Mitsubishi Pajero
Mitsubishi
Photo: DY5W-sport / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mitsubishi Pajero: The Dakar-Conquering Off-Road Legend
The Pajero is Mitsubishi's iconic off-road SUV, a Dakar Rally legend whose toughness and capability earned a worldwide following over four generations.
Launched in 1982, the Pajero quickly established itself as one of the most capable off-road vehicles of its era. Sold as the Montero in the Americas and Shogun in the UK, it combined rugged four-wheel-drive engineering with increasing levels of on-road comfort as the generations progressed.
The Pajero's competition record is the stuff of legend. Mitsubishi's rally team racked up a remarkable string of overall victories in the Dakar Rally, including a long winning streak in the 2000s, making the Pajero one of the most successful vehicles in the event's history. That motorsport pedigree was central to its tough, dependable image.
Over four generations the Pajero evolved from a utilitarian workhorse into a sophisticated SUV with independent suspension, monocoque construction in later versions, and refined V6 power. Production of the full-size Pajero wound down at the end of the 2010s, but its legacy as an off-road icon endures.