RE: Euro Mitsubishi Shogun sales end after 37 years
Discussion
I've a 2007 LWB Diamond and I agree the engine is quite agricultural, and the handling is old school 4x4. However it cames with a surprising amount of kit, and the Rockford sound system is something else!
When looking it was between a Discovery 3, VW Toeareg and this. I decided to forego the soft touch plastics, fancy suspension and more advanced engines. For something that is genuinely tough and with much less chance of been let down with reliability problems.
In Ayrshire around me I regularly see post 2015 models, maybe due to the rural nature and a lot of agriculture going on.
Also when working in Africa the clients and ourselves were always bussed around in Shogun's. If it's good enough for Africa
When looking it was between a Discovery 3, VW Toeareg and this. I decided to forego the soft touch plastics, fancy suspension and more advanced engines. For something that is genuinely tough and with much less chance of been let down with reliability problems.
In Ayrshire around me I regularly see post 2015 models, maybe due to the rural nature and a lot of agriculture going on.
Also when working in Africa the clients and ourselves were always bussed around in Shogun's. If it's good enough for Africa
I had a Mk.2 and Mk.3 imported Pajero - loved them. Really agricultural, but that was their charm.
When they stopped importing the Pajeros from Japan, you started to far less of the shape on the road, seeing as around here anyway, the Pajeros outnumbered any Shoguns massively.
Last few years, just don't see any, especially as most of the 90's Pajeros would be dead by now.
When they stopped importing the Pajeros from Japan, you started to far less of the shape on the road, seeing as around here anyway, the Pajeros outnumbered any Shoguns massively.
Last few years, just don't see any, especially as most of the 90's Pajeros would be dead by now.
irish boy said:
Workhorse 4x4’s are rapidly disappearing if you don’t want a pick up.
Don't worry the new Defender is coming soon...if you've got loadsa money and want a few toys..I'd just go to the Land Cruiser of i were to buy one new - still a bit of money but the best in the business.
Shoguns hold their money well, so people still want them. I have access to (don't own it, it's in the family) a SWB 2007 facelift Warrior and it's fantastic. Especially for towing and obviously off-road work. I don't think they would have sold enough to justify redoing it so they slowly improved it over time.
Its a shame, the SWB was a unique vehicle in many ways, maybe closest to a Defender 90 or Jeep Wrangler but it was about just a foot or so too short really to carry anything much in the back. And then the LWB was too long and had too much competition.
The Highways Agency and rozzers still using them, but few others.
The Highways Agency and rozzers still using them, but few others.
I had a mk3 for a few months and honestly thought it was really good, it was comfortable, extremely reliable-I know where it went after me and has been no trouble since, and pretty good off road too, I don’t get why Mitsubishi stuck with the super select 4x4 system though, I just left mine in 4H, using 2H showed no real gain in fuel economy. The minus points were, yes the engine was a bit agricultural and was pretty bad on diesel.
Hopefully the next gen Landcruiser makes it to the UK when it comes out.
Hopefully the next gen Landcruiser makes it to the UK when it comes out.
We briefly had a 3.2 LWB of the latest shape. It did what it did well enough, but was at least a generation behind what 'big SUV' buyers would expect these days. Even my farmer-spec Hilux is quieter and more refined. Nowhere near our D4 in terms of NVH, though much better equipped in terms of toys and gadgets.
Had 3. Mk2 and Mk4s.
Mk2 much quieter and simpler. Bulletproof and cheap to maintain. Couldn't get it stuck. Couldn't break it.
Mk4 was horribly loud, due to common rail. Quite complicated. Slow. Wallowy. Decent tech for an old thing. Again, couldn't get it stuck and couldn't break it. 20mpg hurt.
Extremely unpretentious and did what is was designed for. Still expensive to buy as they keep going and going. But, alas, understand why people want a little more luxury, less noise, better MPG etc.
If I could find another MK2 SWB UK model with sensible miles, I'd love another.
Mk2 much quieter and simpler. Bulletproof and cheap to maintain. Couldn't get it stuck. Couldn't break it.
Mk4 was horribly loud, due to common rail. Quite complicated. Slow. Wallowy. Decent tech for an old thing. Again, couldn't get it stuck and couldn't break it. 20mpg hurt.
