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SHOGUN PININ
PRICE AS TESTED: £11,995. ENGINE: 1.8-litre directinjection petrol. MAXIMUM POWER: 118hp (88kW) at 5,250rpm. MAXIMUM TORQUE: 174Nm (128Ibft) at 3,500rpm. PAYLOAD: 325kg (including 75kg driver). GYW: 1,690kg. FUEL CONSUMPTION (LADEN): 31.5mpg (9.01it/100km). FUEL TANK: 53 litres. ACCELERATION: 0-50mph, 7.9sec; 30-50mph, 4.4sec; 40-60 mph, 6.3sec.
With a diminutive payload and average fuel consumption, the Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin does not rank high in the productivity stakes.
But if you're after blistering performance with an off-road capability, this mighty midget is well worth a look.
The Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin is a small van. It's small from the front, small from the side and its got a small behind. It's so small, in fact, that it reminds this tester of the tiny Penny Racer wind-up toy cars he had as a child. Slot a penny in the back of one of those babies and it would rear up on its back wheels, spin around madly like a top and then hurtle off the table in
some random direction before ricocheting off the nearest skirting board.
Fortunately the Pinin doesn't quite share those lunatic handling characteristics. It nearly does, but not quite.
The Pinin van is the latest addition to Mitsubishi's range; it comes with a directly injected i.8-litre petrol engine only. The list price is Z10,995 for the i-spec version, or /11,995 for the GLX, which gets you colourcoded front bumpers, electric windows, a sunroof, a height-adjustable driver's seat and a limited-slip rear cliff.
Mitsubishi is targeting the Pinin at traditional small-van operators such as florists, bakers and couriers. With more people buying via the Internet, the company also sees a new market for a "trendy" delivery van.
Productivity
Mitsubishi's Gasoline Direct Injection engine is the first of its kind, and it does just what it says on the tin. Rather than mixing petrol with air outside the combustion chamber, it injects it directly into the cylinder. The design aims to eliminate waste and tidy up injection timings, ensuring more of the fuel is burnt to improve power, fuel consumption, noise—and probably the driver's haircut.
Although efficiency gains are pretty good, the engine is still far from knocking diesels off number one spot for fuel consumption. The Pinin gave us 3i.5mpg around our Kent route, which is acceptable, but by no means exceptional. Remember, it's plated at only 1,6 9okg, and we got 39.impg from a Land Rover Freelander, 37.2mpg from a Peugeot Partner and a whopping 49.ompg from a VW Caddy—all of which are considerably heavier.
The Pinin's payload is a paltry 325kg, and it has to be squeezed in a load bay measuring just 9 romm long by im wide, although a trailer weighing up to i,5ookg can be towed.
Standard features include central door locking, immobiliser and rear wash-wipe; you also get a three-year/roo,000-mile warranty, sixyear anti-perforation cover and three-year panEuropean roadside recovery. Service intervals come pretty thick and fast—every 9,000 miles, following an initial look at Goo.
On the road
The best thing about the Pinin has to be the driving experience. The GDI engine is nothing if not powerful, and benefits from wellmatched ratios and a smooth, fast gear change.
With the transmission in two-wheel drive, the power is delivered to the rear wheels. It's pretty easy to start the back sliding around to the front, and given enough space on a test track it could easily be convinced to go back again. Stamp on the throttle coming off a roundabout in second, or even third, and the wheels spin wildly.
Once you've stopped whooping it up, it's simple enough to recover by coming off the power and waiting for the tyres to grab the road: it's a question of holding yourself back.
Four-wheel drive can be used on-road on a permanent basis. It will improve the grip and power delivery manners considerably in exchange for higher fuel consumption. The system transfers power to the front wheels when needed via a central viscous coupling.
Acceleration figures from the track show that the sense of power and speed you get as soon as you pull away is no mere illusion. The fully laden van reached omph from standstill in just 7.9sec, covered 3 0-5omph in a startled 4.45ec and romped from 4o-6omph in 6.3sec. Make no mistake: it is very, very fast.
With such a turn of speed, it would be nice if anti-lock brakes were fitted, but they're not even on the options list, Mind you, the brakes are certainly not short of power. Mitsubishi says the Pinin thrives on the cut and thrust of city traffic. It's certainly nimble, with a turning circle of just 9.6m thanks to its short (2.2m) wheelbase. If you want to take on town traffic with relish, we have to agree that you ought to take a long, hard look at this van. We headed off road very briefly, locking the viscous coupling but leaving the box in high range. Low range is just a nudge away should you need it, but we only took on some mild tracks, which the Pinin tackled in fine style.
Cab comfort
You're not going to get masses of storage space in something as small as this, but the Pinin is well thought out. There are cup holders, some trays, a couple of slender door pocket and a good lockable glovebox.
The driving position is comfortable and pretty adjustable, even for a six-foot driver, but if you want height adjustment of the driver's seat you'll have to shell out for the G LX. Dual airbags are fitted as standard; the seat-belts have pretensioning.
Dials and warning lamps are clear, with a Eco" light that flashes on green when you're driving economically. A central console displays data, including time, ambient temperature and average fuel consumption.
Most controls are intuitive and easy to use, apart from yet another small and fiddly set of radio controls. Another minus point here is the radio aerial, which is squirrelled away in the A pillar and loses reception very easily.
Summary
Don't expect to move a lot of stuff in the Shogun Pinin unless you're ready to split your load into bite-sized chunks and do the same journey again—and again, and again.
But seeing how much fun the little Mitsubishi is to drive, that might not be such a problem. You might even find yourself seeking out winding B-road routes to your destination just for the hell of it. If driving experience matters more to you than payload, you don't have much further to look than the Pinin.
• by Peter Lawton