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Shogun Sport K90 Petrol or Diesel – Which to Buy?

Shogun Sport K90 Petrol or Diesel – Which to Buy?

The Shogun Sport K90 series was available in both petrol and diesel with the latter being significantly more economical to run yet much slower than it’s more refined petrol cousin which only came with automatic transmission.

Shogun Sport K90 petrol or diesel? if you are considering one of these classic old 4×4’s then fuel choice is an important consideration as the economy difference between the the 2.5 diesel and the 3.0 litre 177 horsepower petrol unit is significant.

Shogun Sport K90 Petrol or Diesel
K90 Overland Sgogun Sport 2.5td

We are talking about the model made for the EU market here, it would have been nice to have the 3.5 petrol as a choice in UK showrooms but those were reserved for other parts of the world like the US, the 3.0 however was more than enough for the UK roads with the automatic transmission making it, in theory a smoother drive and more refined choice between the two.

Mitsubishi Shogun Sport 3.0 V6 engine
Mitsubishi Shogun Sport 3.0 V6 engine

It would seem obvious that the diesel is going to be more economical on a real life daily basis and it is – very much so but only because of it’s beefier cousins insatiable thirst for petrol, as a choice for a daily driver the diesel is the one to go for but you do get a much more sluggish vehicle and a snail’s pace 0- 60 time, if niether of these factors are a concern then diesel is the way to go.

2.5td Diesel3.0v6 Petrol
BrandMitsubishiMitsubishi
GenerationShogun Sport K90Shogun Sport K90
Engine2.5TD3.0i V6 24V
Production2000 – 20081998 – 2008
Economy [urban]21.617.3
Economy [ex urban]31.427.4
Fuel tank [ltrs]74ltr74ltr
Power115hp 84kw177hp 130kw
Max speed93mph109mph
Acceleration18.5 secs14.4 secs
Torque240 Nm/2000 rpm255 Nm/4500 rpm
Engine positionFront, longitudinalFront, longitudinal
Displacement2477 cm32972 cm3
FuelDieselPetrol
AspirationTurbo charged[Multi-point injection]
Cylinders46
ValvetrainOHC
Length4610mm4610mm
Width1475mm1475mm
Height1735mm1735mm
Wheelbase2725mm2725mm
Front suspensionTorsionDouble wishbone
Rear suspensionHelical springHelical spring
Max weight2510kg2510kg
Front brakesDiscVented disc
Rear brakesDiscDisc
Kerb weight1920kg1940kg
ABSYesYes
Power steeringHydraulic SteeringHydraulic Steering

Transmission

The 2.5td had manual transmission, the 3.0 petrol had an auto box, both sound and reliable by all accounts but depending on the purpose of the vehicle then this may affect your choice. For overlanding it’s a manual box every time, I personally need more control, for the UK school run however then the auto is just fine. All of the 2.5 diesel Shogun Sport models came with a manual transmission, auto was not an option.

Noise

The diesel is a way louder engine, there is no getting around the fact that these power units are old school technology and while strong they do make a racket as you can see from our own Shogun in this video:

Which one to go for

Neither choice is particularly good for the planet, the Shogun Sport [1st gen] is a polluting vehicle so if that concerns you it may be better to look elsewhere. For overlanding the 2.5td would be the one to go for, yeah it’s a sluggish lump compared to it’s competitors but very, very capable offroad and in any case when, realistically do we need spped when we’re overlanding?

If you have deeper pockets for fuel then the 3.0 V6 is a nice vehicle, more refined engine-wise and a smoother drive but tremendously thirsty. The auto box might be a deal breaker for some. Both variants are solid, reliable old skool 4×4’s, from the days when 4×4’s were ‘real’ as some might say…

shogun sport k90 service manual

Both are also very cheap to buy for what they are although prices are levelling out in 2022, from there, prices tend to begin to go up – there are less and less of this model of Shogun coming up for sale so the scarcity factor is slowly coming into play.

If you’re after one, get one now.

Resources:

1800 1200 K90 Overland

K90 Overland

K90overland is Mac and Gayle, they have lived in Granada [Andalucia] since 2004 and began their budget overland build in 2019 documenting both the vehicle and their overlanding trips through the Andalucian region of Spain.

K90 Overland

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