Rent Mitsubishi Pajero 2020 in Dubai

For Hatta switchbacks, a Liwa dune run or a beach track past the end of the tarmac, you want a 4x4 that was actually built for the job. The Mitsubishi Pajero 2020 is one of the last proper body-on-frame off-roaders, and we rent it in Dubai with no deposit and delivery to your door. The 3.2-litre turbo-diesel pulls hard from low revs, the Super Select system gives you real low-range gearing, and 235 mm of ground clearance keeps the underside off the rocks. This page is about where that capability earns its keep, and where a softer crossover would honestly serve you better.

Where the Pajero earns its keep

Off the tarmac is the whole point of this car. The diesel makes its torque low down, which is exactly what you want crawling up a rocky Hatta trail or pulling out of soft sand, and the low-range gearing lets you do it without cooking the gearbox. Drop the tyre pressures for the dunes, select the right mode, and it goes where most rental SUVs would be calling for a tow. The 235 mm of clearance and the proper wading ability mean ruts and shallow water crossings are non-events.

Be honest about the trade-off. This is an old-school platform, so on the motorway the steering is light and a bit vague, and there's noticeable body roll through fast corners. It's a tool that's brilliant at one job and merely acceptable at the rest.

Seven seats, and how honest the third row is

The Pajero seats seven, but treat the back row the way the engineers intended: good for children or for adults on a short hop, not for a four-hour drive to Liwa. With all three rows up, the boot is small, enough for a few soft bags rather than a stack of suitcases.

Fold the third row flat and it changes character completely. Now you have a big, square load bay and a genuine five-seat family 4x4 with room for camping kit, cool boxes and a weekend of luggage. That's the configuration most renters actually use.

Heat, cooling and the rules at the desk

It's a tall, roomy cabin, so the air conditioning takes a little longer to chill it after a day in the sun than a small hatchback would. Once it's going, the rear vents keep passengers in the back comfortable, which counts on a full family trip. The system is effective rather than luxurious, and on this older design that's a fair description.

One operational point to plan around: this particular vehicle is rented to drivers aged 25 and over with at least 12 months of driving experience, rather than from 18 like our smaller cars. As with any rental, you pay the Salik tolls and any RTA fines from your trip, seat belts are required in every row, and children under four need a child seat, which we can fit.

Size, parking and road manners

At 4.9 metres long and unusually tall, the Pajero is bulky in tight multi-storey bays, so give yourself room. The flip side is that its height and clearance make light work of speed bumps, kerbs and steep mall ramps that have lesser cars scraping. On Sheikh Zayed Road the diesel is a relaxed cruiser that's happy to sit at the limit all day, as long as you're not expecting quick overtakes.

Who should rent it

Rent the Pajero if you genuinely head off the tarmac, or if you need a tough seven-seater for desert weekends and rough tracks where a crossover would struggle. That capability is the reason it exists, and few rentals at this price match it. Remember the 25-and-over requirement when you book.

If your week is mall runs, school drop-offs and smooth highway miles, this is more truck than you need. A car-based crossover like a Seltos rides better, parks more easily and costs less to run. Pick the Pajero for what it's built for, and skip it for everything else.