Mitsubishi is on again and off again when it comes to bringing its body-on-frame Montero SUV back to the US market. But one thing the company is clear about is that the rest-of-the-world Pajero it is based on won’t make the same mistakes as the Triton pickup it is based on.
A new report says that the company is making big fixes to the active safety system it launched in the pickup before it has a chance to wreck the experience of the SUV.
New Truck, New Assists, Big New Problems
2027 Mitusbishi Pajero rear dirving off-roadMitsubishi
When Mitsubishi launched the Triton pickup a couple of years back, it also launched a new suite of advanced driver assists. The first global Mitsu model to have a driver-monitoring camera didn’t gain any fans because it was seen as being overactive.
The point of the system is to alert an inattentive driver that they’re not paying attention. But while systems from Subaru and others are popular and effective, this system could be set off with a quick glance or even just by wearing sunglasses.
Company engineers took note while they were getting the Pajero ready to market. “I understand that those are the voices we got from the market when we launched Triton,” Mitsubishi Pajero chief product specialist Kunitoshi Itagaki told Australian and Thai media through a translator, Drive Australia reports.
“In the development of this all-new Pajero, we revisited these driving experiences, and also the beeping sound of those monitoring functions. Those sounds or the disruption from those driving aid systems have been [negated],” Itagaki said.
How Do You Fix An Overeager Safety System?
2027 Mitsubishi Pajero interior wideMitsubishi
The company toned down the alerts. Pajero chief vehicle engineer Takaaki Matsumoto said that now some alerts will only come through a visual warning instead of a buzzer. “Too much buzzer is too noticeable to the driver,” Matsumoto said. We thought that was the point of these systems, but Mitsubishi’s customers were evidently very clear.
Because the tech and platform are shared across both vehicles, they will still use the same sensor. It’s the “judgment criteria” that is different, a relatively simple software fix. The Triton has already received updates to bring it more in-line with what the Pajero will offer from the jump.
According to the report, calibrating driver assists for specific markets has been the focus of Mitsubishi’s Pajero testing in many of the markets where prototypes have been spotted. Drive reports that was the only real change for Australia, for example, rather than suspension or steering calibrations.
It needs to have these driver assists, as well as lane keeping, pedestrian avoidance, and more, as new vehicle safety rules get tougher around the world. Australia’s own ANCAP is focusing on crash mitigation technologies with more and better performance required to get the top ranking.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2001 – 2002 Mitsubishi Montero front 3/4 angle in redMitsubishi
If Mitsubishi finally commits to bringing the Pajero to the US, as a Montero or not, this level of attention will become a very big deal. Mitsubishi in the US has a reputation for cheap vehicles, and this big SUV won’t be cheap even if it’s a bargain by class standards.
That means buyers expect things to be nearly perfect. A new safety system, and clear evidence that it can be quick to respond to problems, should give those buyers what they demand.
Source: Drive
