Reborn Pajero plots electric future

Mitsubishi has confirmed a hybrid Pajero is in the pipeline, but the reborn 4x4 flagship will land in Australia this December with a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and nothing else.

Speaking at the world's first drive in Japan, Mitsubishi product strategy divisions chief product specialist, Kunitoshi Itagaki, said electrification was a question of when, not if – he just isn't ready to put a date on it.

Asked whether Mitsubishi's move towards electrified production in Thailand – where both Triton and Pajero are built – opened the door to a Pajero hybrid, Itagaki-san didn't slam it shut.

"So there's a future for electrification, including hybrid, but what the future system will be, I don't know," said the product strategy chief.

It’s likely some form of hybrid powertrain – possibly in conjunction with Nissan – is already being studied and potentially undergoing testing, as the brand cannot rely on purely diesel power in the face of most global car markets tightening CO2 emissions laws.

"Mitsubishi motors, of course, we have to be across research and development for hybrid technologies for products such as the Pajero and Triton in the future," explained Itagaki-san.

However, he also said Mitsubishi wouldn’t accept something that isn’t fit for purpose.

"But now I can say to meet Mitsubishi standards, future electrifying models must deliver not only strong [metrics] on all of the performance, but also the offroad capability, towing performance, durability, and reliability expected of authentic Mitsubishi motors models.

"So [we must] ensure that the electrified models can maintain these characteristics, while they deliver the distinct Mitsubishi driving experience," he said, concluding that "…market introduction will therefore take like additional time, I think."

Translation: don't hold your breath. And it leaves Mitsubishi watching from the sidelines while rivals crack on.

GWM's Tank 500 Hi4-T pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with a 37.11kWh battery for 300kW/750Nm at $79,990 drive-away.

Denza's B5 is similarly priced, opening at $74,990 excluding ORCs with 400kW/760Nm, locking diffs and up to 100km of electric range.

Both undercut or match the Pajero's upper grades while doubling its outputs.

Mitsubishi's has an Outlander PHEV vehicle powered by a 2.4-litre petrol four with twin motors and a 22.7kWh battery good for 86km. Which is where it gets tricky.

A Pajero has to tow 3.5 tonnes, and a naturally aspirated petrol hybrid dragging a caravan up the Toowoomba Range is a very different proposition to a school run in Glen Waverley.

If old mate Kunitoshi wants it to pull like a Pajero should, he'll need serious torque – forced induction, bigger motors, or something we haven't seen yet.

The sales numbers suggest Mitsubishi need to move sooner rather than later with hybrid tech for the Pajero and Triton.

August VFACTS shows 10,591 plug-in hybrids across passenger, SUV and light commercial, up 171.1 per cent year-on-year, with 75,206 sold year to date – a 124.2 per cent jump. Diesel fell 22.5 per cent for the month.

It’s clear Mitsubishi won’t be rushed into launching a piecemeal hybrid system and wants something fit for purpose, and Itagaki said as much.

“Market introduction [of hybrid powertrains] will therefore take like additional time, I think,” he said.

Could Mitsubishi go the Chery Stockman route – a diesel plug-in hybrid with loads of power and torque, maybe 350kW/800Nm – rather than a petrol one? Either way, if the Pajero hybrid is going tow, explore go off-road and tour, it’ll need plenty of mumbo.

Time will tell and for now, diesel will have to do.

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