Is the Pajero Sport’s Towing Capacity a Hidden Gem in the SUV World? While the Pajero Sport may not carry the same iconic status as its elder sibling, it has carved out its own niche as a reliable and popular SUV. This middle-of-the-road 4WD may not dazzle with luxury, but its value proposition more than compensates for any perceived shortcomings.
The Pajero Sport is a true all-rounder. It handles well on the road and proves itself as a capable off-roader. Equipped with a decent array of tech and safety features, it offers solid performance without the hefty price tag of a luxury SUV. In short, it’s a great car for the money.
But the Pajero Sport has another trick up its sleeve. On paper, it boasts a braked towing capacity of 3,100kg, a remarkable claim for a vehicle of its class. This makes it an attractive option for potential caravanners or those seeking a value-packed family SUV with occasional towing needs. But is this just clever marketing, or is the Pajero Sport truly a towing powerhouse in disguise? With the help of the LoadMate app, let’s delve deeper and find out.
Unravelling the Pajero Sport: A Deep Dive into the Numbers
The Pajero Sport, available in both 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains, offers a range of variants. For the sake of simplicity, our review will focus on the 2024 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed QF Auto 4x4 MY23.
With a braked towing capacity of 3,100kg, the Pajero Sport certainly makes a bold statement. However, as with all things, the devil is in the details.
The Pajero Sport has a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 2,775kg, which represents the maximum allowable laden weight. Furthermore, it boasts a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 5,565kg, which is the combined weight limit of the fully loaded vehicle and trailer.
The vehicle’s front axle limit stands at 1,360kg, with the rear axles capable of handling up to 1,600kg. The maximum tongue or tow ball mass weight limit is 310kg.
While these numbers might seem like technical jargon, they are crucial in understanding the towing limitations of the Pajero Sport. Fortunately, with the LoadMate app, you can easily verify these specifications and ensure your vehicle is always operating within safe towing limits.
There are several factors to consider when towing heavy loads, including what to look out for when selecting a towing vehicle, and there are a number of gotchas with the Pajero Sport when looking into the details, so it’s important to understand how we arrive at our conclusions.
One such factor is the leverage effect. If you consider the rear axles as a fulcrum and the tow hitch as the downward force, the weight applied to the fulcrum or rear axles is amplified, determined by the distance between the two. In simpler terms, we need to ensure that the weight applied to our tow hitch, combined with the weight of the vehicle’s occupants and any luggage, doesn’t exceed the rear axle loads.
If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, we recommend checking out our introductory guide on caravan weights.
And remember, with the LoadMate app, you can easily verify these specifications and ensure your vehicle is always operating within safe towing limits. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the Pajero Sport’s towing capabilities.
Pulling it all Together: Making Sense of Towing with the Pajero Sport
After crunching the numbers on our Pajero Sport, it becomes clear that towing at the marketed limit of 3,100kg may not be practical or even possible for many.
Safety and stability best practices suggest having approximately 10% of your total trailer weight resting on the tow hitch of the car. Achieving this balance requires correct load distribution and placement, and most importantly, understanding the dynamics at play. This is where LoadMate can significantly assist.
When accounting for 10% mass on the trailer’s tow ball download, a kerb weight of 2,209kg, and a GVM limit of 2,775kg, the Pajero Sport will have a restricted 256kg of possible payload capacity before you start exceeding your limits.
This is hardly workable for many, especially families with more than two people in the vehicle, who are the major market segment for this vehicle.
The rear axles are even more limited with only 135kg available payload capacity after the tow ball download is accounted for. However, Mitsubishi recommends the use of a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) for tow ball downloads exceeding 135kg, which will help with the rear axle limits. Therefore, it’s safe to assume a WDH will be needed for all but the smallest trailers.
Can’t we just use a Weight Distribution Hitch?
