Pajero's in Brazil

[Gruni14]

Hey, I just returned from 3 weeks in Brazil. Saw a lot of Pajero's mostly new models, 2dr and 4dr versions, which looked great. No message here, just to say that they looked nice and it was refreshing to see them running around down there. I imagine there's an explanation why they don't sell them here. I haven't heard why but probably has to do with certain safety regulations they don't meet and would require a lot of expensive tooling to meet ...like roof crush standards, who knows. Either way, they're alive and kicking down under..

Cheers!

 

[Swift_45a]

The rest of the World loves them, its just that in the US SUVs are typically seen being driven by soccer moms whilst taking the kids to school rather than getting dirty overlanding in the Rubicon or Moab, and the Manufactures know this and act accordingly. And I wouldn't be so mad about it because I will never buy a car brand new, I'd be content with getting used turbo Gen 2.5/3/4 SWB-LWB for as cheap as they sale for in Japan + shipping costs.

Brazil has some amazing ads, along with the Thai's; I remember one for the Gen 3 Dakar version and it was in a simulated sandstorm, they really dig these trucks and where they live they need these to live not just play around with on the weekend.

Here is a recent promo from Japan with the Pajero's rally heritage to get everyone centered and follow Dakar:


In the next 10-15 years I think these trucks are going to be the new Landcruiser in terms of icons of the era. In fact I'd like to see an Icon Landcruiser VS Some Gen 3 built like EuroSonic's with a Turbo DOHC 6g74 or V8. I think barring the interior (because who cares about that, really?) it would stand up to just about anything they can make.

 

[Gruni14]

its just that in the US SUVs are typically seen being driven by soccer moms whilst taking the kids to school rather than getting dirty overlanding in the Rubicon or Moab

That's funny you say that, because in Brazil, I never saw any of the Pajero SUVs being used off-road. However, what I forgot to mention in my original post is that I also saw a ton of Mitsubishi 4x4 pickups in Brazil. What I found strange was they have a long rear overhang on the box behind the rear axle, which, not only makes them look somewhat odd, but, must impede the departure angle quite a bit. They were one of the most common pickups I was seeing. The Police Militar use Mitsubishi trucks and I did see quite a few of them on my limited off-roading. I had a Ford Eco-Sport 2wd SUV but we did a few stream crossings up to about the top of the rims. The mitsubishi's went right around us.

I saw a lot more newer Land Rovers in Brazil than I would have expected. Not off-roading, owned by families ...about like the Pajeros. Land Rover seems to have done a very good job marketing their product there.

 

[plh]

The Mitsubish Triton pickup & pickup based Pajero are local manufactured in Brazil. Therefore avoid the import tax to Brazil. Chicken Tax is why they don't sell them (and many other small trucks and SUVs directly from Japan and non-NAFTA) in the USA any more. The 25% tax hit and all the now domestic / transplant domestic LT/SUV competition makes them very difficult to sell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

 

[Gruni14]

That's an interesting read..

Thanks