Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

Like every other automaker under the sun, Mitsubishi is in the process of expanding its reach into Russia. In 2007, the automaker offloaded over 100,000 vehicles in the world's largest country (size, not population) and is looking to sell approximately 140,000 units this year.

Not surprisingly, it's chosen the Moscow Auto Show in August to unveil the next generation Pajero Sport SUV, before sales begin in South-East Asia, South America, Australia and the Middle East later this year.

The new Pajero Sport (or Challenger, depending on the market) is packing all the "active lifestyle" accoutrements you'd expect, including water-repellent seats, 2- or 3-row seating that can accommodate between five and seven passengers, and a waterproof luggage compartment that will come in handy after you've hiked through the volcanoes of Kamchatka.

Power will be provided by either a 2.5- or 3.2-liter common rail diesel, or if oilburners aren't your taste, a 3.5-liter V6 can send power to all four wheels through Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system. However, don't expect to see the Pajero in the U.S. or Europe anytime soon.

The press release is available after the jump.

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Mitsubishi "Panther" Concepts

In addition to bringing the good stuff (Lancer Evo, Ralliart) to Melbourne, Mitsubishi has some schlock on hand to counterbalance the awesome. We're talking about the automaker's "Panther" concepts, which leverage bling, decals, and that whole "dealer-installed accessory" vibe to create all-show/no-go machines of questionable taste. We find those "panther scratch" stickers to be particularly egregious -- they'd look right at home on a busted-up Paseo with 15-inch spinner hubcaps. Check out the attached gallery to see what you like most or least about the five Panther concepts. We think the Pajero fares the best of the bunch, and while we'd love to have the Triton pickup in general, we could do without the 22-inch cartoon wheels and graphics. The other three victims are the Colt (not too bad), Grandis minivan (above) and Lancer ES, whose Panther makeover begs the question, why do this when you can simply buy a GTS? They may wear the name of a predator, but these "Panthers" look like they'd be happier noshing on Friskies than fresh meat. Mitsubishi's excuse explanation for them follows after the jump.


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Click image to enlarge

To celebrate its seventh consecutive (and twelfth overall) Dakar Rally victory, Mitsubishi is selling a rally-replica version of the short-wheelbase Pajero 2-door in Japan. Plans call for a 20-vehicle run, all of which will be fully decked out in the rally car's red finish and full Repsol/Valeo/Ralliart racing livery. A skidplate package, red mudflaps and dark gray aluminum wheels with Ralliart centers complete the road-ready race replica.

Power comes from Mitsubishi's 3.8L DOCH V6 coupled with a 5-speed automatic and 4WD. Stability control is also standard. Orders for the special-edition SUV will be taken from February 23 to March 31. Buyers have to pony up ¥3,801,000 (around $32,200 and change) for the privilege.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Dakar rally team has completed its shakedown sessions and is ready to advance to the pre-race scrutineering and documentation on January 4-5. The race itself kicks off from Lisbon on January 6, and will mark the competition debut of the new Mitsubishi MPR13 rally cars, which are based on the newly-restyled Pajero SUV.

While we love the look of the new gull-winged Pajero rally raider, we're just as enthused to see the first action photos of the team's support car, a rally-prepped Mitsubishi Delica D:5 minivan. We count the Delica D:5 as one of our favorite JDM Vehicles That We Can't Have, and seeing the blocky van in full Repsol/Ralliart livery brings a smile to our faces. The Dakar Rally is a great event and involves a wide variety of vehicles, from bikes to pickups to SUVs to...well...Unimogs. Throw in the new Mitsu minivan and you have a veritable Star Wars cantina of race and support vehicles.

That's a good thing, and we'll try to follow Dakar '07 as closely as possible. (That pesky NAIAS is gonna get in the way for the first few days, though...)

Click here for a gallery of the Repsol/Ralliart Pajero and Delica.

[Source: Ralliart]

Mitsubishi has announced that its new Delica D:5 minivan will serve as a support vehicle for the automaker's factory Dakar effort, which will feature another new product, the restyled 2-door Pajero, in the starring role. The stylish new Delica -- a Japan-only model, unfortunately -- was revealed by Mitsubishi at the end of last month. The consumer version receives power from its 2.4-liter engine, channeled through an AWD system. The Delica's role in the Dakar rally will undoubtedly help the people mover bolster its modest soft-roading pretensions with its home-market customers.

The actual Dakar Delica will be suitably modified to handle the 8,000 KM trek. Naturally, safety equipment such as a roll cage and proper bucket seats will be fitted, and the van's mechanicals will be fortified to survive the punishment it's likely to face as it bounces across the desert. The standard suspension will be reinforced and see rally-spec shocks and springs added. The same goes for the wheels and tires, obviously, and the van's fuel tank will get added capacity to help minimize the risk of running out of fuel during the rally's extensive driving days.

We're looking forward to seeing how the D:5 looks in full racing livery, a preview of which you see above. If Mitsubishi's confident it can complete the event, that's enough for us. They've been at this for a while now, so they know what they're doing and how to prepare a vehicle for the event.

[Source: Carview]

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]

Remember the teaser pic of the new Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero/Shogun we brought you a couple of weeks ago?

Well, Nihon Car & Bike has shots up that pretty much explode the mystery. Taken from a japanese car mag named Driven, they show the facelifted SUV in and out and in both 2-door and 4-door trim. The new front end of the Pajero is a huge improvement over our current Montero with its smooth, flush face; integrated bumper bars; and what looks to be a serious skid plate on the two-door model. Of course, we likely won't get the two-door model in the U.S., but the four-door gets the same clean front end and a third row of seating with the tallest headrests ever incorporated in a production vehicle. The interior, likewise, has been simplified compared with the tangled mess of technology found on the current model.

We'll get to see the new Pajero up close and personal in Paris, so these pics we'll have to sate your apetite until then.

(More pics after the jump)

[Source: Nihon Car & Bike]

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]

Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced Tuesday a joint development program for a next-generation diesel engine for the European market.

The new engine will be a 2-liter unit targeted at small and mid-size cars, and designed to meet the upcoming Euro5 emissions standards, which go into effect in 2010. Development of the new diesel will be completed in 2009, with production starting in 2010.

Mitsubishi currently markets its own diesels in the Pajero SUV for the European market, as well as the Triton (L200) pickup built in Thailand. However, its small and mid-size cars in Europe (the Colt and Lancer) use diesel engines sourced from Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler.

[Source: Mitsubishi]