuel figure on this test, from pump to pump, was 9.6L/100km.
The Pajero Sport has a 68-litre tank, so, with that sort of fuel-consumption figure, you can reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 680km from a full tank, but that’s after having already factored in a safe-distance buffer of 30km.
The Everest has always impressed me as a refined drive and it’s one of the best large SUV wagons on-road.
The V6 is a gutsy unit, consistently delivering sustained power and torque at low and high speeds. It’s torquey and plenty of its 600Nm is available across a broad rev range.
The 10-speed auto transmission has had the previous-gen’s thrashiness between ratios smoothed out – and if you want to take over duties yourself you can do so via the 'e-Shifter' in this 4WD wagon.
At 4940mm long (with tow receiver; 4914mm without) with a 2900mm wheelbase, and at 2207mm wide and 1837mm high, the Everest is a sizeable SUV, but it never feels too bloated to steer accurately, with a well-weighted helm keeping it under control.
But you do have to drive with absolute focus, otherwise it’s long undercarriage may suffer the consequences – but more about that soon.
The cabin is very quiet, with nothing much intruding in terms of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), other than low-level wind-rush around the wing mirrors.
The suspension set-up – with coil springs at every corner – helps to produce smooth, composed ride and handling.
So, while it is impressive on-road, it’s not too shabby off-road, either.
For a large 4WD it feels nimble, even on tight overgrown tracks, but, as mentioned earlier, it requires the driver’s full attention at all times.
Approach angle is 30.2 degrees, departure angle is 25 degrees, and ramp break-over is 21.9 degrees.
The Everest has a long wheelbase making its undercarriage vulnerable to scraping rocks, tree stumps or exposed tree roots, especially during more technical 4WDing sections.
The sidesteps are also pronounced enough to be magnets for damage when off-roading.
Low-range gearing is good and the Everest has an electronic rear diff lock to enhance this wagon’s dirt-grabbing abilities.
Driver-assist tech aimed at making 4WDing safer and easier for everyone includes off-road driving modes such as Mud/Ruts and Sand, which adjust engine outputs, throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to best suit the driving conditions.
Hill descent control kept the Wildtrak to a controlled 3.0-4.0km/h while we tackled short steep downhills.
Wading depth is 800mm and while I didn’t get to test it this time – no mud around – I have tested the Everest previously through water and it has performed admirably.
The Wildtrak as standard has 20-inch alloy wheels on Goodyear Wrangler Territory HTs (255/55 R20). A 20-inch tyre doesn’t give a 4WDer much flexibility in terms of how much air you can drop out of it for off-roading and correct tyre pressures are crucial for 4WDing.
Ford offers an easy fix, though, in the shape of 18-inch black alloys on all-terrain tyres as a no-cost option.
If you’re thinking about using your Everest as a touring vehicle be mindful that the Wildtrak’s payload is 741kg, gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3150kg, and gross combination mass (GCM) is 6250kg.
The Everest’s towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).
The Pajero Sport is reasonable on-road, although it is quite sluggish, not very dynamic, a bit noisy and there’s quite a lot of body-roll through sharp turns.
But it is a very nimble and capable off-roader, largely because the driver is able to tap into a few different things that have been engineered into the car to help them conquer tough low-range challenges.
The GSR has selectable off-road modes, including Gravel, Sand, Mud/Snow (when in high-range 4WD) and Rock (when in low-range 4WD).
Each of these modes adjusts engine output, transmission settings and braking, the aim being superior traction to suit specific conditions and terrains.
But one of the major points of difference with its rivals is the fact the GSR has Super Select II 4WD. You can switch, via a dial to the rear of the auto shifter, from 2H into 4H (four-wheel drive, high-range), if you're not already driving with 4H engaged, and that gives you the best traction possible in low-traction conditions, which you may face on back-roads and dirt tracks.
There's no risk of transmission wind-up because the centre diff is open when 4H is engaged in the Pajero Sport, so Super Select II 4WD adds an extra element of safety and sure-footedness to your driving experience.
Then turn the dial to 4HLc (four-wheel drive, high-range, locked centre diff) and you're ready to take on more difficult terrain but at lower speeds, because the centre diff is no longer open.
If you're keen to tackle even harder stuff than high-range territory, turn the dial to 4LLc (four-wheel drive, low-range, locked centre diff) and the Pajero Sport has an opportunity to excel in low-speed low-range four-wheel driving.
So, along with decent high- and low-range gearing and a centre diff-lock – which is activated when 4HLc (4WD high-range, locked centre diff) or 4LLc (4WD low-range, locked centre diff) is selected – the Pajero Sport has a rear diff lock, which is engaged/disengaged via a button in front of the shifter and this further help you to easily maintain safe forward momentum. Hill descent control sustains a controlled low speed of 3.0-4.0km/h all the way down steeper, longer hills.
Its riding on Toyo Open Country A32 all-terrain tyres (265/60R18 110H) but it would perform even better with more aggressive rubber.
Wheel travel is okay, ground clearance (218mm) is reasonable, although you still have to mind your driving line through rough terrain and be mindful of approach (30 degrees), departure (24.2) and ramp-over (23.1) angles. Wading depth is listed as 700mm.
All-around, the Pajero Sport is an effective off-roader, and does everything in a safe and controlled way.
The Everest has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.
It has nine airbags (dual front, front side, driver and passenger knee airbags, curtain airbags covering all three rows and a centre front bag to prevent head collisions).
There's also a full suite of driver-assist tech including front AEB (autonomous emergency braking), adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition and speed adaptation, lane departure alert and lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
The Everest’s AEB operates up to 130km/h, with pedestrian and cyclist detection operating up to 80km/h, according to Ford.
It has reverse brake assist (aka rear AEB), a tyre-pressure monitoring system, a 360-degree surround-view camera, front and rear parking sensors and an auto parking system.
The maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vehicles built prior to January 1, 2023. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vehicles built from 1 January 2023 are unrated.
Safety gear includes seven airbags (driver’s knee, driver and passenger front, driver and passenger front sides, and curtains) and this Pajero Sport’s suite of active safety and driver-assist tech includes AEB, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assist, rear view camera and rear parking sensors, blind-spot warning with lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.
The Pajero Sport’s AEB has a ‘AEB City’ classification, which denotes that it is a system which only “operates at lower speeds (usually between 10-50km/h)”, according to ANCAP.
It does not operate at higher speeds (“50-250km/h”), and it does not detect vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists, when it is travelling at speeds of more than 50km/h.
The second-row seat has three child-seat top-tether anchorage points and an ISOFIX point on each outboard seat.
The Everest is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.
Ford offers a five-year roadside assistance, and a capped-price service plan.
Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and the maintenance cost for the first 48 months/60,000km (the first four services) is capped at $329 a pop for MY22 or MY23 Everests.
As always, check with your preferred dealer for up-to-date pricing.
The Pajero Sport is covered by a 10-year/200,000 kilometre new car warranty, (whichever occurs first and when all scheduled services are completed at a Mitsubishi dealership), 10 years of capped price servicing, and four years of roadside assistance.
Service intervals are set for 12 months or 15,000km, and capped price servicing covers the first 10 regular services at those scheduled 15,000km/12 month intervals.
The average cost per service (over 10 years) is $599 – and that’s been calculated by CarsGuide’s crack team of bean-counters.