Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Renault Megane E-Tech

What's the difference?

The Pajero Sport is reasonable on-road, more than satisfactory as a daily driver and it’s still a very effective 4WD.

This is a proven touring vehicle and while this update treatment doesn’t add a whole lot to the Pajero Sport package – and nothing in terms of power, torque or performance in general – it’s easily enough to tempt those who aren’t patient enough to wait for the next-generation version to arrive here.

The design for the Renault Megane E-Tech is top-notch and the eco-conscious footprint is even better. It’s an easy and comfortable car to be in but the price is a smidge too high in my opinion when you consider there’s currently only one choice for us Aussies and it’s a mid-spec variant at that. It also misses out on some items its rivals have but is a solid EV to consider for urban dwellers.

Most of the Pajero Sport’s latest round of upgrades is focused on styling refreshes, inside and out.

The upgraded interior in the GSR includes quilted two-tone burgundy and black synthetic leather upholstery.

This adds a welcome touch of understated class to an interior which is otherwise looking and feeling old.

The Pajero Sport now also has a three-spoke leather steering wheel and revised digital instrument display graphics, which may be difficult to discern for those unfamiliar with the previous renderings.

Outside, the GSR retains the distinctive Pajero Sport shape, albeit now with updated upper and lower grilles, front and rear bumper enhancements and black headlamp extensions (those are range-wide inclusions), as well as black door mirrors, door handles and tailgate handle.

The E-Tech’s plump body panelling gives me some cute marshmallow vibes from certain angles but there are enough features to keep it looking slick, like the fun LED headlights, massive 20-inch alloys and optional two-tone paintwork.

I’m also a fan of the door handles on the E-Tech as they add some nice focal points, because the front has auto-flush handles that pop out on approach and the back door handles are positioned on the C-pillar.

If you're eco-conscious the E-Tech ticks the box because Renault has designed it to be 90 per cent recyclable.

The body is made of aluminium and can be reformed and shaped into new products at the end of its life. The interior materials are made from recycled fabrics and trims; even the lithium-ion battery is free from any rare earth minerals.

Head inside the cabin and the grey knit trims and upholstery on the seats, doors and dashboard creates a cabin space that feels warm and inviting. It's a similar feel to the Polestar 2 - simple but refined.

Although, with my kid around I have higher anxiety about dirtying them!

The Pajero Sport cabin is practical, but now, as a result of the upgrade, it has more of a premium look and feel. Sure, it’s still on the wrong side of aged and it’s cramped, but at least it has a layer of gloss to it.

From front to back, it’s a well set-up space. The driver and front passenger seats (both power-adjustable) are very supportive, with a nice wrap-around feel to them. The other seats are also fine.

The reach- and height-adjustable steering wheel has paddle shifters for energetic shifting if you get the urge.

The dash and touchscreen media unit are nicely integrated, but that 8.0-inch screen is too small – and thankfully the likely introduction of a 9.0-inch screen in the 2025 Pajero Sport will sort out that issue.

The cabin’s familiar feel includes the fact that all buttons and dials are easy to locate and operate, even when you're bouncing around off-road.

The second row is comfortable and roomy enough, though the entire cabin tends towards the squeezy end of the spacious spectrum. Having said that, I slotted in behind my driving position and I had plenty of head, knee and foot room. 

There are three top tether points, two ISOFIX anchors and a fold-down armrest with cupholders in the second row. There are USB charge points and a power socket in the back of the centre console bin.

Third-row seating is a bit of a straight-up-and-down affair with a flat seat base, but passengers back there – god bless ’em – have access to cupholders and air vents.

In terms of packability, the Pajero Sport’s cabin, as mentioned, 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.

With the third-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 131L. There are power sockets and tie-down points in that rear cargo area. 

With the third row stowed away, there’s a claimed 502L of cargo space, which is pretty handy. With the second and third rows stowed, there’s a claimed 1488L.

The E-Tech’s cabin is fairly roomy up front with plenty of head- and legroom. The front seats are super comfortable with powered lumbar support and I wouldn’t mind them not being powered if the price point was a bit lower. 

The rear seat is comfortable enough once you get seated but the top of the door apertures are low, and I have to duck my head to get in and out.

Your head also brushes against the roof lining in the back which isn't terribly comfortable, especially considering there is no fold-down armrest to lean on.

The front row benefits the most with individual storage and you get a lot of options to choose from but the centre console is one of the most practical I’ve seen for the class. Lots of pockets and nooks that feature adjustable 'walls'.

