Auto

Curtains close on Mitsubishi’s flagship off-roader with the Pajero Final Edition

 CALLUM HUNTER

MITSUBISHI Motors Australia Limited’s (MMAL) venerable Pajero has finally reached the end of its line with production of the iconic off-roader coming to an end last month, yielding 800 ‘Final Edition’ vehicles for our market.

Arriving in local showrooms priced $500 above their regular counterparts, the ‘Final Edition’ nameplate has been applied to all three Pajero trim levels – GLX ($54,990), GLS ($60,490) and Exceed ($63,490) – and refers quite simply to any example produced in March.

In exchange for the extra $500 and to help mark them out as the last of their kind, the Pajero Final Editions come as standard with a unique ‘Final Edition’ tailgate badge, tinted bonnet protector, ‘Final Edition’ carpet fl oor mats, a rear cargo liner, rear boot fl ap and leather compendium.

All the rest of the standard kit is as per the respective trim levels with the GLX sporting a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, a leather steering wheel, climate control, LED daytime running lights, power folding door mirrors, cruise control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a reversing camera, 17-inch alloys and automatic high beam.

Th e mid-range GLS ups the ante with bigger 18-inch alloys, chrome exterior trim, rear privacy glass, leather accented upholstery, heated front seats, 12-speaker Rockford premium audio system, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights and rear parking sensors.

At the top of the range, the Exceed adds even more chrome trim, aluminium pedals, illuminated front scuff plates, leather seats and an electric sunroof with tilt and slide functions.

All Pajeros feature a locking rear diff erential, low-range transfer case and MMAL’s Super Select II four-wheel-drive system to help them navigate off -road terrain, helped further by 225mm of ground clearance and approach, departure and breakover angles of 36.6, 25 and 22.5 degrees respectively.

Its fate was sealed

Wading depth is pegged at 700mm.

In terms of safety, all Pajeros sport emergency brake assist, active stability and traction controls, multi-mode anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake override system and the usual array of front, side and curtain airbags.

Just as like it has since 2009, the familiar turbocharged 3.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine continues to churn out 147kW/441Nm with drive sent to the road via a fi ve-speed automatic transmission.

As reported by GoAuto in July last year, the Pajero’s demise has been brought about by the ‘Small but Beautiful’ mid-term business plan which aims to reduce fi xed costs by 20 per cent or more, most of which – up to 15 per cent – is set to be made through redundancies and other “headcount rationalisation” measures.

Th e fi nancial woes were largely att ributed to the crippling eff ects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with decidedly average sales performances in recent years not helping the Pajero’s case.

Slow sales ultimately proved to be the fi nal nail in the coffi n for the Prado rival with the Triton-based Pajero Sport outselling its bigger and more expensive stablemate more than three times over in the fi rst half of 2020 (3048 vs 979) – the current fi gure at the time of writing the original report.

Th e now 15-year-old Pajero recovered somewhat in the second half of the year to chalk up 2399 sales, but that was only enough to snag a 2.6 per cent share of the sub-$70,000 large SUV segment compared to the 6.6 per cent share of the Pajero Sport (6017) – its fate was sealed.

It has been a similar story so far this year ending April, with the Pajero Sport once again outselling its bigger cousin more than twice over (2132 vs 1032) however neither can hold a candle to the Toyota Prado’s 5347 sales (15.6% share).

2022 Mitsubishi Pajero pricing*

GLX (a) $54,490

GLX Final Edition (a) $54,990

GLS (a) $59,990

GLS Final Edition (a) $60,490

Exceed (a) $62,990

Exceed Final Edition(a) $63,490 *Excludes on-road costs