New Mitsubishi Pajero already seen by owners as debut gets closer

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. 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, whoseinterior has so far only been teasedvia 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.” Touted at the time of theoriginal teaser in Mayto 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.