Companies

Mitsubishi Motors Considers Reviving Once-Flagship Pajero SUV for Domestic Market by 2027

Courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
Mitsubishi Pajero

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:45 JST, March 23, 2024

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is considering bringing back the Pajero, its once flagship sport utility vehicle model, in Japan by 2027. Its production for the domestic market has been stopped since 2019 due to declining sales.

Originally introduced in 1982, the Pajero became the face of the SUV boom and as an exemplar of strong off-road vehicles, winning the desert-terrain Dakar Rally 12 times.

At its peak, production numbers exceeded 160,000 units annually, but had dropped below 50,000 units by the time it was discontinued. The domestic factory where the Pajero was manufactured has already been shut down.

In its revival, Mitsubishi plans to develop a new Pajero model based on the Triton, its mainstay pickup truck, and will be built in and imported from Thailand. The automaker aims to leverage its four-wheel-drive technology with the Pajero’s comeback to differentiate itself from competitors.