Incidentally, the most notable and illustrious member of the club happens to be owned by an Indian Multi-National company, the Land Rover. Surely, being counted in the same sphere as the Land Rover says a lot about the Pajero's mettle.  

The Mitsubishi Pajero inspite of its pedigree has never quite managed to make its presence felt in the booming Indian SUV market. The 3rd generation Pajero SFX was therefore launched with the intention of turning the tide in its favour. It has been vastly improved upon and indeed a suitable contender for the top-spot in the Indian SUV market.
Design
Assembled at Hindustan Motors' Thiruvallur plant in Tamil Nadu, the SFX has been at the receiving end of a rather deserving facelift. The design even though still quite old school doesn't differ much from its predecessor. Infact, it is the minor details that have gone under the surgeon's knife. Looking at the exterior, the SFX displays a new headlamp cluster, a power antenna, wider footboards, trendy and fatter 15 inch six-spoke alloy wheels for a wider footprint, the approach angle has been given a 1 degree increment and now stands at 40.5 degrees, the ramp over break angle has been upped to 23.5 degrees and the ground clearance measures a staggering 205mm. Other cosmetic changes include chrome outer door handles, new "Pajero" graphics, chrome side rear view mirrors and a choice of seven new color schemes - Granite, Flame, Limestone, Deep Purple, Carbon and Navy.

This big and brawny SUV reeks of the 'who dares win' way of life which is accentuated all the more by the inter-cooler air vent on the hood and the SUV's tall and imposing stance.

The interior also carries some visual upgrades like the all-new two-tone leather upholstery, door pads with leather inserts, leather-wrapped gear and handbrake levers, chrome inner door handles and faux wood in-laid centre console.

The instrument panel though neatly laid-out with modern dials with adjustable lighting is unfortunately still quite bland. The design theme of the rest of the dashboard reminds one of the early 1990s, with those rotator a/c controls and the basic boxy design. In contrast, the four-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel is good to look and grip.
Comfort
On the comfort front, the Pajero is found to be decently packed. This is a reasonably comfortable vehicle mated to an apt front and rear suspension system that keeps the passengers relaxed and comfortable. The Pajero also carries the usual suspects in the comfort enhancement sphere like tilt adjustable power steering, front and rear power windows, height adjustable front seats with lumbar support, individual air-con vents for all rows to maintain a uniform cabin temperature and a standard CD player with front and rear speakers and a handy remote control.

The seat headrests are all body-colored, and the leather seats are well bolstered, and offer considerable support.  The 2nd row of seats is reclineable and along with the 3rd row is fully foldable, thus allowing great space for carrying big and bulky luggage.

The front and rear hand rests have incorporated cup-holders for convenience of carrying drinks without spilling them. It has to be admitted that the Pajero is not overtly loaded with comfort enhancement features as some of the soft-roader's are today. But then again, this is an all-out off-roader, and cute features like parking sensors and climate control don't mean a thing when you're too busy negotiating a flowing river or mountainous terrain.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
The latest rendition of the Pajero is available with a 2.8-litre intercooled diesel engine, using 2 valves per cylinder, Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) configuration with turbo charging. With 118.6PS to fall back on and a torque of 292Nm at 2000rpm, the engine is potent and can generate great power. This is a low-revving engine however, which along with the 5-speed manual transmission makes for effortless cruising within the city and on the highway. The Pajero being an SUV doesn't score much when it comes to fuel-economy, but having said that, an output of 8kmpl in the city and 11kmpl on the highway is not that bad.

The SFX is good to drive on road but best when driven off. It has a super select 4-wheel drive system (SS4-II) with four different drive modes, which evenly distribute torque on demand, and allow the driver to adapt beautifully to the terrain. For normal road conditions, there is the 2H (2WD High Range) mode where only the rear wheels receive power for a more fuel-efficient ride. The 4H (4WD High Range) mode is for harsher terrains and conditions where all wheels receive torque for better traction.
The 4HLC (4WD High Range with locked center differential) mode is ideal for pure off-road driving where the 4 four-wheel performance shifts into low gear for maximum traction through mud, sludge and sand. Last but not the least is the 4LLC (4WD Low Range with locked center differential) mode. Here, greater torque is provided for steep uphill and downhill drives at very low speeds or while going through mud, sand or snow. The limited slip differential in the SFX allows for excellent response, correction and handling during cornering and is particularly suited for high-speed driving.

See Specs of Pajero SFX Variants

Built on a ladder body frame with strong and yet high-tensile steel panels, the SFX is very capable of venturing into all types of terrains. The front double wishbone suspension with torsion and stabilizer bars, and the rear 3-link coil springs and rigid axle with stabilizer bar makes for a perfect combination for an excellent off-road driving experience.

The SFX's body is extremely rigid and strong, made for rugged terrains, thus making it a very competent SUV. The power train, suspension and body components have all been developed in world-class rally. To make off-roading and traversing through mountainous terrains easier, the Pajero has an astonishing climbing ability of 35 degrees, and can also wade through 600mm of water.
Safety
From the safety perspective, the SFX is not found wanting either. There are dual front SRS airbags along with height adjustable 3-point emergency locking retractor (ELR) seatbelts, which in the event of a collisionor sudden stops automatically engage and retract to keep the passenger safely in the seat. The Pajero also has a collapsible steering column, side impact beams in doors, anti-trapping power windows, disc brakes and ABS. The Anti-locking Braking System reduces the stopping distance by preventing the brakes from locking, and thus allowing the driver to steer clear around the obstacles while slowing down. As a back up to all the safety features in the SFX, is the extra-strong body construction, mounted on a reinforced ladder frame chassis to increase cabin safety and keep the passengers from serious harm.

A unique device in the name of "Multimeter" is present, combining the functions of a Altimeter, Barometer, Inclinometer and a thermometer, to keep the driver completely informed of his surroundings while off-roading.

Mitsubishi is perhaps the only automaker in the country which sticks to a policy of 'one country one price' for its models, which means that the Pajero SFX comes with a fixed ex-showroom price of Rupees 19.80 lakhs all throughout the country.