Punchy Pajero

Motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE looks at the new range of Pajeros, which has undergone the first complete redesign in eight years.


Mitsubishi New Zealand will enter new technological territory this month when it unveils its long-wheelbase Pajero range complete with ground-breaking direct-injection engines.

The new model is the first completely redesigned Pajero since 1992. The first appeared in 1982.

Two engines will be available - a four-cylinder, 3.2-litre, 16-valve turbo-diesel and a 3.5-litre, V6, 24-valve petrol unit, both producing improved power and torque and fitted with the latest immobilisers.

The DID (Direct Injection Diesel) engine produces 121kW at 3800 rpm and 373Nm of pulling power at a worklike 2000 rpm.

The GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) unit develops 151kW at 5500 rpm and 318Nm at 3750 rpm.

Mitsubishi says the diesel unit offers 27 per cent better economy than the outgoing oil-burner. The petrol powerplant is also more fuel efficient and reduces exhaust emissions by a whopping 70 per cent.

The company has finalised prices and specifications for the new models but won't officially announce them until the March 23 launch.

However, word on the street has it that they will cost:

* $69,500 for the GLS manual diesel

* $73,500 for the GLS automatic diesel

* $75,500 for the GLS automatic V6 petrol

* $81,500 for the Exceed, the luxury automatic V6.

The automatics use an improved version of Mitsubishi's adaptive transmission, a computer-controlled system called INVEC-II which monitors a driver's style. The manual is a five-speed box.

The specification of the range is expected to be high, each one equipped with things like keyless entry, front and rear air-conditioning, the latest safety devices, Mitsubishi's Super Select electronic four-wheel-drive system, alloy wheels, CD auto-changer, an underfloor storage compartment in the rear ... Uncle Tom Cobbley and all.

The Exceed gets a few other goodies, including side airbags, leather, door mirrors that won't fog up, and a driver's seat with push-button adjustment.

Another first for Pajero is Mitsubishi's adoption of a monocoque body and fully independent suspension, perfected by its success in the Paris to Dakhar rally over the past 15 years.

The independent setup will interest rival carmakers Toyota, Nissan and Land Rover, who are also developing similar monocoque units to meet new American regulations outlawing a separate ladder chassis. The truck-like ladder isn't designed to "give" and is intrusive in an accident.

The Mercedes-Benz ML is independently sprung, so is the Toyota RAV4. But both vehicles are aimed more at town-and-around travel and certainly don't have the proven off-road reputation of the Pajero.

Independent suspension improves ride comfort and handling on the highway but many off-road specialists prefer instead the longer wheel travel that simple live axles provide.

The geometry of independent units limits wheel travel and is one reason why such systems have been slow to gain acceptance in off-road circles.

But Mitsubishi says its double wishbone/coiled springs setup in the front and multi-link arrangement at the rear provides more wheel travel than that on the outgoing model with its live rear axle. It also has a wider track and lower centre of gravity.

The long-wheelbase Pajeros are longer, wider and lower than their predecessors. The vehicle itself has a more muscular appearance, thanks mainly to prominent wheel arches and front fenders, and headlights and turn signal housed in a single unit.

The interior is all-new, too. Mitsubishi says its designers moulded it around the different seating arrangements to provide a relaxed atmosphere for occupants and to provide more head, shoulder and leg room. Noise, vibration and harshness levels have been reduced, too.

The third row of seats, which were of a flip-up design in the previous Pajero, can now be either stowed under the floor or removed for greater space.

Mitsubishi apparently has no plans to bring in the short-wheelbase Pajero. Both models have been popular in New Zealand and largely have a history of good reliability.