Mitsubishi Pajero To Be Discontinued In Japan; Pajero Final Edition Goes On Sale

Mitsubishi will be discontinuing production of the Pajero in the Japanese market. This decision comes after the company faced months of low demand for the old-school SUV. According to a report by Motor1, Production of the standard variant has already been discontinued and Mitsubishi has launched the Pajero Final Edition in Japan to commemorate the end of an icon.

The Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the most well-known SUVs in the world and boasts of a legendary image among off-road and expeditionary circles. However, competition became tougher in the last few years and Mitsubishi too had moved on from the Pajero to more modern SUVs.

Hence, the death of the Pajero was an anticipated one. The Mitsubishi Pajero was launched way back in 1982 and it almost immediately made a mark in various international markets. It offered ruggedness, reliability and workhorse-like characteristics, all at a low price.

However, things changed drastically in the SUV segment over the years. Ladder frame chassis gave way to modern monocoque bodies and the old-school SUV breed soon became a dying one. The Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the few last surviving old-school SUVs.

In 2018, Mitsubishi launched the Pajero Final Edition in Europe and brought an end to the Pajero brand in the continent.

The current-gen model that is sold as the Pajero in international markets was sold in India as the Mitsubishi Montero as the previous-gen Pajero still had strong demand in India.

It was in 2018 that the Mitsubishi Montero was discontinued from the Indian market and now the time has come for it to exit from the Japanese market as well. The MItsubishi Pajero Final Edition for Japan is powered by a 3.2-litre turbo-diesel engine with a maximum power output of 190bhp and a peak torque output of 441Nm.

A 5-speed manual gearbox drives all four wheels via a super-select 4WD II system with a lockable rear differential. Inside the car is a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, electric driver and passenger seats, electric sunroof, leather upholstery, etc. The car is sold in over 70 other markets and the Japanese brand is expected to continue sales there for as long as it can be sustained.

Thoughts On Mitsubishi Pajero To Be Discontinued In Japan

The SUV segment in markets all over the world except America has changed. Buyers no longer want large bulky SUVs with low fuel efficiency, but they rather prefer smaller SUVs with modern underpinnings and powertrain to allow for a better overall driving experience. This shift has been seen in India too, and the crowd of compact SUVs explains that.