Pajero Sport SUV India launch at 2012 Auto Expo

The Pajero Sport SUV is finally coming to India! Hindustan Motors (HM) is now all set to launch the Pajero Sport at the 2012 Auto Expo.

The company intended to launch the SUV in India earlier but failed to do so due to pricing issues. These issues have now been addressed and HM will now price the Pajero sport aggressively by localizing it as much as possible. The vehicle will be assembled at HM’s Thiruvallur factory in Tamil Nadu, where the present Pajero model is produced.

The new Pajero will likely be priced in the Rs.20 to 23 lakh price range putting it head to head with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, BMW X1 and the upcoming Audi Q3 SUV.

The Pajero Sport will be powered by a 2.5-litre, 16-valve intercooled turbocharged diesel motor that will churn out 134bhp of power and 32kgm of peak torque. The transmission offered on the SUV will be Mitsubishi’s tried and tested shift-on-the-fly Super Select 4WD. Also read: Mitsubishi Outlander launch in India soon

The Pajero sits high with 215mm of ground clearance and has reasonable off-roading ability. The car is comfortable and the interiors can accommodate seven people if required.

The 2012 Auto Expo will likely be conducted in two different locations; the Expo-Mart in Noida or in the NCR (National Capital Region) and will see a host of car launches as always.

The Pajero will also face competition from Hyundai’s new entrant in the SUV segment the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe is powered by a 2199 cc four cylinder 16 valve, DOHC, CRDi engine that churns out a rather healthy 197 bhp at 4000 rpm of maximum power and 420 Nm at 1800-2500 rpm of maximum torque.

The engine sports injection control for precise fuel injection control and hence returns a respectable mileage of 14.66 kmpl (as per ARAI driving conditions). The engine is mated to a 6 speed manual transmission with shift indicator. The Santa Fe offers better acceleration and improved in-gear response time, thanks to Hyundai’s electronically controlled Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) mechanism.

The present Pajero (Pajero SFX) sports a 2835 cc engine that produces 118 PS of power at 4000rpm and 29.8 Nm of torque at 2000rpm. It also sports a Hydraulic Variable Power Assisted steering and a 5-speed manual transmission.