Mitsubishi Pajero: Pajero The Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the most iconic 4×4 vehicle in automotive history, and has established a very unique legacy in off-road performance throughout generations, countless international rally wins and a very loyal fan base due to its extreme real-world capabilities.
Since it was first introduced in 1982, this rugged ute has built a fair-sized mountain of goodwill around the world by being one of the few SUVs that combines real off-road ability with an ever increasing degree of on-road comfort and manners.
Mitsubishi Pajero: Historical Development
The Pajero’s tale commenced when Mitsubishi wanted to build a car that combined the toughness of the old-school four-wheel-drivers with more on-road comfort and manners than was usually found in the class.
The first-generation model featured what was seen as by the public a strong off-road appearance followed in form and function (if not concept) by subsequent generations, and similar competed in the market with such vehicles as the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino.
Yet, right through its incarnations, it always struck the perfect balance between rugged utility, on the one hand, serenely comfortable and refined practicality on the other and then continued upping the luxury with each new generation. This strong nameplate loyalty ensured the nameplate’s success in multiple global markets.
Dakar Dominance
it was perhaps the Paris-Dakar Rally, believed to be one of the toughest racing events in the world, which most solidified the opinion of the Pajero.
The Pajero has notched up an incredible 12 wins in this relentless test … an achievement that proved, time and again, that the Pajero combined top class reliability and racer performance in a world where the rigours of the event have crushed automotive royalty.
This legacy of motorsport fed directly into the roadgoing cars, as the technical knowledge and engineering solutions tested in racing cars made their way into the cars on the forecourt.
The Pajero Evolution homologation special is still a fan favorite, since it was the most hardcore connection between Mitsubishi’s rally program and their consumer lineup.
Engineering Philosophy
The Pajero’s design philosophy always focused on actual ability, rather than simply looking like it raises hell on weekend escapes.
The Super Select 4WD system was one of the vehicle’s key technical features and offered driver’s a great deal of flexibility with options such as RWD for highway driving, full-time AWD for on-road traction and high-speed stability as well as a true low-range 4WD mode with locked center differential for off-road use.
Its versatile nature, together with decent ground clearance, decent approach and departure angles, and solid underbelly protection, gave the Pajero the ability to tackle proper off-road conditions, while still being civilised on the road – a balance some rivals didn’t manage to achieve.
Global Impact and Regional Differences
Despite retaining its base global construction, the Pajero has been adapted to the country-specific market demands through various modifications including the local design/engineering, raising and lowering the body, new tiers and aimed at younger buyers.
Japanese and European downsizing and diesel efficiency addressed to pragmatic anxieties regarding city manoeuverability and mobilery running costs.
North American versions (known as the Montero) featured more power, and luxury additions, while the Australian and Middle Eastern models used in prolonged off-travel required durability and heat resistance.
This flexibility was a key factor in the success of the model worldwide and the reason that Mitsubishi was able to preserve the Pajero’s unique personality and cater for particular market demands.
The name was just as problematic in places, including a few Spanish speaking countries, where the vehicle wore the Montero badge; no potential for dirty jokes there.
Legacy and Discontinuation
(Pajero) However, even the beloved Pajero eventually began to be threatened by changing regulations and times, not to mention a company struggling to maintain relevance.
Ever-stricter emissions regulations weighed on the model’s chances in Europe, and a broader industry-wide shift to car-shaped crossovers cooled demand for traditional SUVs with a truck-like SUV among the general public.
Add to these the list of reasons which finally justified Mitsubishi to pull the Pajero out from most of the world’s markets, and although it continues to exist in certain territories.
The model’s influence is, now, passed on via the smaller Pajero Sport (based on Triton/L200 pickup platform) and vibrant hobbyist scene that supports and modifies existing cars for play off-road and long range travel.
Mitsubishi Pajero:
The Mitsubishi Pajero is an evolution of the McCandless concept, an honest-to-goodness go-anywhere not just go-anywhere looking type of vehicle, whose reputation was built by motor sport success, and not relying on a marketing department’s flaccid statements.
Its gradual evaporation from sale in every market around the world is more indicative of broader trends in the industry than it is of any inherent incompetence of the concept itself, and its legacy lives on in the DNA of Mitsubishi’s current SUV lineup.