New-gen Mitsubishi Pajero Sport India launch in 2019
15th Sep 2018 10:52 am
Next-generation SUV will replace the ageing second-gen Pajero Sport; will come in as an import but could be locally assembled at a later date.
Six years - that's how long Mitsubishi went without launching a new product in India. With the introduction of the Outlander, the Japanese carmaker broke that dry spell, but it's looking to make a comeback on the back of an SUV-heavy line-up. Spearheading that comeback will be the third-generation Pajero Sport, a product that has already been a long time coming. We can now confirm the butch SUV will finally go on sale in India only in late 2019. As per a Mitsubishi insider, the model will be brought in as a completely built import initially, and could eventually be assembled. How the decision to import rather than locally assemble pans out with respect to pricing will be critical. All of the Pajero Sport’s rivals such as the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Isuzu MU-X and the soon-to-be-launched Mahindra Y400 are assembled locally.
The third-gen Pajero Sport is not entirely new having gone on sale in markets abroad in 2015. Test mules have been spotted testing, suggesting a midlife facelift for the Pajero Sport is on the way, and that could be the model that eventually makes it to India. Based on the same platform as the Triton pick-up truck, the new Pajero Sport promises to offer every bit of the ruggedness that has won the current model a loyal fan following in India. Four wheel drive will be on offer, and an off-road mode will be part of the package as well.
The Pajero Sport looks aggressive with sharp headlights and a bold grille, and also has lot of bling with a generous helping of chrome. On the inside, the new Pajero Sport gets features such as an all-leather interior, dual-zone climate control, a touchscreen infotainment system, a 360-degree camera, seven airbags and an electronic hand brake, among other things. Worth noting is that the SUV also secured a five-star rating in the Australian NCAP crash tests though final spec will determine how it fares in India’s upcoming crash test.
Powering the new Pajero Sport is a 2.4-litre MIVEC diesel which makes 181hp and 430Nm of torque, that comes mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. You can expect the engine to be BS VI-compliant by the time the SUV makes it to India.
The current-gen Pajero Sport gave Mitsubishi a fillip in India when it went on sale in 2012. The new one could do the same for the Japanese manufacturer that has for long been on the fringes in the Indian automotive market.
Think the Pajero Sport could pose a genuine threat to the Toyota Fortuner's dominance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.