You get a single permanent cupholder but with the removable walls, accommodation for a second cup or bottle, can be catered for.

Underneath the multimedia screen you get a dedicated phone shelf, which I love using.

In the rear, you get two map pockets and shallow bin storage in each door.

The charging options are good with two USB-C ports in each row as well as a 12-volt outlet and a wireless charging pad up front but you miss out on V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality in this model.

The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great headlining the dash and is easy to access and use. The system rebooted once on me while driving but other than that everything is responsive.

You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the CarPlay is easy to get started.

The steering wheel has numerous stalks, controls, regen paddle shifters and even the gearshifter on the column, too. It takes a beat to get used to it but I like how driver orientated it is.

The boot offers great storage at 440L but it’s a deep well, which might be annoying if you’re unloading heavier gear. There is underfloor storage for the cables, too, and like I said, you miss out on a powered tailgate.

For the moment, the Megane E-Tech is being offered in only one grade for the Australian market and that’s the Techno EV60, which is the mid-level version of Renault’s brand new EV.

The EV60 is priced from $64,990, before on-road costs, and that positions it right in the middle of its rivals. The nearest competitor is the Hyundai Kona Extended Range at $60,500 MSRP, newcomer Toyota bZ4X 2WD slides in at $66,000 MSRP and the Volvo C40 Plus sits at $78,990 MSRP.

The E-Tech comes with a decent array of features for a mid-spec variant and premium items include heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a digital rear view mirror and wireless functionality for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but you do miss out on items like a powered tailgate and electric front seats which most of its rivals sport.

Technology looks good with a 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, faster USB-C ports (four total) and a wireless charging pad.

Sound is covered by the Arkamys Auditorium sound system with six speakers and the mood can be set with the 48-way configurable ambient lighting system.

Despite missing out on a powered tailgate, the EV60 has some features that still offer convenience like keyless entry, heated and auto-folding side mirrors and auto-folding flush door handles that pop out on approach (front only).

The Pajero Sport has a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine producing 133kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm at 2500rpm – and that’s matched to a eight-speed automatic transmission.

This is a solid but lacklustre combination – it’s agricultural, truck-like and it takes a heavy right foot to punch it off the mark. But overall, I don’t mind the driving experience.

This is a respectable and well-proven combination, more than a bit sluggish and far from dynamic, but it does the job. 

The GSR has Mitsubishi’s 'Super Select II' 4WD (a full-time 4WD system), selectable off-road modes and a rear diff lock.

The Super Select dial is positioned at 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 of 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. It also features hill descent control. 

The 2025 Pajero Sport will have the new Triton’s twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine (producing 150kW and 470Nm) and it’ll be paired with an eight-speed auto.

The Techno EV60 has a single electric motor. It produces a power output of 160kW and 300Nm of torque, and Renault says it will sprint from 0-100km/h in 7.4-seconds.

That's perfectly adequate for keeping up with traffic or getting  around town. You only notice a sluggishness with power when you have a full load of gear. Flipping it to 'Sport' mode make it feel peppier, if you ever need it.

The Pajero Sport has an official fuel consumption figure of 8.0L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

I recorded 9.8L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing and the Pajero Sport was never working hard.

The Pajero Sport has a 68L fuel tank, so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 694km from a full tank. 

The official energy consumption figure is 15.6kWh/100km and I averaged 13.9kWh after a fair mix between urban and open-road driving.

That’s outstanding consumption but the official driving range for this E-Tech’s 60kWh lithium-ion battery is up to 454km, which is similar to the Hyundai Kona Electric but I still had an eye on the range during longer trips.

The E-Tech has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds, however, it can only accept a top speed of 7.4kW on AC power.

On a 7.4kW AC charger, you can go from 0-100 per cent in a little over nine hours but on a standard 2.3kW house plug, that jumps up to over 30-hours. 

On a 130kW DC charger expect to go from 15-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes, which is pretty convenient if you have access to one.

Sadly, the E-Tech doesn’t have vehicle-to-load capability, so you can’t power or charge bigger items.

There have been no power, torque or driver-assist tech changes to this upgraded Pajero Sport – you’ll have to wait for the next-gen version for those – so no surprises lay in wait when driving.

But that’s okay, because the Pajero Sport in its current guise is a solid daily driver – not spectacular, but far from atrocious.

The Pajero Sport is 4840mm long (with a 2800mm wheelbase), 1815mm wide, 1835mm high and has a kerb weight of 2130kg.

