• Interior appears rugged and well-made
• Doesn’t feel especially premium, though
• Driver’s seat is too high

Mitsubishi has clearly worked hard to improve the Shogun Sport’s interior over the previous model. There’s a genuine feeling of solidity and robustness, plus the layout is logical and reasonably well designed.

The various switches and buttons are clear and easy to use, too, although almost all rivals deliver noticeably better outright quality. This extends to many of the trim fittings too, some feeling downright cheap and plasticky.

Passable infotainment system

Once you get used to the clunky graphics and sometimes unresponsive touchscreen, the Shogun Sport’s infotainment system is passable and provides a usable portal into the vehicle’s settings and functionality. Make no mistake, though, most rival systems are far superior.

Despite the presence of comfy leather seats as standard in the Shogun Sport, many will find the driving position compromised thanks to a seat base that won’t adjust low enough. This 5’10” tester found that with the seat in its lowest position, the view out with the sun visor down was almost non-existent.

Comfort

• Uncomfortable ride
• Excessive amounts of wind noise
• Comfortable driver’s seat 

While the Shogun Sport provides a reasonable ride on motorway surfaces, it’s disappointingly bouncy and jittery at lower speeds. Rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are better here.

In spite of the improved suspension, the Shogun’s ride still needs a lot of work if Mitsubishi wants it to rival more mainstream SUVs. There’s very little composure on anything but a smooth motorway surface, while most A- and B-roads transmit an excessive amount of disturbance into the cabin.

Potholes also create far more discomfort than is normal in this type of car, with the damping failing to deal with sudden compressions or bumps.

Plenty of wind noise at speed

Wind noise is disappointingly high in the Shogun Sport, especially at motorway speeds. Engine noise is fine when cruising yet becomes noisy under fairly low throttle loads and becomes raucous at higher revs.

The all-leather upholstery with electrically adjustable front seats provides plenty of comfort on long journeys, even if there could be more lateral support for the driver and passenger.

Unfortunately, however, taller drivers may find the driver’s seat is positioned too high regardless of how it’s adjusted. This gives the impression of sitting on the car rather than in it, also reducing visibility when the sun visor is down.