Mitsubishi Pajero

Not to be confused with Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Mitsubishi Pajero iO, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini, or Mitsubishi Pajero Junior.
"Dodge Raider" redirects here. For the pickup truck by DaimlerChrysler, see Mitsubishi Raider.

Mitsubishi Pajero
Overview
ManufacturerMitsubishi Motors
Also calledMitsubishi Montero
Mitsubishi Shogun
Production1981–2021[1][2][3]
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size SUV[4]
LayoutFront-engine, four-wheel drive
Chassis
Chronology
PredecessorMitsubishi Jeep

The Mitsubishi Pajero (三菱・パジェロ, Japanese: [pad͡ʑeɾo]; English: /pəˈhɛroʊ/; Spanish: [paˈxeɾo])[6][7] is a full-size SUV (sport utility vehicle) manufactured and marketed globally by Mitsubishi over four generations — introduced in 1981 and discontinued in 2021.[1][2]

The Pajero nameplate derives from Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas cat.[8] Mitsubishi marketed the SUV as the Montero in North America, Spain, and Latin America (except for Brazil and Jamaica) due to the term "pajero" being derogatory (meaning "wanker") in Spanish. In the United Kingdom, it was known as the Shogun, named after the Japanese word for "General." The model was discontinued in North America in 2006.[9]

The Pajero, Montero, and Shogun names were used on other, mechanically unrelated models, such as the Pajero Mini kei car, the Pajero Junior and Pajero iO/Pinin mini SUVs, and the Triton-based Pajero/Montero/Shogun Sport mid-size SUVs. The Pajero is one of four models by Mitsubishi (the others being the Triton, Pajero Sport and the Pajero iO) that share Mitsubishi's heavy-duty, off-road-oriented Super-Select four-wheel-drive system as opposed to their light-duty Mitsubishi S-AWC all-wheel-drive system.

The Pajero has generated more than 3.3 million sales in its 40-year run.[10] The name lives with the smaller Pajero Sport, which is based on the Mitsubishi Triton/L200/Strada pickup.[10] Despite the similarity in name, the Pajero Sport shares none of the original Pajero's underpinnings and is smaller in overall size. Pajero was selected as Historic Car by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame in November, 2023.[11]

  1. ^ a b "Mitsubishi Pajero Finally Going Out Of Production In 2021: Report". Motor1.com.
  2. ^ a b "RIP Mitsubishi Pajero: production to end next year | CarAdvice". CarAdvice.com.
  3. ^ Karr, Anthony (25 April 2019). "Mitsubishi Pajero Final Edition Bids Farewell To Legend In Japan". motor1.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Mitsubishi Pajero lives on … for now". June 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Mellor, Dean (2020-06-23). "Revolutionary monocoque Pajero turns 20!". Unsealed 4X4. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  6. ^ Further information on the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV, p.2, Chameleon Translations Archived 29 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Further information on the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV, p.1, Chameleon Translations Archived 30 August 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Fact & Figures 2005 Archived 2007-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, p. 33, Mitsubishi Motors website
  9. ^ "The USA misses the Mitsubishi Montero". 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Pajero Selected as Historic Car by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame(News Release)".