Compared to other similarly-sized 4WD wagons, the Pajero Sport is narrower and has a higher centre of gravity, so it’s nimble – the turning circle is a respectable 11.2m – but it also feels a bit floaty on roads and tracks, but not despicably so.

The Pajero Sport is reasonable on sealed surfaces, although it is sluggish, noisy and there’s quite a lot of body-roll through sharp turns, especially compared to some of its more refined rivals, such as the Ford Everest.

But it is a very capable off-roader, mostly because the driver has access to a raft of technical advantages engineered into the Pajero Sport aimed at making 4WDing a safer challenge.

One of the major points of difference it has with its rivals is 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-grip conditions, which you may face on rough back-roads and dirt tracks peppered with loose rocks and potholes.

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 want 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.

Turn the dial to 4HLc and you're ready to take on more difficult terrain but at lower speeds.

So, along with decent high- and low-range gearing and a centre diff-lock – 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.

The GSR also 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 the acquisition of superior traction to suit specific conditions and terrains. 

The Pajero Sport is riding on Toyo Open Country A32 all-terrains (265/60R18 110H), which are decent tyres, but it would perform even better with more aggressive rubber.

Wheel travel is adequate, ground clearance (218mm) is reasonable, although you still have to mind your driving line through rough terrain and be mindful of this 4WD’s approach (30 degrees), departure (24.2) and ramp-over (23.1) angles. Wading depth is listed as 700mm.

While it’s never been regarded as a tow rig in the same vein as something like the Toyota LandCruiser or the Nissan Patrol, the Pajero Sport offers sensible claimed towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 3100kg (braked).

Payload is listed as 645kg (so about standard for this size 4WD wagon), gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 2775kg and gross combined mass (GCM) is 5565kg.

I have mostly loved driving the E-Tech. It's easy to cruise around in and the power is adequate for open-road driving but it prefers an urban environment.

The power can feel a bit lacklustre when you are carrying lots of people or gear but you mostly feel that when you're on a steep incline and trying to keep up your speed.

The steering is crisp and that makes the E-Tech very responsive to drive. The power is delivered smoothly and it feels well-balanced when you put your foot down.

There is more roll in corners than I was expecting but the car still feels firmly planted. 

The ride comfort is great. The suspension is more firm than soft which means you feel the road but it's not a major bother. There is a bit of wind noise at higher speeds, as if the door isn’t properly sealed by a millimetre but it doesn't annoy me. 

The regenerative braking is controlled by paddles on the steering wheel and you have three levels plus a one-pedal function to choose from.

The single pedal set-up is pretty smooth, even in stop/start traffic, but it’s great to be able to quickly change modes on the go.

The smaller size of the E-Tech makes it an easy car to manoeuvre in a small car park. You get front, rear and side parking sensors which is great because the reversing camera isn’t as clear as it should be for this price level. 

The E-Tech has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag.

The EV60 comes with lots of passive safety features including dusk sensing auto LED headlights, LED DRLs, a rear fog light, child safety locks, tyre pressure monitoring, traffic sign recognition tech, an intelligent seatbelt warning, a reversing camera plus front, rear and side parking sensors.

Active safety equipment includes items like blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, rear collision warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, and adaptive cruise control (with stop and go).

You also get a digital rear view mirror which is essential as the back window is narrow and the camera feed provides a clearer view than you’d have without it.

The rear row also features ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top tethers but two seats will fit best. The front passenger seat also has ISOFIX child seat mounts and a top tether.

AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist function is operational from 8.0-80km/h (160km/h for cars) but it is common to see that starting figure sit closer to 5.0km/h.

The Pajero Sport has a 10-year/200,000km manufacturer’s warranty as long as you get it serviced as per the schedule at an authorised Mitsubishi dealer.

Mitsubishi’s 10-year capped price servicing applies – with prices ranging from $399 to $999 – and servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km whichever occurs first. Check with your dealership for up-to-date servicing costs.

All Pajero Sports come with 12-months roadside assistance, but that can be extended to four years if the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Mitsubishi dealer in line with the official service schedule.

The E-Tech comes with a five-year/100,000km warranty, but it’s usual to see an unlimited km term for the class. The battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty term.

Service intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 30,000km and you also get five-years roadside assistance included.

Pricing over the first five years ranges from a low of $230.04 to a high of $519.62, averaging out at pretty competitive $317.72 per service. No capped-price deal is available.