Mitsubishi revives Pajero after a multi-year hiatus - report
Kyiv • UNN
Mitsubishi is preparing to bring back the Pajero crossover to the market, with production to be concentrated in Thailand. The new model will use the Triton pickup platform.
Mitsubishi revives the Pajero after a long hiatus. The Pajero will be produced in Thailand, using the same platform as the Triton pickups. This was reported by Autoblog, writes UNN.
Details
As the publication writes, it's no secret that Mitsubishi is preparing to return to the mid-size SUV market. One of the company's recent corporate videos even showed an "easter egg" that "silently demonstrates its mysterious appearance." There's a lot to be excited about, considering the company left this segment about 20 years ago in America, and in 2021 worldwide, the publication writes.
Mitsubishi has not yet officially named this crossover, but trademark applications over the past years have indicated the return of the Montero name. Now, a document from Australia finally reveals at least one of the names that will be used after launch, the publication notes.
The document, obtained by the Australian publication Drive, contains several details about the crossover. "The main one was the model name, and we can confidently say that the Pajero name is returning. This probably won't surprise anyone, but it's a fitting name for Mitsubishi's flagship SUV," the publication states.
The document also mentioned other details. The VIN code shows that the Pajero will be produced in Thailand, not Japan. This is confirmed by the MMA abbreviation at the beginning of the VIN code. It will likely be assembled at the same factory that produces Triton and Nissan Navara pickups for the Australian market.
With the country of origin confirmed, there is a greater likelihood that the Pajero will use the same platform as the aforementioned pickups. If so, this means the crossover will return to using a ladder frame chassis instead of a unibody, as in the third and fourth generations. The engines remain a mystery for now, but a twin-turbo diesel from the Triton (201 horsepower, 387 pound-feet) may appear under the hood, as well as possibly a gasoline engine with some hybrid system, the publication writes.