Reputed auto magazine BBC Top Gear has awarded Mitsubishi's SUV Pajero Sport with the title 'Off roader of the year' for 2012 on 10th December. The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport was launched in March 2012 by Hindustan Motors Limited, and this award reflects the world-class ability of the legendary monster SUV. As per an article titled 'The Legend lives on' within its magazine, BBC Top Gear quoted, “The Pajero Sport's simplicity translates into reliability. And when the road disappears, reliability can be the difference between life and death."
The award was received by Uttam Bose, Managing Director at Hindustan Motors Limited, during a function at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. On receiving the award, he said, “This award is yet another endorsement of Pajero Sport's invincibility across all terrains, especially the rough and tough one. This mighty sport utility vehicle, which has the unique distinction of having won the world's toughest car contest - Dakar Rally - consecutively for 13 times, is a testimony to the strong collaboration between Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan." The Paris-Dakar is one of the toughest off-roading endurance rallies conducted across Africa and Europe, and is held every year.
In India, Pajero vehicles are manufactured and assembled by C.K. Birla's Hindustan Motors group, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). A technical collaboration was achieved between the two companies in the year 1998. Launches that took place due to collaboration were the Lancer (1998), Pajero SFX (2002), the Cedia in 2006, Montero in 2009, Outlander (2010) and the Lancer Evolution X in 2010. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is also a product of the same collaboration.
