Next Mitsubishi Pajero platform sharing with Nissan Patrol needs solid business case
"Can we come up with a business case in the end to justify it. You never know what the alliance could bring"
The future of the Mitsubishi Pajero has come under renewed speculation once again with a fresh report alleging that the next generation model’s platform sharing with the Nissan Patrol remains a possibility.
Discontinued in not only its home market but also the United Kingdom earlier this year after a production run of 37 years, the Pajero’s overdue replacement has been the source of much conjecture ever since former Mitsubishi Chief Operating Officer, Trevor Mann, last year stated that an all-new model would only happen if an ideal business case could be presented.
While his successor and former Nissan Commercial Vehicles boss, Ashwani Gupta, remarked earlier this year that the Pajero could possibly head the way of the current Pathfinder and become a unibody model if indeed confirmed for renewal, the three diamond’s Australian COO, John Signoriello, said the eventual decision rests with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
“At the moment we haven’t been told anything different. We just focus on selling what we’ve got. At this stage we haven’t been told anything- we just keep doing what we do,” Signoriello told carsguide.com.au.
Reiterating Gupta’s comments, Signoriello said the chances of the Pajero, which has been on sale since 2006 with only cosmetic and interior upgrades having taken place, becoming intertwined with the next Patrol depends on whether the number will add-up at the end of the day.
“It’s always got to be based on a business case. Can we come up with a business case in the end to justify it. You never know what the alliance could bring. That’s the beauty of product and platform sharing within the alliance. You don’t know”.
In spite of its exit in the mentioned markets, the Pajero will, for now, continue to be offered in Australia and indeed South Africa with more updates and special editions planned.
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