LET’S be frank. We’re not a big fan of going off-road. Anywhere that doesn’t have a power-point and access to a cold beer – on tap - is far too remote as far as we’re concerned. But each year thousands of Aussies venture off-road, some repeatedly, in a quest to discover our great brown land and remnants of an Australia that is now largely consigned to the history books. Good luck to them we say. However, now we’ve spent some time behind the wheel of Mitsubishi’s latest Pajero – the sporty three-door X – in the dusty, dry and hot Flinders Ranges, we can see the appeal of venturing away from the madding crowd. It’s the four-wheel drive to take you there – and back in style and comfort. Just make sure you pack an esky.
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Pajero GLS three-door
Released: August 1997
Ended: October 1999
Family Tree: PajeroThe NL Pajero three-door was to be the last of the short-wheelbase offerings. Mitsubishi wisely decided that it was too close in price to the five-door and discontinued it. Never mind. The short-wheelbase Pajero was, like its bigger sibling, a solid and durable performer. The GLS hardtop came in five-speed manual or four-speed auto guises, mated to a smooth 140kW/303Nm 3.5-litre V6 that proved durable and smooth. The 2.8-litre turbo diesel was only available on the five-door. In deference to its more "sporty" nature the GLS short-wheelbase boasted contrasting lower body coloured cladding, side-steps and alloys. A coil-spring rear suspension replaced the previous leaf spring setup, as well as rear disc brakes and the "Super Select" AWD system.
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