Extremely unpretentious and did what is was designed for. Still expensive to buy as they keep going and going. But, alas, understand why people want a little more luxury, less noise, better MPG etc.
If I could find another MK2 SWB UK model with sensible miles, I'd love another.
Sixpackpert said:
The SWB were very good but preferred the Daihatsu Fourtrak for go anywhere motoring.
Ahhh, another (relarively) expensive bulletproof option. With 7 seats I recall... in a SWB... And that lovely thin 1980s basic steering wheel. I think this is making for a 100k garage.
As someone who used to off road in Gulf I am a bit sad to see the Shogun go. It was always a decent but cheaper alternative to Toyota or Nissan's offerings, had more room than Jeep 's offerings and light years more reliable than anything with a Landrover badge.
I ran a mark two and then a mark three Shogun (badged Pajero) in Oman and the UAE in the early noughties. I still have a soft spot for the mark two in particular which we used to explore the mountains, desert and coast of Oman. It was a long wheelbase 3 litre v6 auto with locking centre and rear diffs. It could struggle a bit on steep dunes but as a vehicle to explore it was brilliant. It had a reasonable range (helped by the fact that you could run in two wheel drive), was utterly reliable and really well engineered. They all came on mud and snow tyres (!) but they coped pretty well with sand and gravel. I must be one of the few people to actually get use out of the built in compass, altimeter and inclinometer! The slightly agricultural ride didn't matter out there but the ability to make it home and its comfort very much did.
I never really warmed to the mark three. In truth it wasn't much better in the corners than the ladder chassis mark two, and neither was the ride much better.
It's a shame that Mitsubishi have not seen a future for a big, capable offroader but in truth they have not really bothered with the Shogun since the mark three came out in 2001. As far as I can tell the mark four was basically the same but with a different nose.
I ran a mark two and then a mark three Shogun (badged Pajero) in Oman and the UAE in the early noughties. I still have a soft spot for the mark two in particular which we used to explore the mountains, desert and coast of Oman. It was a long wheelbase 3 litre v6 auto with locking centre and rear diffs. It could struggle a bit on steep dunes but as a vehicle to explore it was brilliant. It had a reasonable range (helped by the fact that you could run in two wheel drive), was utterly reliable and really well engineered. They all came on mud and snow tyres (!) but they coped pretty well with sand and gravel. I must be one of the few people to actually get use out of the built in compass, altimeter and inclinometer! The slightly agricultural ride didn't matter out there but the ability to make it home and its comfort very much did.
I never really warmed to the mark three. In truth it wasn't much better in the corners than the ladder chassis mark two, and neither was the ride much better.
It's a shame that Mitsubishi have not seen a future for a big, capable offroader but in truth they have not really bothered with the Shogun since the mark three came out in 2001. As far as I can tell the mark four was basically the same but with a different nose.
In the early 2000’s I had a 1994 SWB J-Top Pajero with a 3 litre V6 engine, probably not very powerful by todays standard but great fun with the roof off. It was fun. Prior to that I had a big petrol engined LWB with 7 seats. Retro fitted ‘Hi-tech’ alarms were essential then to get insured, but it never worked properly, quite counter intuitively I usually left it unlocked so I didn’t have to stand at the window in the middle of the night pointing the zapper at it.
Both were great off road & could tow massive amounts.
I’ve had other 4x4’s & SUV’s since but no Shoguns other than those two.
I never liked the curvy ones, seems I wasn’t alone..
Both were great off road & could tow massive amounts.
I’ve had other 4x4’s & SUV’s since but no Shoguns other than those two.
I never liked the curvy ones, seems I wasn’t alone..
Coming from a family of vets and horsey people these were like a second home to me from ages 0-15ish. Hadn't given them any thought in ages despite dad having a L200, but saw a brand new one sitting on the forecourt of the local dealer and the RRP was something like £65k; looked good in an old-school kinda way but can't believe they still command that kind of money.
Currently, I've got 2 Shoguns. Here's the first Mark 1:
It was improved considerably by the fitment of this (which its had since new):
For anyone interested enough there is a long readers car thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
In brief: even when broken (at 30 years old and more than 180,000 miles) due to catastrophic gearbox failure it was never actually broke down as it drove home (principally 4th gear only) from Yorkshire to Wiltshire. Relentlessness charming, unassuming and capable; the only faults with it lie due to lack of kit (mine's 1988 but they were launched in 1982) that make it hard to use on a regular/everyday basis.
