First, Mitsubishi gave everyone a tease of the new front end. Then, a Japanese car mag revealed full views in advance of the official unveiling. Well, today Mitsubishi finally announced the details of the 4th-generation Pajero (a.k.a. Montero, Shogun) SUV, which will be shown to the public later this month in Paris.

The updates work nicely, giving the big Mitsubishi a crisp new look even though though its dimensions are fundamentally unchanged (this is a refresh, not a full-blown redesign). Under the new sheetmetal, the interior gets cleaned up and upgraded with goodies like an optional 860-watt Rockford sound system. Mechanically, the Pajero is now available with a new 3.2L CRD 4-cylinder or 3.8L MIVEC V6. Both are connected to a new 4WD system.

The Pajero's off-roading tradition is reinforced annually at the Dakar Rally, and Mitsubishi also revealed the latest iteration of the Pajero Evolution racing off-roader.

Though it has visual appeal, don't plan on seeing this car in the US. As we've stated before, Mitsu has pulled the plug on the US-market Montero with the 2006 model year. You have to wonder how it would do anyway, given the presence of the good-looking new Outlander and the larger (but not so good-looking) Endeavour. Both of those are probably better equipped to meet the every whim of most potential customers, whose off-road excursions are seldom at best.

We can appreciate it from afar, though. Especially the sporty 2-door, which we've liked since the days of our youth, when the boxy Montero/Dodge Raider could only be had that way.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

[Sources: Mitsubishi, World Car Fans]

The 2007 Mitsubishi Pajero (that's Montero to us Yanks) is scheduled to materialize this fall, according to the teaser website that's up at Mitsubishi's Japanese page. While the Montero is being dropped from the US lineup after the '06 model year, it will continue to be sold in other markets including, presumably, Europe. Next month's Paris show sounds like a good bet for the debut of the SUV shown above.

Spy photos that were taken earlier this year show the reskinned Pajero as having cleaner lines. The bulging fenders of the current model are gone, and the front end has undergone a full overhaul, if the teaser photo is any indication.Current speculation holds that the engine roster will not change from what's currently available in each respective market.

Will we get it at some point? Good question, because as we said, Mitsu pulled the plug on our version. The Outlander, with its sharp looks and 3rd-row seating, will be the horse in Mitsubishi's American SUV stable -- at least for '07. What happens beyond that is anyone's guess.

In the meantime, we'll keep tabs on this new Pajero and bring you more info when it becomes available.

[Sources: Mitsubishi, World Car Fans]