There’s something primal about the Mitsubishi Pajero. At first, it seems like a relic from the past – you step into the cabin and you’re immediately transported back a decade-and-a-half. But, give it a chance – or, more appropriately – go off-road, and it all begins to make sense again. And that’s precisely what Mitsubishi is allowing its customers across the country to do.

Luckily, they took us along for the ride on their visit to Delhi for their – aptly titled – ‘Heart in Mouth’ experience. A ‘proper’ off-road course is charted out through forests and hills by the very capable Cougar Motorsports team, which allows customers to truly test their mettle – and that of their machines.

We were handed a brand new Pajero, which, in its latest Bharat IV guise, is on sale once again in the Metros. The cabin is as solid as ever, and is clearly purposeful in its approach – it practically urges you to go on a road-trip every time you get in with its built-in compass and altimeter. The four-wheel drive gear lever also seems to call out to you to engage the differential lock or slot it in low range.

What surprised me most, however, about the latest Pajero was just how refined the diesel engine has become – in its Euro IV guise it’s incredibly smooth and tractable on-road. But, as ever, it’s when you go off the beaten path that it’s in its element. The articulation of the suspension and the ease with which it dismisses serious obstacles is quite extraordinary. Even deep water crossings, with five aboard in the vehicle, are no trouble at all. Let’s just say that it simply gives you the confidence to push on without apprehension no matter what you’re facing – steep hills, gorges, rocks, or water crossings. The only obstacle that gave us trouble was a steep ramp leading to a plateau about the length of the car – with an even steeper drop off at the other end.

On our first attempt, we had up to six people in the car, and were never going to make it up the steep hill with those many occupants. So, on the next attempt, we shed most occupants and tried again – but to no avail. We had Four Low engaged so couldn’t carry enough speed up the ramp. So, shifting the lever of the transfer case to Four High with the differential lock on, we tried once more. This time we managed to carry more than enough speed, but I took my foot off the accelerator pedal once the front wheels made their way over the edge of the crest at the top of the hill – one of the marshals was waiving us in and it would have been unseemly to run him over in the process. In doing so, however, the Pajero bogged down into the soft mud and refused to go any further, no matter how much we coaxed. Eventually, we had no choice but to accept defeat and hand over the reins to cars rightful owner – the local dealership.

Having witnessed our botched attempts, the driver wanted to ensure that he didn’t suffer the same embarrassing fate. So, he floored the throttle, and forgot to ease off the accelerator pedal as he cleared the crest. As a result, he flew straight over the plateau, landed half way through the ramp on the other side – still with the accelerator pressed – and carried on through the jungle for about 500 meters before coming to a stop. It was a massive impact, and the fact that both the occupants and the vehicle were unharmed is a true testament to the toughness of the machine.

It did suffer a flat, however. And we learned that the jack that comes with the Pajero is woefully inadequate when trying to change a tire on a soft surface. So, a tip from our side – take a hydraulic jack with you when you head on a road trip. But don’t for a second hesitate to do so – because that’s what the Pajero is built for. And, look out for the Heart-in-Mouth experience the next time it’s in your city – or, more appropriately, the jungles that surround it!