Mazda All-New CX-5 vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Mazda All-New CX-5 in South Africa

Mazda All-New CX-5

2.5 Active Edition Auto FWD Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Upcoming
Launch price pending
Upcoming in South Africa Confirmed launch information and specifications remain visible while final availability is pending.
⚡ 132 kW 🔧 240 Nm ⛽ 13.2 km/l
VS
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in South Africa

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

2.4L DI-DC 8-speed A/T 4X4 Exceed Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 904,990 ex-showroom
⚡ 133 kW 🔧 430 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Mazda All-New CX-5 vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: the short answer

All-New CX-5 and Pajero Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification All-New CX-5 Pajero Sport
Maximum Power All-New CX-5132 kW @ 6000 rpm Pajero Sport133 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque All-New CX-5240 Nm @ 4000 rpm Pajero Sport430 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Engine Size All-New CX-52488 cc Pajero Sport2442 cc
Combined Fuel Economy All-New CX-513.2 km/l Pajero Sport12.3 km/l
Ground Clearance All-New CX-5205 mm Pajero Sport218 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

All-New CX-5

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Pajero Sport

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

All-New CX-5

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Pajero Sport

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec All-New CX-5 Pajero Sport
Model Introduced Year 2026 2017
Generation Third-generation Mazda CX-5 for South Africa Third-generation Pajero Sport, 2025 facelift
Facelift History All-new third-generation model; no facelift applies South African facelift launched in May 2025.
Facelift Launched Since 2026 Current specification
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status upcoming active
Segment Medium SUV Seven-seat ladder-frame SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicle Passenger vehicle
Spec All-New CX-5 Pajero Sport
Length 4690 mm 4825 mm
Width 1860 mm 1815 mm
Height 1695 mm 1805 mm
Wheelbase 2815 mm 2800 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 205 mm 218 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 200 mm 190 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 56 l 68 l
Boot/Cargo Space 466 l 193 l
Kerb Weight 1629 kg 2080 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2190 kg 2775 kg
Payload Capacity 561 kg 695 kg
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 2850 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 6.0 m 5.6 m
Front Headroom 1007 mm 1022 mm
Rear Headroom 1020 mm 957 mm
Front Legroom 1058 mm 1067 mm
Rear Legroom 1012 mm 880 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This All-New CX-5 and Pajero Sport comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: All-New CX-5 52 vs Pajero Sport 65.

Efficiency index: All-New CX-5 52 vs Pajero Sport 49.

Safety-equipment index: All-New CX-5 98 vs Pajero Sport 72.

Practicality index: All-New CX-5 66 vs Pajero Sport 71.

Ownership-cover index: All-New CX-5 not separately scored vs Pajero Sport not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

All-New CX-5 leads by 3 points

All-New CX-5 and Pajero Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 68 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 82% source coverage
68
#1 Evidence leader

All-New CX-5

82% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Performance 52
Performance 52
Efficiency 52
Safety 98
Practicality 66
Leads by 3 points
65
#2

Pajero Sport

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 72 Check Efficiency 49
Performance 65
Efficiency 49
Safety 72
Practicality 71
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Pajero Sport +13 Efficiency All-New CX-5 +3 Safety All-New CX-5 +26 Practicality Pajero Sport +5

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

All-New CX-5

Performance 52/100
Efficiency 52/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 66/100

Pajero Sport

Performance 65/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 72/100
Practicality 71/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Mazda All-New CX-5 leads the specification evidence index with 68 pts vs 65 pts for Pajero Sport

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, All-New CX-5 leads. However, Pajero Sport may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

All-New CX-5 vs Pajero Sport questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.