Mitsubishi Pajero

The Mitsubishi Pajero is a full-size, body-on-frame SUV that shaped the four-wheel-drive market across four decades. Introduced in 1981 and manufactured through 2021, it accumulated more than 3.3 million global sales and earned a loyal following among overland travellers, safari operators, and off-road enthusiasts alike. In Sri Lanka, the Pajero became a staple of wildlife-park safaris and upcountry road trips, where its ground clearance and Super-Select four-wheel-drive system proved well suited to rough terrain.

Where does the Pajero name come from?

The nameplate derives from Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas cat native to South America — a fitting reference for a vehicle engineered to tackle demanding landscapes. However, the word "pajero" carries a vulgar meaning in Spanish slang, which led Mitsubishi to rebadge the vehicle for different markets. In North America, Spain, and most of Latin America it was sold as the Montero; in the United Kingdom and Ireland it was marketed as the Shogun, a name drawn from the Japanese word for a feudal military commander.

How was the Pajero sold across different generations?

Mitsubishi produced the Pajero across four distinct generations, progressively refining its suspension, interior comfort, and powertrain options without abandoning its off-road credentials.

• First generation (1981–1991): Launched as a compact off-roader with solid front and rear axles and a choice of petrol or diesel engines. It established the model's reputation for durability.
• Second generation (1991–2000): Grew in size, introduced independent front suspension, and began offering short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase body styles. Multi-link rear suspension arrived mid-cycle.
• Third generation (2000–2006): Switched to a fully independent suspension layout, significantly improving on-road manners while retaining serious off-road capability. North American sales ended with this generation in 2006.
• Fourth generation (2006–2021): Refined the platform further, added modern safety and infotainment systems, and kept the Super-Select 4WD system that long-time owners valued. Production ended in 2021.

What made the Pajero's drivetrain special?

The Pajero is one of only four Mitsubishi models — alongside the Triton, Pajero Sport, and Pajero iO — equipped with Mitsubishi's heavy-duty Super-Select 4WD system. Unlike the brand's lighter S-AWC all-wheel-drive setup used in passenger crossovers, Super-Select allows the driver to choose between two-wheel drive, full-time four-wheel drive, and locked four-wheel drive low-range, making it a genuine tool for mud, sand, and rock rather than simply a wet-weather aid.

That drivetrain flexibility is a key reason the Pajero found practical use in places like Udawalawe National Park, where safari vehicles regularly navigate rutted dry-zone tracks in pursuit of elephant herds.

How does the Pajero relate to other Mitsubishi models with similar names?

Mitsubishi used the Pajero nameplate on several mechanically unrelated vehicles, which can cause confusion when researching the range.

What is the Pajero's legacy in Sri Lanka?

Across Sri Lanka's national parks, the Pajero earned a reputation as a reliable platform for wildlife safaris. Its long-wheelbase variants offered enough interior space for guide, driver, and passengers, while the raised suspension kept occupants above the scrub in dry-zone habitats. Operators running routes into Wilpattu National Park — one of the island's largest and least-disturbed reserves — often favoured the Pajero for its combination of cabin comfort on long access roads and low-range traction on sandy forest tracks.

Beyond wildlife touring, the Pajero was widely used as a private hire and chauffeur vehicle on Sri Lanka's hill-country routes, where mountain gradients and occasional landslip debris demanded a vehicle with genuine off-road reserve. The model's discontinuation in 2021 has made well-maintained used examples sought after by operators reluctant to transition to lighter crossovers.

Why was the Pajero discontinued?

Mitsubishi has not released an exhaustive official explanation, but several factors contributed. Globally, consumer preferences shifted toward lighter unibody crossovers that offer similar passenger capacity with better fuel economy and a lower purchase price. Body-on-frame full-size SUVs faced tightening emissions regulations in key markets, making the cost of compliance harder to justify against declining sales volumes. By the time production ended in 2021, Mitsubishi's SUV strategy had consolidated around the Eclipse Cross and Outlander unibody platforms, with off-road heritage carried forward by the Triton-based Pajero Sport.

How does the Pajero compare to the Pajero Sport?

Despite sharing a name, the two vehicles are fundamentally different machines. The original Pajero used a purpose-built, body-on-frame chassis with independent front suspension and multi-link rear suspension tuned for off-road articulation. The Pajero Sport is built on the Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck platform — a ladder-frame design but one shared with a commercial utility vehicle rather than a dedicated SUV. The Pajero Sport is smaller in overall dimensions, lighter, and aimed at buyers who want credible off-road ability at a lower price point. For demanding terrain and longer-distance touring, the full-size Pajero offered more isolation and refinement.