The is a

kei car Kei car (or , kanji: , "light automobile", ), known variously outside Japan as Japanese city car or Japanese microcar, is the Japanese vehicle category for the smallest highway-legal passenger cars with restricted dimensions and engine capacit ...

produced by

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Minica, the Pajero Mini was styled as a miniature version of the company's successful Pajero

sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

, in response to the

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

craze of the late 1980s and early 1990s."Mitsubishi Motors Corporation"
Fundinguniverse.com Compared to the full-sized original, the ''kei'' vehicle was considerably smaller and was fitted with petrol 660 cc four-cylinder engines. The popularity of the vehicle inspired Mitsubishi to create several limited editions, including the "Iron Cross", "Desert Cruiser", "White Skipper" and "Duke".

First generation (1994; H51/56A)

The original Pajero Mini was first presented in December 1994. It was available with a choice of

naturally aspirated Naturally may refer to: ;Albums * ''Naturally!'', an album by Nat Adderley * ''Naturally'' (Houston Person album) * ''Naturally'' (J. J. Cale album) * ''Naturally'' (John Pizzarelli album) * ''Naturally'' (Sharon Jones album) * ''Naturally'' ...

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

659 cc four cylinder engines with . Front- or four-wheel drive were available, with 2WD models receiving the H51A model code and four-wheel drives being H56A. A larger-engined version with a wider track (and correspondingly larger fender flares) was presented in October 1995; this was sold as the

Mitsubishi Pajero Junior The Mitsubishi Pajero Junior is a mini SUV produced by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors between October 1995 and June 1998 for the Japanese domestic market only. Based on a lengthened Minica platform, it was a larger version of the Mitsubish ...

. The turbocharged models were VR-I or VR-II depending on equipment levels, while the naturally aspirated versions were called XR-I and XR-II. The "-I" versions received little standard equipment and can easily be recognized by their steel wheels, black bumpers and other trim such as door handles and rear view mirrors, and minimal brightwork. The more expensive -II models were usually painted two-tone and often receive alloy wheels and various pieces of chrome trim. In May 1996 the Pajero Mini "Skipper", a special version for urban and town use, was released. The name is a reference to Mitsubishi's Minica Skipper kei car coupé of the early 1970s. In December 1997, the Pajero Mini Duke was released. This had a somewhat more rugged appearance, including sturdy cladding along the sides and a grille with upright bars, a reference to Jeeps and Mitsubishi's history of license manufacturing the CJ-3B for four-and-a-half decades. File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 002.JPG, Rear view File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 009.JPG, Pajero Mini VR-II (turbo); this model is easily recognized by its hood scoop File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini interior - Flickr - dave 7.jpg, Interior (XR-II) File:Mitsubishi pajeromini h56a duke-x 1 f.jpg, A Pajero Mini Duke X-I

Second generation (1998; H53/58A)

In October 1998 the ''kei car'' regulations were again updated, and the Pajero Mini was widened and lengthened accordingly at the same time."Toppo BJ, Minica, Pajero Mini; New regulation mini-cars from Mitsubishi Motors"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, October 5, 1998 The "Duke" special model was carried over; it now received a larger, deeper set grille with vertical rather than horizontal bars. In Japan, the Pajero Mini was sold at a specific retail chain called '' Galant Shop''. Since 2008 Mitsubishi has produced the , an

OEM An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...

version of the Pajero Mini, expanding a similar deal already in place for the

Mitsubishi eK The Mitsubishi eK is a kei car series from Mitsubishi Motors, based on the long-running Mitsubishi Minica, Minica, and first introduced on October 11, 2001. According to the company, the "''eK''" name stands for "excellent ''keijidōsha''" or "ex ...

Nissan Otti Otti may refer to: People * Alex Otti (born 1965), economist, banker in Nigeria * David Otti (1940–2011), Ugandan football coach * Otti Berger (1898–1944/45), textile artist, weaver and member of the Bauhaus * Vincent Otti (1946–2007), deput ...

."Nissan Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors to expand OEM supply agreement for mini-cars"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, February 27, 2008 Production of the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini ended in June 2012.
Mitsubishi Motors press release File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 007.JPG, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Right Front File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini rear.jpg, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Right Back File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 201.JPG, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Right Front File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 203.JPG, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Left Front File:Mitsubishi Pajero Mini 251.JPG, A Pajero Mini Duke File:Nissan Kix 01.JPG, NISSAN KIX File:NISSAN KIX RS.jpg, NISSAN KIX RS File:Mitsubishi PAJERO MINI Limited (ABA-H53A) rear.jpg, Mitsubishi Pajero Mini last model

Annual production and sales

''(Sources
Facts & Figures 2000Facts & Figures 2001Facts & Figures 2005Facts & Figures 2009
Mitsubishi Motors website)''

References

External links

Mitsubishi-motors.com {{Mitsubishi Motors vehicles 2000s cars Pajero Mini All-wheel-drive vehicles Kei sport utility vehicles Kei cars Cars introduced in 1994