Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 Review

 Driven: Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 Review

We tested the Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 out for a week and here is what we thought about this full-size SUV.

What is the Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 all about?

The Mitsubishi Shogun is the largest and most capable car from the Mitsubishi range. The Shogun has two main considerations when purchasing; you can get the car in either short wheelbase or long wheelbase (either a 3-door or a 5-door).

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The model we have on test is the long wheelbase SG4 model which is extremely well kitted out. To name a few of the highlights, the car includes huge 20-inch alloy wheels, a rear entertainment system with built-in games, reversing camera, 860W Rockford Acoustic Design premium audio system with 12 speakers, a touch screen satellite navigation system, plus lots more.

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The design of the Shogun doesn’t appear to have changed much on the outside, and that isn’t a bad thing at all. Personally, I really like the design. It has a very working man’s SUV look to it. The car looks bold, powerful and true to its Japanese roots. Looking at the car you can tell from its ride height and rigidness that it is prepared for anything.

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The Shogun SG4 that we have on test is powered by a 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine. This common rail fuel injection engine creates only 187bhp but 441Nm of torque. This power goes through Mitsubishi’s all-wheel control system allowing the car to be both 2- and 4-wheel drive on demand. The car will get from 0-60mph in 10.4 seconds and will do a top speed of 112mph. This off-road-ready car will do a combined economy figure of 30mpg and will create 238g/km of CO2 in the process.

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How does it drive?

Getting into the driver’s seat of the Shogun SG4, the car still feels very industrial, but the great effort that has gone in to provide comfort and a sense of luxury in the cabin do not go unnoticed. Even through all the comforts you get a sense that, underneath, the Shogun still means business.

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Setting off in the Shogun SG4 you move a huge gear lever into drive, and when you first put your foot down the car feels like it has a fair bit of power, despite its Range Rover size exterior. The 3.2-litre engine powers the 4×4 along very well. However, the engine can feel a bit noisy at times, but for those of us that like engine noise, that’s not a bad thing.

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For normal day-to-day use the Shogun feels nice and smooth on the roads, but it provides a great sense of explosive turbodiesel power when you ask for it from the engine. The steering setup in the car has been optimised for use both on and off-road, which I am sure is a difficult task.

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The Shogun SG4 is a big car, there is no hiding that, but Mitsubishi have done their best to make it easy for the driver. The car comes with a rear reversing camera and parking sensors, which come in pretty handy when manoeuvring the car into tight spaces. As big and intimidating as the car may look, it’s actually fairly simple to operate.

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The Shogun’s selective all-wheel control system gives the car a handful of driving capabilities suitable for all occasions. For good economy, you can drive the car as front wheel drive only. Then, when the road conditions change for the worse, with the touch of the gear stick you can seamlessly put it into 4-wheel drive mode. If you need extreme off-road performance, then you can lock the differential to help overcome obstacles and lastly you can select a lower gear ratio for towing very heavy loads or taking on rocky terrain.

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One of the biggest take-aways of driving the Shogun is the sense of security that you get from driving such a large heavy vehicle. Mitsubishi have put in a lot of safeguards as well to make you and your passengers as safe as possible. These are based around the RISE system (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution). There is a long list of features that fundamentally make the car stronger and make the chance of injury less likely in the event of a collision.

 

What is it like inside?

The basic elements of the Shogun SG4 are well implemented. The dashboard design is relatively simplistic and clean to look at. The car offers an additional display over the infotainment system which offers trip information. This does feel a little bit dated already, but all the information it gives is useful to the driver and I would much rather have the screen than not. The car features heated leather seats that are operated by rocker switches with 2 heat settings. I prefer these over digital buttons as it means when you leave the car, the seat will automatically come back on at the same setting you left it on. It’s simple but it works well.

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As mentioned above, Mitsubishi have gone to great efforts with the current Shogun to put a luxury feel to the interior of the car. The 5-door model is aimed at more of a family market and the SG4 spec is packed with lots of features. One of the standout features is the rear entertainment system. This integrates screens into the headrests that allow media to be played or you can even play built-in games using the joy pads. This will certainly keep the kids at bay for a while.

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Other features include a touch screen satellite navigation system with Bluetooth integration for telephone calls and music streaming. Impressively, this Shogun included an 860W Rockford Acoustic Design premium audio system with 12 speakers which sound great, not to mention extremely loud.

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Being the long wheelbase model the car does come with 7-seats. There are 2 seats that fold away in the boot that Mitsubishi cleverly named the Fold2Hide seats.

The Experience

The Mitsubishi Shogun in my opinion often gets underrated, and this became more apparent after experiencing a week with the car. The driving experience gives you a confidence that you are able to pick up your keys and go, whatever the weather, whatever the terrain.

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Verdict

The Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 in this specification is a brilliant family car. The car has huge amounts of practicality because of the interior space and the option to have 7-seats when required. But the car is also very well equipped, meaning that driving the car on a daily basis is a lot friendlier and enjoyable to live with than you might have expected. If you are the exploring type, then the Shogun will be able to take on any terrain whilst carrying your entire luggage and your family along in great comfort.

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Video Highlights

 

Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG4 Review

  • Price: £37,299
  • Engine: 3.2-litre Diesel
  • Power: 187bhp
  • Torque: 441Nm
  • Transmission: Automatic 5 speed
  • 0-62mph: 10.4 Seconds
  • Top speed: 112mph
  • Weight: 2,375kg
  • Economy: 31mpg
  • CO2: 231g/km

Full Gallery7 Day Diary

Author: Paul Hadley