At the heart of the Mitsubishi Shogun Commercial is the same 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine as used in the passenger versions of this big 4x4. It’s not the most sophisticated or refined, but it lugs out 200PS at 3800rpm and a strong 441Nm of shove at 2000rpm.
It’s enough to see the five-speed manual gearbox short-wheelbase model accelerate from rest to 62mph in 9.7 seconds. The automatic gearbox slows that figure to 10.4 seconds, but neither feels sluggish off the mark or on the move. Go for the long wheelbase model and 0-62mph takes 10.5 seconds for the manual and 11.1 seconds for the auto.
If you want to experience the best of acceleration in the Shogun Commercial, you will also have to brace yourself for a fair bit of noise from the engine. While the four-cylinder motor is unerringly reliable and works well to keep the Shogun moving when driving off-road, it’s a crude beast compared to the likes of the Land Rover Discovery’s 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel or even the Defender’s 2.2 turbodiesel.
Drive with a little more moderation and the diesel can return 36.2mpg average economy at best in the manual short-wheelbase or 33.2mpg in the long wheelbase auto, so reasonable figures for both. The choice between auto and manual gearboxes is down to personal preference as neither is especially good to use.
With the auto, shifts are reasonably smooth under light throttle inputs but soon become stilted if you ask the Shogun to overtake or gather speed with any haste. As for the manual ’box, its shift needs a firm hand and a slow, deliberate action to give the transmission time to go from one gear to the next smoothly.
A low-ratio transfer box comes as standard with every Shogun Commercial, as well as the option of a locking rear differential. Coupled to the four-wheel drive, it tells you where the Shogun’s real strengths lie, which is off the beaten path and into the wilderness. Excellent ground clearance, as well as superb entry, exit and ramp-over angles for the short-wheelbase model, means the Shogun Commercial is ideal for anyone working in the back of beyond. It also allows the Shogun driver to have perfect confidence when tackling rural roads liable to flooding or landslides. This is one vehicle that will get you there.
Unfortunately, getting you there on most typical UK roads also involves a good deal of body lean, sluggish steering and handling that’s best described as adequate. It’s no worse than a Land Rover Defender, but the Shogun should be better and it’s not. It also has a ride quality that mixes excessive firmness with a bouncy castle feel. Allied to the poor refinement from the engine, plus wind and road noise and the Shogun’s appeal is very much for those with a specific role in mind for this big 4x4.