Mitsubishi had barely brought the Pajero back before giving fans another reason to get excited. At the SUV's world premiere, the company rolled out a striking Pajero Rally Concept in Ralliart colors, complete with wider wheel arches, underbody protection, a snorkel, off-road tires and vivid red rally graphics. It looks almost like a production-ready performance Pajero. But that is where things get interesting.
Mitsubishi cooled Ralliart fans' expectations almost immediately. Chief Product Specialist Kunitoshi Itagaki said the company currently has no specific project or Ralliart model ready to announce. Still, the door is not completely closed: Mitsubishi will continue studying ways to develop the idea because the Ralliart heritage remains important to the brand.
There is another catch. Based on the information released so far, the Rally Concept relies more on attitude than extra power: most of its differences from the regular Pajero come down to off-road accessories, and some of those parts are still prototypes. Mitsubishi has not announced a dedicated engine, reinforced transmission or special performance chassis for the concept. In other words, the tough look is already here, but a full-fledged Pajero Ralliart is not.
The production Pajero itself returned on September 2 as Mitsubishi's body-on-frame, seven-seat flagship. It uses a 2.4-liter turbo-diesel, an eight-speed automatic, Super Select 4WD-II and the S-AWC system. The rally theme is not just decoration either: Pajero has scored 12 Dakar victories, while experience from today's Team Mitsubishi Ralliart and its Triton pickup was used in developing the new SUV. So the big question is simple: will Mitsubishi dare to turn the dramatic Rally Concept into a real production Ralliart?
