Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Volkswagen Tiguan

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.

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
VS
Volkswagen Tiguan in South Africa

Volkswagen Tiguan

2.0 TSI 140kW R-Line 4Motion DSG Petrol Current
ZAR 856,200 ex-showroom
⚡ 140 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 13 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Pajero Sport
Fuel Economy Tiguan
🛡 Safety Tiguan
📦 Practicality Tiguan
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Tiguan starts ZAR 121,890 cheaper Pajero Sport from ZAR 789,990 · Tiguan from ZAR 668,100

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Pajero Sport Tiguan
Maximum Power 133 kW @ 3500 rpm 140 kW
Maximum Torque 430 Nm @ 2500 rpm 250 Nm
Engine Size 2442 cc 2000 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 12.3 km/l 13 km/l
Ground Clearance 218 mm 201 mm
Boot / Load Bay 193 l 652 l
Airbags 7 6
Kerb Weight 2080 kg 1599 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Warranty 3 years / 100,000 km 3 years / 120 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

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

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Pajero Sport +12 pts
Efficiency Tiguan +2 pts
Safety Tiguan +10 pts
Practicality Tiguan +6 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Pajero Sport

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

Tiguan

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

Which One's Right for You?

Pajero Sport

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures

Tiguan

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Pajero Sport Tiguan
Model Introduced Year 2017 2007
Generation Third-generation Pajero Sport, 2025 facelift Current Tiguan generation offers modern safety and tech upgrades
Facelift History South African facelift launched in May 2025. Recent facelift improved technology and styling
Facelift Launched Since Current specification Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 Current
Production Status active published
Segment Seven-seat ladder-frame SUV SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Grey, Blue
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Drivetrain Note - 4x4 configuration for the local line-up
Tare Mass Kg - 1599 kg
Spec Pajero Sport Tiguan
Length 4825 mm 4539 mm
Width 1815 mm 1842 mm
Height 1805 mm 1660 mm
Wheelbase 2800 mm 2676 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 218 mm 201 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed -
Fuel Tank Capacity 68 l 58 l
Boot/Cargo Space 193 l 652 l
Kerb Weight 2080 kg 1599 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2775 kg 2210 kg
Payload Capacity 695 kg -
Towing Capacity 2850 kg 1800 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 3 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.6 m 11.5 m
Front Headroom 1022 mm -
Rear Headroom 957 mm -
Front Legroom 1067 mm -
Rear Legroom 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

Tiguan leads by 1 points

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

Index leader 68 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 66% source coverage
68
#1 Index leader

Tiguan

66% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 82 Check Efficiency 51
Performance 60
Efficiency 51
Safety 82
Practicality 77
Leads by 1 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 Tiguan +2 Safety Tiguan +10 Practicality Tiguan +6

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Tiguan

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 51/100
Safety 82/100
Practicality 77/100

Pajero Sport

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

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Volkswagen Tiguan leads the catalogue index with 68 pts vs 67 pts for Pajero Sport

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Tiguan 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 Pajero Sport and Tiguan 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: Pajero Sport 72 vs Tiguan 60.

Efficiency index: Pajero Sport 49 vs Tiguan 51.

Safety-equipment index: Pajero Sport 72 vs Tiguan 82.

Practicality index: Pajero Sport 71 vs Tiguan 77.

Ownership-cover index: Pajero Sport not separately scored vs Tiguan 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.