Mitsubishi Pajero (2015-2021) review: the Gulf's last old-school V6 SUV
MotorsSouq Editorial Team
Buy a GCC-spec 3.8L GLS with full Al Haddad service history if you want the most comfortable-riding body-on-frame SUV sold here, and the independent rear suspension genuinely pays off on Bahrain's rougher back roads. Avoid grey-import Japanese-market cars with the smaller 3.0L or 3.2L diesel — parts and fuel-quality tolerance are a real headache locally. Fuel economy in the low teens per 100 km is the price of admission.
Pros
- Independent rear suspension gives a noticeably smoother ride than live-axle rivals
- Super Select II drivetrain works on tarmac and sand without compromise
- Genuinely capable low-range off-road ability
- Simple, well-understood mechanicals for independent workshops
Cons
- Discontinued since 2021 — dealer parts stock is shrinking
- Heavy fuel consumption for a naturally aspirated V6
- Five-speed automatic feels dated against ten-speed rivals
- Rear air suspension on GLS trims is an added failure point
Mitsubishi built the Pajero for 39 years and the last GCC-spec examples, sold through 2021, are arguably the most refined the nameplate ever got. The 3.8-litre V6 is not a modern turbo unit and it never chased Land Cruiser or Patrol V8 numbers, but it is smooth, genuinely reliable when maintained on schedule, and paired with Super Select II — a transfer case that lets you run full-time four-wheel drive on tarmac without the driveline wind-up that plagues part-time systems on dry pavement, useful for a country where you might drive from a paved highway onto sand within the same afternoon.
Why it rides better than it should
The independent rear suspension is the Pajero's real party trick. Where a Patrol or a older Land Cruiser rides a live rear axle that thumps over Bahrain's speed bumps and expansion joints, the Pajero settles the rear end noticeably better at the same speeds, without giving up serious low-range capability when you actually need it — Sakhir's dune areas and the rougher tracks toward the causeway approach are well within its comfort zone with the diff locks engaged.
The trade-off is thirst. A 3.8-litre V6 moving nearly 2.3 tonnes returns worse than 13 L/100km in real Bahrain driving with the air conditioning working hard, and the five-speed automatic — one gear behind most modern rivals — means more revs at highway speed than a Land Cruiser's ten-speed box.
Buying used: parts availability has narrowed
With the model discontinued, Mitsubishi's Bahrain dealer network carries fewer Pajero-specific parts than it used to, and independent specialists have picked up the slack for anything beyond consumables. Rust is not a concern in this climate, but check the rear air suspension (on GLS trims) for sagging and confirm the Super Select transfer case shifts cleanly between 2H, 4H and 4HLc — a sticky shift often means old transfer-case fluid rather than a failing unit.