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WHETHER
we like it or not, the Pajero revolutionized the
country’s approach to the SUV. It opened the eyes of
the car buff to the limitless possibilities an SUV can
do for the discriminating vehicle enthusiast.
When it
hit town a while back, the Pajero became an instant
success.
So
smashingly successful was its entry to the car market
that an enterprising Pinoy even built an almost exact
replica of the Pajero. The Marikina entrepreneur named
his “invention” the Parejo.
As days
went by, the Parejo almost outsold its predecessor.
Much
cheaper
Besides
being much cheaper than the original, the Parejo
“robbed” some of the status symbol that went with the
Pajero.
To be
onboard a Pajero—much less behind its wheel—commanded
(still does) respect and drew ohs and ahs from onlookers
and car connoisseurs alike.
To this
day, the Parejo is still a byword in the local motoring
world. It has not actually left the scene; it just
faded away, like the sunset on a dark, stormy day.
And, as
the saying goes, “It was fun while it lasted.”
Imagination
But
then, if a vehicle like the playful Pajero can gun up
the imagination as to inspire someone to copy it, this
machine must really be good.
Recently, I drove the latest Pajero, perpetually known
as Mitsubishi’s flagship vehicle side-by-side with its
Lancer.
More
known these days as Pajero 08, the mean machine would
kick dust in seconds, as though it were a rocket ship
bound for Mars.
If you
want undiminished ox power, this is it. It is power to
the hilt. But the lowdown is, you need a fat wallet to
have it humming à la Formula One start.
You
could trim down your fuel budget, though, by just simply
using its masterful “gliding style of driving” through
its intelligent economy fuel gadget stuck on the
dashboard. It monitors your per liter consumption to
kilometers run—thus you have total control of your speed
and fuel consumption.
City,
country driving
The
beauty with the Pajero 08 is, it adapts well to both
city and country driving. It is big, but its
maneuverability makes it small and big all at the same
time.
The new
Pajero, like most of its elder brothers, is again
designed to cheat wind. Never a wind-eater, it slashes
through air like an arrow from William Tell.
But
while the latest Pajeros (gas and diesel) have been
scoring brisk sales since their introduction this year,
it is also worth noting that Mitsubishi Motors
Philippines Corp. (MMPC) has regained its No. 2 overall
position in the local motoring industry.
In its
year-to-date (YTD) sales (end of May), the Pajero 08
gasoline has sold 24 units and the diesel machine a
whopping 139. And to think that the Pajero 08 gas
retails at P2.608 million and the Pajero 08 diesel
P2.708 million.
Mitsubishi back to No. 2
Last
April’s YTD data show Mitsubishi garnered 13.4 percent
of the market, selling 5,345 units, to regain its No. 2
position in the industry.
Toyota
was No. 1 with 35.4 percent, selling 14,160 units. Honda
was third with 13.2 percent with 5,269 units sold.
Mitsubishi scored big in the pickup segment, with its
Strada 4x4 emerging No. 1. The Strada collared YTD sales
of 33.6 percent, followed by the Nissan Frontier with
28.7 percent (1,348 units).
Mitsubishi also claimed No. 1 in the AUV segment YTD,
garnering a huge 61.8 percent of the market, or 3,122
units sold. It was followed by Isuzu with 33.04
percent, or 1,669 units sold.
Twin
monsters
The AUV
category for Mitsubishi include the best-selling L300
cab and chassis and the Adventure.
Will the
Pajero hold its own again against the opposition by the
end of the year?
With
sales of the twin monsters breaching the 160 mark this
early in the day, I won’t be surprised if Mitsubishi
surpasses its yearend expectations. |
