The Leisure Wheels Project Pajero recently completed its first long(ish) overland trip, travelling to Mozambique. And although it was a quick trip, it provided a good indication of what this green machine is capable of.
We travelled to Tan ‘n Biki, as well as Palmeiras in Bilene, and the route required quite a bit of sand driving. The ferry normally used to cross the river close to Tan ‘n Biki wasn’t working, so we had no option but to make use of a lengthy sand road to get us to the resort.
The Pajero did well on the road, despite the fact that chunky mud-terrain tyres are not ideal for sand driving. We had four Pajero Legend vehicles with us with far more road-oriented tyres that had less trouble in the sand. The main issue is that the mud-terrain tyres fitted to Project Pajero has sidewalls that are so strong, that they have to be deflated more than one would expect to provide adequate traction. As long as you deflate them substantially, though, the tyres can deal with sand.
Two aspects of the Project Pajero that really impressed was its approach and departure angles. We had an opportunity to tackle a few sand dunes close to Bilene, and Project Pajero’s custom bumpers came in very handy. It’s all too easy to damage a front or rear bumper when reaching the bottom of a steep dune. The Pajero’s increased angles helped a lot, allowing us to use momentum without having to worry about losing a bit of trim.
Overall, the Pajero performed very well, both on road and off. We’ll be publishing a detailed account of our trip in the December issue of the magazine, so be sure to check it out.