Mitsubishi Pajero nameplate's future depends on CO2

More stringent emissions regulations this year have started to close markets to the current Mitsubishi Pajero — and any future Pajero will have to include electrification to meet incoming emission regulations, says Mitsubishi.

Speaking to media at the recent 2019 Mitsubishi Triton reveal in Bangkok, Mitsubishi’s global chief Trevor Mann said the company is in the throes of deciding on the Pajero’s future, but key to it is ensuring it will meet all current – and future – emissions regulations.

“We’ve not solidified our position as yet. It’s something our hearts really want to do, that our engineers really want to do, but we’ve got to make sure that we have the right business case,” he said.

“Because, as you know, that segment is actually shrinking because of emissions, mainly, so we need to make sure that when we do something we do it properly and that we can future-proof it in terms of emissions.”

Asked if hybridisation was the answer, Mann answered in the positive but with a proviso – the figures have to stack up.

”Some of the clues are in your question... can hybrid help us do that? Well, in theory, yes, hybrid can help us achieve that.

“But do we have a full business case that is now going to allow us to spend our R&D money to take the next step is not quite clear. We’ve got the ingredients on the table. We haven’t mixed them up and put them in the oven yet, if I can use that analogy.

“The passion still exists... on the ‘Pajero-next’, if you like.”

Part of that mixture for ‘Pajero-next’ – like all platforms in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – hangs on what platform a future Pajero could share within the company.

The only large dual-range, non ute-based SUV on the Alliance books other than Pajero is Nissan’s Y62 Patrol/Armada.

But Mann suggested that it was unlikely that Pajero could share a platform with Armada as it stands today.

“We’re still deciding on how we want to position this vehicle, but the customer base is different to Armada,” he said.

Meanwhile, the current Pajero — first seen globally as a fresh-sheet design with the NM series in 1999 — and basically unchanged since the 2008 NT update – is starting to be withdrawn from markets due to being unable to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations.

For example, European Pajero sales stopped in August as the 3.2-litre Di-D turbo-diesel could not be made to meet stringent Euro 6.2 emissions levels.

The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) regulations -- basically a step in the process linking Euro 6 targets to real-world emissions testing -- were introduced for all new registrations in European Union states in September.

According to Mitsubishi Australia’s PR boss Karl Gehling, Australia will need to follow Europe’s lead to quit Pajero sales due to emissions regulations “in a couple of years”.

“Australia has at least a couple of years, as we don’t have a Euro 6 legislation time frame yet.”

Introduction of Euro 6 emissions standards in Australia is still being discussed by a ministerial forum chaired by the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher to examine issues such as the implementation of Euro 6, fuel quality standards, fuel efficiency measures and emission testing arrangements.

Draft Regulation Impact Statements were released last year but no further decisions on future Australian emissions regulations have been announced.