A WDH is designed to evenly distribute the load across the towing vehicle and trailer, improving stability and handling. For those unfamiliar with the principles of a WDH, it employs spring bar tensioners to adjust the distribution of weight across the vehicle’s axles. Despite a common misconception, a WDH does not reduce the tow ball mass. Instead, it leverages the weight from the vehicle’s rear axle and redistributes it primarily to the front axle (approximately 2/3 of the redistributed weight) and the trailer’s axle group (the remaining 1/3).
Consider an 800lb rated WDH for a 350kg tow ball mass. When fully tensioned, it shifts around 337kg from the vehicle’s rear axle, adding approximately 228kg to the front axle and 109kg to the caravan’s axles. This is achieved by applying significant torsion stress on the vehicle’s chassis, the A-frame of the trailer, and the tow ball interface.
By using a WDH, you can redistribute weight from the rear axle to the front axle and the caravan, helping you utilise the vehicle’s towing capacity more effectively. This allows for more balanced towing dynamics and a reasonable payload for your occupants and belongings.
However, it’s important to keep in mind the front axle limits. This redistribution of weight might simply move the problem to another area, potentially one with less capacity to begin with.
A Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) can be beneficial, yet it’s crucial to meticulously manage the tension applied and consider your overall towing setup.
Deciding whether a WDH fits your towing needs demands a thorough understanding of its operation and appropriate contexts for use. Many people mistakenly believe it to be a universal fix, not recognising the nuanced considerations required. It’s important to educate yourself on how and when a WDH should be employed to avoid over-reliance on it as a catch-all solution. With LoadMate, you can easily manage the tension applied and make informed decisions about your towing setup.”
You may be starting to realise that the Pajero Sport is a square peg that you may be trying to fit into a round hole when it comes to towing. But with the right tools like LoadMate, you can make informed decisions and ensure safe and effective towing.
So, what are your other options?
Aside from looking into the few GVM upgrades available for the Pajero Sport, and risking your vehicle’s warranties, there are limited options for utilising the braked towing capacity of the vehicle.
Mitsubishi impresses with its warranty, extending from 5 to 10 years in 2020 under certain conditions. Mitsubishi’s stance remains clear: overloading or unauthorised modifications to the vehicle result in a voided warranty—a risk factor for those considering suspension upgrades.
For those considering these modifications, thorough research is advisable. Our definitive guide on Gross Vehicle Mass offers a comprehensive review of GVM upgrades, including detailed insights into the process and critical considerations you need to be aware of.
What is a Reasonable Limit?
While we haven’t included a practical review of the Pajero Sport in our analysis, nor have we considered owners’ feedback and first-hand experiences, we’ve gathered insights from various sources and crunched the numbers to give you a comprehensive understanding of the Pajero Sport’s towing capabilities.
The Pajero Sport, despite its quirks, has proven to be a reliable vehicle for towing at moderate weights (around 1,000 - 1,500kg). It may not be the most powerful or agile, but it gets the job done, especially for those who are mindful of their towing needs and limits. However, towing at its maximum capacity, especially on long hills, requires careful planning and consideration.
From our analysis, a laden trailer weight of around 2,000kg seems to be a more practical limit for the Pajero Sport. This aligns with the vehicle weight to trailer ratio, a critical consideration when towing. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t push beyond this limit. It simply means you need to be incredibly diligent with your weights and limits, and this is where LoadMate can assist significantly.
LoadMate is more than just a tool; it’s your personal towing assistant. It helps you tailor a towing profile unique to your rig, family, and travels. Not only does LoadMate provide personalised insights and guides, but it also tailors to the use of a weight distribution hitch, showing exactly the impact this will make on your axle limits.
So, if you’re a current Pajero Sport owner trying to work out what you can and can’t do, approach your vehicle’s towing capabilities with informed caution. Using LoadMate isn’t just a smart move, it’s an essential one.
In conclusion, the Pajero Sport is a versatile vehicle that offers great value. It may not be the first choice for a dedicated tow rig, but with careful planning and the right tools like LoadMate, it can be a reliable partner for your towing needs.
