Toyota Land Cruiser FJ vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ

2.7 4x4 VX 6AT Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 761,400 ex-showroom
⚡ 122 kW 🔧 245 Nm ⛽ 9.3 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

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: the short answer

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

Land Cruiser FJ starts ZAR 75,990 cheaper Land Cruiser FJ from ZAR 714,000 · Pajero Sport from ZAR 789,990

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Land Cruiser FJ Pajero Sport
Maximum Power Land Cruiser FJ122 kW @ 5200 rpm Pajero Sport133 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque Land Cruiser FJ245 Nm @ 4000 rpm Pajero Sport430 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Engine Size Land Cruiser FJ2700 cc Pajero Sport2442 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Land Cruiser FJ9.3 km/l Pajero Sport12.3 km/l
Ground Clearance Land Cruiser FJ245 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

Land Cruiser FJ

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

Pajero Sport

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

Which One's Right for You?

Land Cruiser FJ

  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Pajero Sport

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Land Cruiser FJ Pajero Sport
Model Introduced Year 2026 2017
Generation First-generation compact Land Cruiser FJ introduced in South Africa in 2026 Third-generation Pajero Sport, 2025 facelift
Facelift History New South African model line launched in 2026 South African facelift launched in May 2025.
Facelift Launched Since New South African model line launched in 2026 Current specification
Facelift Version Ending Current South African 2026 specification Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active active
Segment SUV Seven-seat ladder-frame SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1970 kg -
Vehicle Type SUV Passenger vehicle
Spec Land Cruiser FJ Pajero Sport
Length 4610 mm 4825 mm
Width 1855 mm 1815 mm
Height 1890 mm 1805 mm
Wheelbase 2580 mm 2800 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 245 mm 218 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm 190 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 63 l 68 l
Boot/Cargo Space 488 l 193 l
Kerb Weight 1970 kg 2080 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2500 kg 2775 kg
Payload Capacity 530 kg 695 kg
Towing Capacity 2500 kg 2850 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.5 m 5.6 m
Front Headroom 994 mm 1022 mm
Rear Headroom 958 mm 957 mm
Front Legroom 1044 mm 1067 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 880 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Land Cruiser FJ and Pajero Sport comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Land Cruiser FJ 60 vs Pajero Sport 65.

Efficiency index: Land Cruiser FJ 38 vs Pajero Sport 49.

Safety-equipment index: Land Cruiser FJ 94 vs Pajero Sport 72.

Practicality index: Land Cruiser FJ 74 vs Pajero Sport 71.

Ownership-cover index: Land Cruiser FJ 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

Land Cruiser FJ leads by 3 points

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

Evidence leader 68 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 74% source coverage
68
#1 Evidence leader

Land Cruiser FJ

74% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 38
Performance 60
Efficiency 38
Safety 94
Practicality 74
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 +5 Efficiency Pajero Sport +11 Safety Land Cruiser FJ +22 Practicality Land Cruiser FJ +3

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Land Cruiser FJ

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 38/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 74/100

Pajero Sport

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota Land Cruiser FJ leads the specification evidence index with 68 pts vs 65 pts for Pajero Sport

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

Land Cruiser FJ vs Pajero Sport questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa 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.