Mitsubishi will roll out the all new Pajero Sports AT variant in India by October 2014, the company recently showcased Pajero Sports AT at the Bangkok Motor Show. Pajero’s new AT version will come affixed with the INVECS-II five-speed automatic gearbox bestowed with Sportronic function. The successor model will carry forward four-wheel drive system available in the outgoing version.
India-spec Pajero and Thailand-spec Pajero share the same 2.5 litre, four cylinder, DOHC diesel motor that generates a maximum power and torque output of 178 PS at 4,000 RPM and 350 Nm between 1,800 to 3,500 RPM. The MT variant of SUV engenders higher torque output of 400 Nm between 2,000 to 3,500 RPM as compared to the AT version. Pajero’s new AT variant will borrow various comfort and safety features from its MT version.
Mitsubishi India sources Pajero SUV from Thailand and assembles it at Hindustan Motor’s Tiruvallur plant located in suburbs of Chennai. In 2012, Mitsubishi gave Pajero a mild facelift, the SUV have been registering low sales in India since past few months. If we go by numbers, the company managed to sell only 100 units of Pajero in the domestic market in last six months. In a bid to boost sales of Pajero SUV in India, the car maker is also proffering a cash discount of Rs 30,000. New Pajero AT is likely to get a little price bump as against the current price which begins at Rs 23.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). However the company has not hinted anything yet on the pricing details.
Among its rivals, popular SUVs like Hyundai Santa Fe AT, Toyota Fortuner AT, SsangYong Rexton AT and Chevrolet Captiva AT are included. These SUVs are not only endowed with appealing looks but they are also well equipped. On the other hand Pajero lags behind a tad when it comes to features being offered in the SUV. But what gives it an edge over its competition is the availability of four wheel drive on AT version that lacks in other SUVs in its segment.
