Hindustan Motors (HM) has finally introduced the Pajero, the luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) from the stable of its technical collaborator, Mitsubishi Motor Corporation, Japan.
At Rs 32.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), the Pajero is priced lower than the Mercedes M-Class, at Rs 38-42 lakh, its only competitor in the super luxury SUV segment.
At a press conference late Monday evening, B K Chaturvedi, president of HM said, "We are hoping to introduce the vehicle with the 2.8-litre engine option latest by December. It will be imported in the completely knocked down (CKD) form."
The Pajero comes with a 3.2-litre turbo-charged DI-D (diesel) engine that delivers 158 bhp of power. The vehicle will be available at 14 dealerships across India, senior company executives said. The company is expecting to sell about 250 vehicles a year, they added.
Deliveries will, however, take place only 90 days after customers book their orders by paying the full amount in advance.
The CK Birla-controlled company is also planning to introduce the smaller and more economical variant of the Pajero, powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine, by end-2002. The company is expecting higher sales of around 30-40 units a month of the vehicle.
The 2.8-litre version is expected to be priced at Rs 25 lakh, company executives said. Pajero is the second Mitsubishi vehicle to be introduced in India by HM.
S Vasudevan, general manager, said the company does not expect any competition from super luxury cars such as the Mercedes E-Class. "For many customers, an E-class purchase is complementary to the purchase of a Pajero, it may not be a choice between the two."
The company is also considering a 1.8 litre engine option on the Mitsubishi Lancer, its existing offering from the Mitsubishi stable. However, senior company executives declined to specify a date for introducing the new variant.
