Chapter 2 of the Mitsubishi Pajero 'Heart in Mouth' off-road rally

There we were standing at the unearthly hour of 7am on a Sunday morning amongst a fleet of Mitsubishi Pajeros and the odd Montero. The off-road rally was a closed invitational event for proud owners of the Pajero and Montero. As the participants started driving in and the car park filled up with the well known two tone colour combination SUV, our sleep gave way to the realisation that we were standing amongst one of the most legendary off-road vehicles of all time, the Mitsubishi Pajero. 

Before we begin it would be worth mentioning that this is not some promotion event clobbered together at a make shift location. Mitsubishi went to great lengths to organise the event. The event was run under the FIA international sporting code and the National Competition rules of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Mitsubishi Motors India collaborated with Cougar Motorsport to organise the Delhi leg of the ‘Heart in Mouth’ off-road event. 

Officials from Cougar Motorsport held the responsibility of scrutinising the vehicles and qualifying them suitable to take part in the event. All 42 participating vehicles were inspected and deemed fit to take part in the event. A competition number was stuck on the vehicles certifying them legible to take part in the event. 

Once the driver’s briefing was over the event was flagged off and the fleet of Pajeros and Monteros drove to the nearby village of Pali, in Haryana. En-route the interior roads were in such destitute condition that some were beginning to wonder if the road was part of the event.

Our yellow and white Pajero SFX had no problem tackling potholes the size of craters and the ride was very much comfortable. The Mitsubishi Pajero SFX sold in India is a lightened and improved version of the second generation Mitsubishi Pajero. On the road the car shows its age a bit, the gearshift could be more refined and the engine has a relatively narrow useable powerband but as long as you change gears in time the smooth and refined engine will deliver enough of a power surge every single time. The car holds the road very well for a tall SUV and the steering has fantastic feedback around bends on the highway. For an SUV its size the Pajero SFX is a joy to drive on the road. But it’s off the road where the Pajero SFX stands head and shoulders above its competition. 

Just as we were enjoying our highway drive of the Pajero we drove off the main roads and into another inside road which led to the off-road track at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills. The Pajero’s excellent suspension comprising of double wishbones up front and 3 link coil spring rear suspension cushioned the uneven and rocky road surface leading to the off-road track below very well.  

Once our time card was signed on a steep incline, we began the lap of the off-road track. There were designated check points where officials signed the time sheet for every participant. Right at the beginning of the track there were raised dual tracks on the dirt upon which the wheels had to be placed and steep one side inclines around corners that had to be tackled skill fully.  

Its four wheel drive system with a lockable centre differential is superb. There is always the right amount of torque at each wheel and that is crucial when you are driving a 2 tonne plus kerb weight SUV on loose muddy soil under water. No wheel ever spun helplessly in the mud and our Pajero never once sank into the slush even when we drove it through deeper parts of the track where the water was right up to its headlamps. The 4X4 gearbox on the Pajero is excellent. 4X4 can be engaged on the fly and has three different four wheel drive modes for different types of off-road terrain. Added to this, the complex and capable Anti-lock Braking System on the car never lets the car lock up its wheels on slippery surfaces such as loose gravel, sand, mud or snow which can get a vehicle stuck. Put simply, the Mitsubishi Pajero is spot on off the road, and will never let you down.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

SPS Garcha, the Regional Director (North West), of FMSCI commented on the event by saying, “The track has been designed to show the owners what their Pajeros are capable of but at the same time it has also been designed keeping in mind novice drivers, the vehicle can handle much more than what this track has to offer. The FMSCI is mainly in-charge of the safety and back up for participants in this event.” 

It’s good to see that safety has a good weightage in Indian motorsports without ruining the thrills of a motorsport event. The correct balance of safety and thrills were blended into the track. The track offered more than enough challenges that pushed the SUVs to their limits in the hands of their owners. 

Cougar Motorsport was the off-road partner for the Heart in Mouth rally and they took care of the reconnaissance run to planning the route. Officials from Mitsubishi and Cougar Motorsports were present at the track to brief the drivers about how to tackle the tricky bits of the track, there were expert drivers and back-up vehicles to rescue any vehicles should any help be needed. 

There were two tricky sections of the track where drivers were briefed. One was a steep downhill slope that led to a slushy pit ending on a right hand bend that took the vehicles back onto the dirt track. The vehicles crawled down the slope and then accelerated into the pit skidding and sliding on the loose mud which then threw the cars bang into the right hand curve. Most of the Pajeros made it out without getting stuck in the pit. 

The second tricky section was a steep incline carved out on the side of a hillock in the middle of the valley. As you can see from the picture below it was pretty steep and had a downhill gradient on the other side. Each participant got three attempts to climb it. Many Pajeros went up to the top and slid down in the first attempt. With deep tyre tracks being formed due to wheels sliding down the hillock the surface would be unmanageable to drive up at the right speed and right steering angle. Thankfully, there were people with spades to even out the driving surface of the hillock. By the time our turn came the surface of the hillock had been turned to loose soil, needless to say we cleared it in a single go. 

The idea behind the Mitsubishi Pajero ‘Heart in Mouth’ off-road event was to bring Pajero owners together and give them a chance to share their individual off-road experiences. Also, it gave a chance to those owners who had never had a chance to drive their vehicles on a proper off-road terrain and experience what their Pajeros are truly capable of.   

Mr Tushar who bought a Mitsubishi Pajero just two months back, went on to say, “The Heart in Mouth rally is the first chance I got to get a feel of what my vehicle is truly capable of. It gave me a chance to test it to the limit. The track was great and it gave me a chance to get a feel of different road surfaces and see how the car reacts to it. Another reason I bought the car was due to the poor roads in Gurgaon. My Pajero can tackle the bad roads with no problem at all.” 

The participants of the Pajero Heart in Mouth rally were extremely pleased with the event. There were quite a lot of participants who had taken part in similar off-road events elsewhere. It goes onto show that the customer base of the Pajero does not consist of people who only buy an SUV for its size and engage four wheel drive on their lawns. They buy these vehicles because they are off-road enthusiasts and know what their vehicles are capable of, while possessing a fair bit of off-roading skills themselves. 

Dr Amit from Rishikesh, a Pajero owner, had taken part in quite a few off-road events before said, “I took part in the Thar event in Jaipur fifteen days back. Being an off-road enthusiast I went all the way to Jaipur just to take part in the event. As for the Delhi event, I managed to squeeze in some work in Delhi so that I could take part in the Heart in Mouth rally.”

Mitsubishi’s effort to show their customers the capabilities of their off-road vehicles paid off as all the participants were pleased with the off-road track and the event as a whole which proved the capabilities of Mitsubishi SUVs where they truly belong, off the road. 

The Head of Marketing and Channel development for HM-Mitsubishi Mr. Yoshiaki Wada, commented on the event by saying, “Delhi is an important market for us and we have a strong customer base for Pajero here. As expected the turnout for the Heart in Mouth rally was great. The owners of these capable off-roaders have a new found confidence in their vehicles. I can see the happiness on their faces. We will organize similar rallies in Vadodara, Pune, Coimbatore and Bengaluru in the coming months. Mumbai is also on the cards, we are just looking for an off-road track near the city where we can host the rally.”

Overall, the terrain of the track was challenging enough for all the participants without putting their lives in any sort of danger. No vehicles were involved in any accidents and no one was injured. The name ‘Heart in Mouth’ was done full justice in this event as it literally put the hearts of participants in their mouths on different parts of the track. As for the Mitsubishi Pajero, the legend still lives on.