The Mark 3, short wheel base is diesel (which does 28mpg); I'd have much rather had a V6 petrol but I can't face the belts and ruinous fuel economy. This is much easier to live with than the Mark 1 but, as mentioned by others already, the Mark 2 was probably the best version keeping all the simplicity of the first together with the everyday essentials needed. Why haven't I got one, well they are all wrecked, regrettably.
I think it is a real shame that Mitsubishi failed to pursue the development of the Shogun.
It was improved considerably by the fitment of this (which its had since new):
For anyone interested enough there is a long readers car thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
In brief: even when broken (at 30 years old and more than 180,000 miles) due to catastrophic gearbox failure it was never actually broke down as it drove home (principally 4th gear only) from Yorkshire to Wiltshire. Relentlessness charming, unassuming and capable; the only faults with it lie due to lack of kit (mine's 1988 but they were launched in 1982) that make it hard to use on a regular/everyday basis.
The Mark 3, short wheel base is diesel (which does 28mpg); I'd have much rather had a V6 petrol but I can't face the belts and ruinous fuel economy. This is much easier to live with than the Mark 1 but, as mentioned by others already, the Mark 2 was probably the best version keeping all the simplicity of the first together with the everyday essentials needed. Why haven't I got one, well they are all wrecked, regrettably.
I think it is a real shame that Mitsubishi failed to pursue the development of the Shogun.
Defconluke said:
"The current model has been on sale since 2006"
This has to be part of the reason for falling sales.
If they had redesigned and updated it, could it have been more popular?
The current model is, in reality, a facelift of the previous model which launched in Japan in 1999. This has to be part of the reason for falling sales.
If they had redesigned and updated it, could it have been more popular?
I'm not surprised they've withdrawn it, it's so out of date. I drove one at the dealership I worked at and it reminded me very much of the old TD5 Discovery 2 to drive (to be fair I think that's the key selling point). I think in the three years I was there they sold four Shoguns.
Drekly said:
Its a shame, the SWB was a unique vehicle in many ways, maybe closest to a Defender 90 or Jeep Wrangler but it was about just a foot or so too short really to carry anything much in the back. And then the LWB was too long and had too much competition.
The Highways Agency and rozzers still using them, but few others.
I agree. I've been running a sheddy 04 SWB for the past 4 years. I keep thinking about swapping for something a bit bigger, but as its reliable, does 28mpg and fulfills 99% of my towing and hauling needs, I think I'll hang on to it for now. The Highways Agency and rozzers still using them, but few others.
1995: Mitsubishi is a well-known and respected mainstream manufacturer, especially known for its family 4x4s and high-performance turbo 4WDs.
2019: 4x4s have become the default family car. All performance cars are becoming turbocharged and 4WD. And has Mitsubishi capitalised on their early lead and strong brand? Er, no.
Leaving the Shogun to wither on the vine is just one of the many mistakes Mitsubishi have made on the way from being a significant player to a niche marketer and Nissan subsidiary. Inventing the mini-MPV a decade before the Scenic and failing to capitalise on it, killing the Evo, and repeatedly lying and cheating about safety-critical and other product defects being some of the other main mistakes that spring to mind.
Incidentally, when I was teaching English in Gifu prefecture in 2004, we (schoolteachers) were urged by I think the headmaster to buy Mitsubishi, since they make the Shogun in Gifu-ken and their business wasn't going well even then.
2019: 4x4s have become the default family car. All performance cars are becoming turbocharged and 4WD. And has Mitsubishi capitalised on their early lead and strong brand? Er, no.
Leaving the Shogun to wither on the vine is just one of the many mistakes Mitsubishi have made on the way from being a significant player to a niche marketer and Nissan subsidiary. Inventing the mini-MPV a decade before the Scenic and failing to capitalise on it, killing the Evo, and repeatedly lying and cheating about safety-critical and other product defects being some of the other main mistakes that spring to mind.
Incidentally, when I was teaching English in Gifu prefecture in 2004, we (schoolteachers) were urged by I think the headmaster to buy Mitsubishi, since they make the Shogun in Gifu-ken and their business wasn't going well even then.
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