No sparring between Challenger and Pajero

Mitsubishi has confirmed that the Triton-based SUV for the Australian market will definitely be named 'Challenger' -- not Pajero Sport as had been suggested in some circles.

The new model (more here) follows in the footsteps of the previous Challenger, which was also based on a contemporaneous Triton platform and last sold here in 2006. Both the new model and the current Pajero will sell in the same market segment, but will be horses of quite different colours.

Whereas the Pajero is built on a monocoque platform, the Challenger will be mounted on a full chassis and is likely to be significantly smaller, but may conquest sales from crew cab pick-ups (which aren't tallied in the medium SUV segment as such, but are increasingly popular).

Robert McEniry, MMAL's President and CEO, revealed that the new Challenger will be launched here some time during the first half of 2009.

"If we possibly can [we will] move it forward early next year," McEniry told journalists at the launch of the Ralliart and Sportback Lancers.

"Challenger will be a great addition to our product range and one that we're looking forward to very much. This car has 'cliniced' very, very strongly...

McEniry explicitly acknowledged the potential for overlap between the Challenger and Pajero.

"This car will be well positioned versus the Pajero, in terms of spec, to give them both an opportunity in the marketplace," he said.

In foreign markets, the Challenger is branded 'Pajero Sport', but MMAL is planning to stick with the Challenger nameplate for the new model. 

"It will be called 'Challenger'," confirmed Chris Maxted, MMAL's Manager for Product Strategy, Passenger Cars.

"[It will be due] towards the end of the first quarter. I think it will be on display at the [Melbourne International] Motor Show."

Asked whether any consideration was given to going with the Pajero Sport model name for the Challenger in Australia, Maxted explained that the cons outweighed the pros.

"Challenger had a good name anyway, and when you've got a good nameplate, it's a lot easier to continue it -- because you don't have to spend lots of dollars establishing a new name," he said.

Given the relative proximity within the market to the Pajero, naming a vehicle the same, with the added 'Sport' appellation could cause confusion, rather than share prestige.

Mitsubishi has drawn on the Pajero name in the past -- with the Pajero iO -- but MMAL prefers to draw a link between the new model and the earlier vehicles of the same name, rather than trying to tie the new car to the Pajero.

According to Maxted, even though it's been two years since the last Challenger was still on sale, the new vehicle was still perceived as a successor to the earlier Challenger -- verifying McEniry's remark that the Challenger had polled very well in market research. Convincing the buying public that the new vehicle is a 'Pajero Sport' and not a 'Challenger' is an expensive proposition, says Maxted.

"It's a huge amount of money to do that and, in a market where probably that end of the SUV market isn't as big as something like [Toyota's] Yaris [formerly named 'Echo'], to spend a whole lot of money establishing a new name, doesn't make financial sense."

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