Mitsubishi has revived the iconic Pajero nameplate. The SUV has entered its fifth generation and features an all-new design. The market launch is expected by March next year. The company has now shared the first official video of the new Pajero on its social handles. It shows the design details of the SUV along with some of its features.
The video begins by showing the front view of the vehicle. It has a solid road presence. Instead of iterating on the previous Pajeros’ designs, Mitsubishi has used the same design language seen on models like the Destinator and Xforce, on this vehicle. The front end, as can be seen in the video, looks modern and bulky. There is a massive grille area with the Mitsubishi logo on it. The headlamps are sleek and the ‘7-shaped’ LED DRLs are sleeker and feature animations. The front bumper comes with a bold skid plate as well.
The side view remains clean and modern. The new Pajero rides on stylish 20-inch wheels shod with H/T tyres. The long wheelbase and short overhangs are clearly visible from the side. We will also notice Black cladding around wheel arches, Black trims along the doors, and a side step. The door handles are regular pull-type units.
The rear gets a more rounded design, stylish LED tail lamps and a conventional tailgate. No ‘fifth door’ like we used to see on older models. The spare wheel sits underneath the SUV. There is a Mitsubishi logo and bold ‘PAJERO’ badging on the tailgate.
The new Pajero keeps its off-roader genes safe. The design of the front and rear bumpers ensure good approach and departure angles. It seems to have good ground clearance too. Plus, the new model comes with rugged off-road hardware and the iconic multi-meter which we will talk about later in this story. Overall, the design seems modern, balanced and clean. It may not, however, please purists who used to love the design of older Pajero models. They would have wished the new model to stay closer to those with its visual identity.
The video then shows the SUV’s interior and some of its features. Higher variants of the new Pajero come with a 14.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment unit. The multi-meter mentioned above is no longer a physical unit. It has been integrated into the screen. It shows the SUV’s pitch and roll angles, altitude and compass heading. More interestingly, it even shows the torque distribution between the left and right sides. This display seems to be more useful and practical than what it used to be on older Pajeros.
The instrument cluster is also a digital display with a horizontal layout. The SUV has a chunky, four-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls. Mitsubishi has retained physical controls for all basic vehicle functions. The front passenger side has a ‘Kimekomi’ assist grip. Overall the cabin looks sophisticated. In fact, very luxurious for a Mitsubishi model.
The second half of the video shows the new Pajero having some off-road fun. A rotary dial on te centre console can be used to switch between the various modes- 2H, 4H , 4HLC and 4LLC- parts of Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD-II. The SUV also comes with 7 drive modes- Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock. There is even an under-floor view on offer (540-degree camera), for easier navigation on terrains. It also comes with Super All-Wheel Control technology.
The new Pajero has a seven-seater layout and the video shows just how comfortable and spacious the second row is.
Mitsubishi offers just a single diesel engine on the new Pajero. It is a 2.4-litre turbocharged unit that makes 204PS and 480Nm. The new Pajero is based on a heavily modified version of the Triton pickup truck’s platform. The engine also comes from the truck, but has a different character. Unlike its twin-turbo form on the truck, this engine comes as a regular turbo-diesel on the SUV. It, however, makes 10Nm more torque on the Pajero, and comes mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission.