Product attributes
Mitsubishi marketed the SUV as the Montero in Spain and the Americas (except for Brazil and Jamaica) and as the Shogun in the United Kingdom, but it is no longer marketed in North America as of late 2006. The Pajero nameplate derives from Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas cat.
The Pajero, Montero, and Shogun names were also applied to other, mechanically unrelated models, such as the Pajero Mini kei car, the Pajero Junior and Pajero iO/Pinin mini SUVs, and the Triton-based Pajero/Montero/Shogun Sport mid-size SUVs. The Pajero is one of three models by Mitsubishi (the others being the Triton and Pajero Sport) that share Mitsubishi's heavy-duty, off-road-oriented Super-Select four-wheel-drive system as opposed to their light-duty Mitsubishi S-AWC all-wheel-drive system.
History
The Pajero's history traces to 1934 with the Mitsubishi PX33 prototype commissioned for the Japanese Government. Mitsubishi presented the first Pajero prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in November 1973 then Pajero II prototype followed in 1978, five years later The first production version of the Pajero lineage was debuted at the 1981 Tokyo Motor Show before sales officially began in 1982. The Pajero was initially marketed as a luxury, yet rugged and capable competitor to the Land Rover Range Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser of the time.
