MITSUBISHI MONTEROTiming chain or Belt?

The Mitsubishi Montero or Mitsubishi Pajero is an SUV (E-segment in Europe) manufactured by the Japanese marque Mitsubishi. It was sold globally from 1981 until 2021. Over 40 years, more than 3 million units of this off-road SUV were sold for 4 generations. During this time, Mitsubishi also launched the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, a smaller vehicle based on the L200 / Triton / Strada. Although the name is similar, the Montero is a superior model mechanically. This model was sold as the Mitsubishi Pajero internationally. In the UK, it was marketed as Mitsubishi Shogun.

The first version of the Pajero / Montero was released in 1982. It was offered with a three-door body and short wheelbase. Three different engines were available: a 4-cylinder 2.6-liter gasoline engine, a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Later, other engine options were introduced, such as the 3.0-liter V6 and diesel versions. For a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the first-generation Montero had unusual features, such as a turbocharged engine, double-wishbone front suspension, power steering and suspension seats.

The second generation Mitsubishi Montero was introduced in January 1991 and featured a new larger body with four different body styles. Super Select 4WD (SS4), multi-mode ABS and electronic shock absorbers were introduced. SS4 allowed the driver to switch between two-wheel drive and full-time four-wheel drive at speeds up to 80 km/h, and Multi-mode ABS provided ABS functionality in all SS4 modes.

The third generation went on sale in 1999 and received a small facelift in 2003. It was slightly lower and its chassis improved in terms of rigidity. In 2006, this model was discontinued in North America. That same year, the fourth and last generation arrived to the rest of the world. This version improved again its chassis and active safety systems. It also received less polluting engines and a completely redesigned exterior and interior appearance. This model had many small redesigns every few years until it was finally discontinued in 2021.

The Mitsubishi Montero / Pajero has competed with models such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Discovery, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder or Hyundai ix55 among many others.