India-bound 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport unveiled in Thailand
The BIG Motor Sale in Bangkok, Thailand witnessed the debut of the 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero. The new Pajero Sport is packed with a number of features that are a first for any Mitsubishi across the world.
Known as the Montero Sport in some countries, the new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is the second car from the marque to feature the new front design concept that Mitsubishi calls Dynamic Shield (the first one being the Mitsubishi Outlander). This concept includes a redesigned front fascia with oodles of chrome. The headlights are re-shaped and fitted with LED daytime running lamps. At the rear, the tail lamps are vertically oriented light clusters and the lift gate is a new design as well.
But it's the interior where the real changes are seen - a generous helping of silver dominates the centre console, the steering wheel which gets a number of functions mounted on the spokes and even the door handles. The upholstery seen in the Thailand-spec Pajero Sport is all-leather.
What's impressive is the army of safety features that come as standard in the 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in Thailand - Multi-Around camera system connected to the touchscreen infotainment display, blindspot warning, seven SRS airbags along with systems like Forward Collision Mitigation and Ultrasonic misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS).
Under the hood of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a 2.4-litre MIVEC turbodiesel. In what seems to be another first for Mitsubishi, the powerplant is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The grapevine suggests a slight bump in performance (181PS, from 178PS and 430Nm, from 400Nm), but it's the claimed 17 per cent increment in fuel economy that's going to make waves here in India.
Thailand gets the Pajero Sport in three trims - GLS, GT, GT AWD. While the Thailand-spec model gets Mitsubishi's Super-Select 4WD-II, we're not sure if that'll come as standard on all variants in India.
The current Pajero Sport in India comes in 4x2 with automatic and 4x4 versions, which are available in dual exterior colours. With its CKD kits assembled at the Hindustan Motor Finance Corp's (HMFCL) Tiruvallur plant in Tamil Nadu, the older Mitsubishi Pajero Sport retails at prices starting from Rs 24.98 lakh (ex-Delhi). Expect the 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport to hit Indian showrooms in February 2016.