No alarm bells for Pajero
Pajero is safe for the long haul, says Mitsu bossMitsubishi boss Masahiko Takahashi is confident that a true offroad-capable Pajero has a long-term role to play for the brand Down Under. While Nissan Australia is facing an uncertain road ahead for a replacement for the current Patrol, Mitsubishi's large Medium SUV segment combatant is secure, says the MMAL boss.
Takahashi-san said he was confident Pajero has a long future ahead of it in Australia, though he offered one qualifier: "In five years to come we will see a totally different world, so if we continue with exactly the same package as we have now, perhaps it will be a bit difficult."
"We are seeking several options to cope with that situation," he said.
Takahashi confirmed Mitsubishi was considering a two-pronged strategy for the next-generation Pajero. One would be a serious offroader, the other a more 'lifestyle' oriented vehicle.
"That is one of the options," Takahashi stated. "However, that is not finally decided."
Australia is one of Pajero's biggest markets. In 2010 the vehicle has seen somewhat of a resurgence. YTD April its sales are up over 70 per cent compared to 2009.
While officially categorised as a medium SUV, the Mitsubishi often competes with the Patrol and Toyota's LandCruiser for serious offroad buyers' dollars. This year the Pajero has almost doubled Patrol sales but is still around 25 per cent down on LandCruiser.
Takahashi believes that Australia's appetite for medium/large offroad-capable 4x4s is unlikely to wane. Indeed, the chief engineer for the next-generation Pajero has already visited Australia in preparation for the new model's sign-off.
"Australian [outdoor] lifestyle may not be changed [markedly] in the coming 10 or 20 years -- we are clearly aware of that.
"Australia alone can't support viability but this model has demand in the Middle East and the Latin American countries, so the Australian [4x4] lifestyle will continue to be supported," Takahashi quipped.
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