Tata Harrier 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.

Tata Harrier in South Africa

Tata Harrier

Fearless+ DT AT Diesel 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 699,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 125 kW 🔧 350 Nm ⛽ 15.15 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

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Pajero Sport
Fuel Economy Harrier
🛡 Safety Harrier
📦 Practicality Pajero Sport
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Harrier starts ZAR 240,090 cheaper Harrier from ZAR 549,900 · Pajero Sport from ZAR 789,990

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Harrier Pajero Sport
Maximum Power 125 kW @ 3750 rpm 133 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque 350 Nm @ 1750-2500 rpm 430 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Engine Size 1956 cc 2442 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 15.15 km/l 12.3 km/l
Ground Clearance 205 mm 218 mm
Boot / Load Bay 445 l 193 l
Airbags 7 7
Kerb Weight 1823 kg 2080 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Warranty 5 years / 125,000 km 3 years / 100,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Harrier and Pajero Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Pajero Sport +12 pts
Efficiency Harrier +10 pts
Safety Harrier +27 pts
Practicality Pajero Sport +4 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Catalogue-index leader

Harrier

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?

Harrier

  • 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 Harrier Pajero Sport
Model Introduced Year 2025 2017
Generation Current-generation South African-market Tata Harrier five-seat SUV Third-generation Pajero Sport, 2025 facelift
Facelift History Introduced with Tata Passenger Vehicles' South African return in 2025; no South African facelift has been announced South African facelift launched in May 2025.
Facelift Launched Since 2025 Current specification
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Active active
Segment Mid-size SUV Seven-seat ladder-frame SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger Car Passenger vehicle
Spec Harrier Pajero Sport
Length 4605 mm 4825 mm
Width 1922 mm 1815 mm
Height 1718 mm 1805 mm
Wheelbase 2741 mm 2800 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 205 mm 218 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 150 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 68 l
Boot/Cargo Space 445 l 193 l
Kerb Weight 1823 kg 2080 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2298 kg 2775 kg
Payload Capacity 475 kg 695 kg
Towing Capacity 0 kg 2850 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.8 m 5.6 m
Front Headroom 1020 mm 1022 mm
Rear Headroom 950 mm 957 mm
Front Legroom 840 mm 1067 mm
Rear Legroom 980 mm 880 mm

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Harrier leads by 5 points

Harrier and Pajero Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 72 /100
Lead 5 points
Data 75% source coverage
72
#1 Index leader

Harrier

75% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Efficiency 59
Performance 60
Efficiency 59
Safety 99
Practicality 67
Leads by 5 points
67
#2

Pajero Sport

78% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Performance 72 Check Efficiency 49
Performance 72
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 +12 Efficiency Harrier +10 Safety Harrier +27 Practicality Pajero Sport +4

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Harrier

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 59/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 67/100

Pajero Sport

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

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Tata Harrier leads the catalogue index with 72 pts vs 67 pts for Pajero Sport

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Harrier leads. However, Pajero Sport may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

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.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This Harrier 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: Harrier 60 vs Pajero Sport 72.

Efficiency index: Harrier 59 vs Pajero Sport 49.

Safety-equipment index: Harrier 99 vs Pajero Sport 72.

Practicality index: Harrier 67 vs Pajero Sport 71.

Ownership-cover index: Harrier 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.