It's not the Middle East, nor is it anywhere near the sea, yet acres of loose sand with all the right dips and dunes sprawled out before me.
The place I found myself was Peake in South Australia, a hidden gem 150km from Adelaide. Turn left before The Bend Motorsport Park, and after passing enough of the currently never-ending roadworks it'll lead you there.
This location isn't just open to any member of the public, and ordinarily it's reserved for weekend bookings by various 4x4 clubs. However, with it otherwise deserted mid-week, Mitsubishi invited myself and a small group of other journalists to sample and gain experience with what real sand dune driving feels like.
Justification for this occasion also came in the form of a mild facelift for the 2024 Pajero Sport, which comprised the fleet of vehicles on offer. Largely based on the old Triton ute and nearing a decade on sale, an all-new replacement is still a few years off, but it was a more than fitting vehicle for this expedition.
In the briefing the previous day where its revised styling and new interior upgrades were spruiked – it's amazing what a difference a better steering wheel can make – there was one piece of footage which really caught my attention. As it turns out, part of the tuning and development of Mitsubishi's highly-regarded Super Select II 4WD system was done right here at Peake using a test mule for this third-gen Pajero Sport, although you'd hardly know since it wore a second-gen body shell.
This system is very complex, and as a result far more configurable and flexible than in many other body-on-frame 4x4s. Featuring locking centre and rear differentials along with a dual-range transfer case, it allows power to be sent to all four wheels on both sealed or unsealed roads. Plus, with a rear-biased 33:67 torque split, it still ensured it would be playful on such a loose surface.
Driving on sand dunes like these feels more like surfing with the way the surface itself is in a constant state of movement as it responds to your inputs. With low grip but high tractive effort, you won't be hitting any sort of crazy speeds – especially since low-range gearing is preferred to make better use of the engine's torque – but there's no denying the entertainment value of it.
As this was a group activity and not a solo venture, there was a course mapped out and signposted for us to follow, but don't think that sanitised such an experience. One right-hander followed closely by a left saw the tail-end get loose and golden granules rooster tail behind. There's a real need to stay alert at all times behind the wheel because with such a rapidly changing surface, it's easy to see how things could get out of your control with even a momentary lapse of concentration.
Indeed, it wasn't all soft sand out at Peake, because there were low-speed rock-crawling sections of this route as well, meaning one minute you're trying to keep your momentum up to avoid getting bogged, and the next you're feathering the throttle ever so gently as you avoid tearing the tyres to shreds over sharp rocks.
The Pajero Sport does feature a special Sand drive mode which, considering I was right where it was refined, felt rude not to use. Most importantly, it adjusts the traction and stability control parameters to allow for the slip required on such a surface, while it'll hold gears for longer when left in auto.
Knowing I'd rarely get above second gear, I opted to manually shift it myself which is made all the more pleasant by it featuring column-mounted paddle shifters borrowed from the old Lancer Evolution X.
Despite the age of this platform, I do actually think the Pajero Sport came into its element out here. Peak torque sitting a little bit higher than in some other diesels was ideal for this surface, the paddle shifters and advanced four-wheel drive system allowed for even easier control of the drivetrain, and the majority of the power going to the rear axle meant fun was aplenty.
Certainly, these aren't the usual conditions most buyers will use the Pajero Sport or any other four-wheel drive in – I've driven on beaches countless times and not experienced so much sand like this – but it's eye-opening to see that this is the sort of proving ground car companies test and develop them on before unleashing them on the public.
It's also just as impressive to see how much fun can be had in a sharply-priced family hauler like this. This is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had behind the wheel of a car recently, with no outrageous power figure or six-digit price tag required. Let that serve as inspiration to all of you.
2024 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Price range (MSRP): A$51,540 to A$64,840
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drivetrain: Full-time 4x4, dual range, locking centre and rear differential
Power: 133kW // 181PS at 3500rpm
Torque: 430Nm // 317lb-ft at 2500rpm
Weight (kerb): 2080kg to 2130kg
Economy: 8.0L/100km (claimed)
