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Mitsubishi Pajero Final Edition marks end of Japanese availability

Thirteen years ago, Mitsubishi discontinued the full-size Montero SUV in the U.S., and now the same thing is happening in its home country of Japan where it's called the Pajero. The company is marking the end of availability there with a Pajero Final Edition. Only 700 examples will be built. There isn't a whole lot that separates the Pajero Final Edition from normal ones. It has serial number badging inside, and special stickers on the outside commemorating the SUV's introduction in 1982. One cool feature is a Citizen watch with Final Edition branding that's only available to buyers of this Pajero. For a little extra, customers can opt for an exterior package that adds a rear spoiler, chrome spare tire cover and mud flaps with aluminum plates that spell out Pajero. It comes standard with either a black or tan leather interior, a sunroof, roof rails, cold-weather package, and under the hood a 3.2-liter diesel I4 coupled to a selectable four-wheel-drive system and five-speed automatic transmission. The price for it is 4,530,600 yen, or $40,602 at current exchange rates. Somewhat amazingly, this final Pajero isn't much different from the Montero that left our shores. The exterior has been lightly refreshed over the years with different lights and bumpers, and a more integrated spare tire cover. But it looks otherwise unchanged. The interior does sport more modern trimmings. The U.S. model also used a 3.8-liter gas-powered V6 rather than a diesel, but it did have a five-speed automatic like the current one. For diehard Montero and Pajero enthusiasts, this is a somewhat sad moment, but the good news is that Mitsubishi will continue to offer the SUV in other markets where fuel isn't as expensive and roads can still be seriously nasty.

Mitsubishi ready to pull Evo's plug

We have all manner of unofficial metrics in the auto industry. No doubt you've heard some of them, like the butt dyno. Another popular measure is the smiles-per-dollar index - how entertaining is a car versus its price. Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Scion FR-S and Mini Cooper S, for example, score quite highly, while vehicles like the BMW M5 or Audi RS7 are great to drive, but score lower because of their much higher price tags. For a long time, the king of the smiles-per-dollar index was arguably the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which blended hair-raising thrills for the price of a well-equipped Ford Fusion Titanium.
Now, it looks like the Evo will need to hand over its title, as this generation of the rally-derived rocket is likely to be Mitsubishi's last - at least for a while. There's been no mention of just when production of the current car will end, so if you're in the market, we'd suggest trying to find a dealer with inventory ASAP. The news comes from the automaker's Japanese mothership, which says the brand will instead focus on utility vehicles and EVs. While there are no direct plans for a successor, an Evo XI as it were, the door remains open for a different kind of beast, according to Mitsubishi.
"Mitsubishi Motors does not have any plans to design a successor with the current concept, as a high-performance four-wheel drive gasoline-powered sedan," said Namie Koketsu, a spokesperson for Mitsubishi, according to Automotive News. "Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology."

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety