Mitsubishi Pajero Sport "Anniversary Edition" SUV launched

The Hindustan Motors-Mitsubishi joint venture has launched the "Anniversary Edition" of the Pajero Sport, thus marking one year of the SUV's launch in India. The Pajero Sport is the best selling model in Mitsubishi's two SUV Indian line up (the other product is the Montero SUV imported through the CBU route). The Pajero Sport's Anniversary Edition model comes with a few additional features and here's a round up,

• Touch Screen Audio System with GPS Navigation
• Reverse Parking Camera
• Rear Spoiler
• Body Coloured Bumpers and Mud Guards
• Anniversary Edition Decal 

The Pajero Sport retains the 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 178 PS of peak power and 400 Nm of peak torque. This engine is mated to a five speed manual gearbox and the SUV doesn't get an automatic gearbox as an option, in a segment where automatic gearboxes rule the roost. The SUV gets Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system, that allows the driver to toggle between four drive modes: 2 wheel drive, 4 WD High, 4 WD High with locked center differential and 4 WD Low with locked center differential.

The Pajero Sport is priced at 23.56 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi, a price that pits the SUV against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and the Nissan X-Trail. The Pajero Sport is assembled at Hindustan Motors's Tiruvallur factory, off Chennai, through completely knocked down (CKD) kits. The SUV is the only CKD assembled Mitsubishi product to be sold in India. Hindustan Motors's Tiruvallur factory will soon begin contract assembling the Isuzu D-Max pick up truck and MU-7 SUV.

Late last year, the Pajero SFX made way for the Pajero Sport once CKD assembly of the latter began at Tiruvallur. (The Pajero Sport was initially imported in completely built unit form). The Pajero SFX was discontinued even though it was a decent seller for Mitsubishi in India as the CKD assembly of the Pajero Sport put it in direct competition with the Pajero SFX, a three decade old SUV model. To avoid cannibalization of the Pajero Sport's sales, Mitsubishi discontinued the Pajero SFX from the Indian market.