Mitsubishi Montero: the evolution of an off-roader that still holds its ground

Mitsubishi is one of the few manufacturers that has not let the purest off-roaders disappear completely (something that will inevitably happen, either because of strict anti-pollution regulations or low demand). Since 1982, the Japanese firm has kept the Mitsubishi Montero in its model range.

Until the arrival of the legendary Jeep (the typical vehicle of the Second World War), four-wheel-drive vehicles were intended for heavy-duty use. However, the idea of smaller vehicles, agile on any terrain and equally capable of the toughest work, soon began to take shape.

Mitsubishi Montero is a pure off-road vehicle launched on the market in 1982 that still holds its ground.All this led several manufacturers to develop their own lightweight four-wheel-drive off-roaders, although Mitsubishi took a shortcut: it signed a contract in 1953 with Willys-Overland to begin producing the Jeep in its factories. Later came the concept of the Wagon, a model better suited to the lifestyle of 1960s society, from which Mitsubishi also took good note when developing its first prototypes.

Following market research, Mitsubishi anticipated the demand for more civilised and modern off-road vehicles. It therefore presented several concepts, such as the Pajero I (1973) and the Pajero II targa, a move that confirmed the Japanese company’s interest in launching a compact offroad vehicle, that is, the Montero we know today.

The unfortunate name Pajero was changed in our market

The name came from the pampas cat, Leopardus Pajeros, and was changed in Spain and South America except Brazil. The first generation of the Pajero (the name under which the Montero was originally sold) was launched in 1982 for the Japanese market. Initially available only with three doors, a hard top and a compact size (3.87 m), the vehicle was distinguished by several innovative features such as independent front suspension, power steering and front seats with mechanical damping, something very uncommon in the 1980s. The list of novelties did not end there: the Pajero also introduced diesel engines with intercoolers, automatic gearbox, disc brakes on all four wheels and a new multi-link suspension with coil springs.

In 1983, the Mitsubishi Montero marked a double milestone with the introduction of the five-door version, a longer wheelbase and three rows of seats, as well as its tremendous worldwide commercial success: since sales began a year earlier, more than three million units had been produced worldwide.

The second generation of the Montero reached the market in 1991. The SUV debuted a sophisticated 4WD system, which provided four-wheel drive at all times, as well as shorter gear ratios at a lower speed (100 km/h). The Japanese off-roader also incorporated the revolutionary ‘Multi Mode ABS’, a modular system that prevented wheel lock-up when braking. The introduction of the driver’s airbag and of the MMC indirect injection technology (called GDI) in 1997 were the most significant novelties with which the second stage of the Japanese SUV concluded.

From ladder frames and crossmembers to the modern monocoque chassis

In 1999 the third generation of the Montero arrived with a modern monocoque architecture (leaving behind the old ladder-frame chassis with crossmembers), independent front and rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, an automatic gearbox and a stability control system called “ASTC”.

The combination of its sales success and its legendary sporting participation has turned the Montero into a global franchise from which derivatives have later emerged, such as the short-wheelbase Montero, the L200 (derived from the Montero Sport), the Montero iO or the Montero Evo competition car, among others.

Moreover, the legend of the Montero would not be complete without its successful participation in the Dakar Rally, born from the partnership between Mitsubishi Motors and the French distributor Sonauto. The Japanese off-roader achieved an impressive competition record: 12 victories in the Dakar between 1985 and 2007, as well as participation in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in 2003.

This competitive pedigree has been passed on to many models in the more modern Mitsubishi range. Off-roaders such as the ASX, the Outlander PHEV and the upcoming Eclipse Cross have inherited many of the qualities that made the Montero famous.