Pajero will make its return after a five-year hiatus, reportedly, in October. For now, South African market availability has not been confirmed.
Covers came off the all-new Pajero for a select number of owners in Japan at the end of May. Picture: Mitsubishi Japan
Ahead of its global reveal, reportedly around the time of the Tokyo Motor Show in October, Mitsubishi gave an official glimpse of the all-new Pajero to a select number of owners in Japan as part of the annual Star Camp outdoor leisure event.
Pajero is back
Held towards the end of May, the event, hosted by Mitsubishi, saw owners being privy to the production-ready prototype only seen in a series of teaser images until now.
In a video posted by Mitsubishi Japan on its website, the owners are also seen seated inside the new Pajero, whose interior has so far only been teased via the so-called Multi Meter off-road gauges comprising an inclinometer, outside temperature display, roll angle and pitch angle.
“When we started designing the new Pajero, the first thing that surprised me was that everyone was naturally exploring what a Pajero should be,” Pajero Design Director, Yoshimine Norihiko, said.
“We aimed to embody the design philosophy of previous Pajero models and meet the expectations of customers who have been waiting for the Pajero’s return.
“Since development began, we have been engaging in numerous discussions to build upon the legacy and innovation of previous models, and we’ve finally been able to bring it all together into a single package: the new Pajero.”
Mitsubishi Chief Product Specialist, Kunitoshi Itagaki, remarked in the same statement, “Looking at the global landscape, the SUV market continues to expand, and in our increasingly diverse society, interest in off-road models is growing.
“In this context, especially in today’s unpredictable world, we feel that the off-road capability and robust durability that we have cultivated play a significant role.
“We are confident that the new Pajero, by expressing these qualities in a modern way, will become a vehicle that people can trust to handle everyday travel, long distances and rough roads.”
Known so far
Touted at the time of the original teaser in May to offer “outstanding off-road capability”, the Pajero will ride on the same ladder-frame platform as the Triton bakkie, but feature bespoke front and rear suspensions not available on any other Mitsubishi product.
Sharing the Triton’s platform has also ignited speculation that power will come from the same engine, namely the 2.4-litre DI-D 4N16 turbodiesel engine that develops 150kW/470Nm in bi-turbo guise.
End of Pajero Sport?
Unlike past generations, the Pajero is not expected to offer a large displacement petrol engine.
Instead, it has been rumoured to use the 2.4-litre plug-in hybrid petrol from the Outlander PHEV in markets where petrol is favoured above diesel.
At the same time, its return after five years seemingly spells the end of the Pajero Sport, whose new generation had been expected to debut this year.
More soon
Set to rival the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, higher-end versions of the Ford Everest, and possibly also the Land Cruiser 300 and Nissan Patrol, the Pajero has already been approved for the key right-hand-drive market of Australia in December.
According to drive.com.au, documents submitted to the country’s trademark or IP office have confirmed the presence of five trim levels: GLX, GLS, Exceed and a sporty off-road-focused variant called the GSR. No further details were provided.
It remains unknown whether the Pajero will return to South Africa. However, expect more details to emerge once the official launch takes place.
