New Mitsubishi Pajero to revive classic 4x4 feature
The upcoming, reborn Mitsubishi Pajero won’t be shy about its intentions as an off-road SUV, bringing back a feature from the past.
Mitsubishi is closing in on the reveal of the new Pajero, bringing back the nameplate after a five-year hiatus, and it’ll do so by leaning on the heritage of the 4x4.
The new Pajero is being promised as an SUV capable of delivering “off-road performance that enables safe, secure and comfortable driving across various weather and road conditions”, something Mitsubishi is keen to enact by bringing back the iconic multi meter display of old.
Previously seen on early generations of the Pajero, the triple-gauge multi meter has been absent from the most recent iterations of the 4x4, but is coming back for the latest Mitsubishi SUV.
The three gauges will be able to be customised to show altitude, outside temperature, pitch and roll angles (centre), and even left-to-right torque distribution, providing drivers with as much information as needed while negotiating tricky conditions.
It’s not yet known whether the multi meter will once again be located on top of the dashboard between the driver and passenger, or as a configurable display within the instrument cluster.
As previously reported, the new Pajero is, effectively, a successor to the Pajero Sport, as it’ll be based on the underpinnings of the Triton ute.
Australia last saw the full-sized Pajero in showrooms in 2021, while the smaller Triton-based Pajero Sport was pulled from sale locally early last year due to not being compliant with then-incoming Australian Design Rules around the performance of autonomous emergency braking systems.
Jordan Mulach
It’s expected the new Pajero will be built in Thailand - not Japan as with previous generations of the ‘true’ Pajero - and likely powered by the same twin-turbo 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine as the Triton, as well as featuring a six- or eight-speed speed automatic transmission and full-time 4x4 system.
Like many ute-based SUVs such as the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, the Pajero will reportedly share similar dimensions to the Triton, however it could end up being shorter in length due to not needing a tub, despite likely being fitted with three rows of seats.
Images of test vehicles globally and in Australia have shown the Pajero’s overall design is largely related to the Destinator, a Toyota LandCruiser Prado-sized SUV for South-East Asia and some parts of Africa.
