Japanese Used Car Exporting

Get informed here. Stay informed with our Newsletter.

Mitsubishi Pajero

History

The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It is known as the Mitsubishi Montero in the Americas (except Brazil) and Spain, and as Mitsubishi Shogun in the United Kingdom. It was named after a mountain cat that inhabits the Patagonia plateau region in southern Argentina. However, the name Montero (meaning "mountain warrior") was adopted in Spanish language markets because Pajero is a slang term for "wanker".

Thanks to their success, the Pajero, Montero and Shogun names were also applied to other, mechanically unrelated models, such as the Pajero Mini kei car, the Pajero Junior and Pajero iO/Pinin mini SUVs, and the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero/Shogun Sport.

The first Pajero prototype was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November of 1973. The Pajero II prototype followed in 1978, five years later. Mitsubishi’s aim was to create more of a recreational vehicle, not just a suv, as Mitsubishi Motors has been Japan’s biggest four wheel drive manufacturer before World War II.

In January 1983, the first Pajero made its debut at the Paris Dakar Rally, taking first place in 1985 at only the third attempt. To date, the Pajero is the third most successful vehicle in the Dakar Rally. This not only gave the Pajero a reputation in the media, but also helped in the sales department.

Recent Production - Third Generation

The third generation Pajero hit the Japanese Domestic Market in 1999, whilst it was made available to other markets in late 2000 as a 2001 model. The vehicle was completely redesigned, inside and out and now has a lower, wider stance. A lower center of gravity meant the Pajero had better on-road handling manners, whilst the new body has over three hundred percent more torsional rigidity. The biggest change to bring this about is that the Pajero now utilizes a unibody construction, as opposed to the previous body-on-frame (box-ladder). This also helped give the Pajero a longer suspension stroke. The fuel tank was also strategically placed between the axles for better safety.

The SS4 system was also further refined, as bevel gears were replaced with planetary ones. This meant the front-to-rear torque setting ranged from 33 to 67, with the ability to adjust to 50/50 depending on surface conditions. The system was also made fully electronic, which meant the vehicle didn’t have to be in gear to switch between drive modes. After all the upgrades, the system was renamed to Super Select 4WD II (SS4-II).

Alongside rack and pinion steering (as opposed to the recirculating ball system on previous generations), the Pajero also offered a choice of three transmissions; a five speed manual, a four speed INVECS-II automatic and a five speed INVECS-II tiptronic.

An all-new 3.8 Liter SOHC 24-valve V6 powerplant was also introduced on this generation. This engine utilizes an Electronic Throttle Valve (ETV), to deliver a refined cruising power with power to spare for offroad ventures.

The third generation was introduced on August 2, 1999 and is scheduled to be replaced by the Autumn of 2006, having been restyled in 2003. This was the most luxurious of the three generations, moving to a more upscale segment to compete against the Land Rover Discovery, but more importantly, to counter its home rival Toyota Land Cruiser's growth. The 3.0 L engine's power was decreased to 130 kW (175 hp/177 PS), and the 3.5 L engine was given gasoline direct injection, increasing power to 162 kW (217 hp/220 PS) in the Japanese market (export versions kept the standard EFI engine, now with 149 kW (200 hp/203 PS). The 2.8 L Diesel was retained only for developing markets, and was replaced by a new 16-valve direct injection engine, with 3.2 L and 120 kW (161 hp/163 PS).

In the North American market, the 3.5 L engine was replaced for 2003 by a more powerful 3.8 L unit, with 160 kW (215 hp/218 PS). This engine was later made available to a few export markets such as South America and Australia, whilst it replaced the GDI V6 in the Japanese lineup in 2005. The short wheelbase model is not available in North America, where the Montero is the only SUV in Mitsubishi's lineup with standard four wheel drive. Faced with falling sales, 2006 was last year of the Montero for North America.

Current Production - Fourth Generation

The fourth generation was introduced at the Paris Motor Show on September 30, 2006. New interior and exterior styling was accompanied by enhanced safety with dual-stage SRS front airbags as well as new side-impact and curtain airbags. The Super-Select 4WD II system was retained but is complemented by an improved Active Stability & Traction Control (ASTC) system and electronic brakeforce distribution.

The engines were upgraded with the 3.2 L Diesel now producing 125 kW (167 hp/170 PS) and the 3.8 L V6 gaining MIVEC variable valve timing to boost power to 184 kW (247 hp/250 PS). Both engines meet new Euro IV emissions standards. The 3.0 L V6 is retained for the Japanese market.

Additionally, for the first time since 2000, Mitsubishi has made available both 2-door SWB and 4-door LWB versions of the Pajero. Mechanically, they remain identical with both equipped with new 18-inch alloy wheels.

Other

In January 1983, the first Pajero made its debut at the Paris Dakar Rally, taking first place in 1985 at only the third attempt. To date, the Pajero is the third most successful vehicle in the Dakar Rally. This not only gave the Pajero a reputation in the media, but also helped in the sales department.

Go To Top
Return to JDM Cars

Source: Wikipedia under the GNU Free Documentation License

---

See incorrect or missing information? Want to know something you can't find? Please Let Us Know | About Us | Disclaimer