Mitsubishi The new Mitsubishi Pajero dropped this week; Americans know this model as the Montero. And while it left our market without ceremony 20 years ago, the three-row off-roader remained popular overseas as a less-expensive Toyota Land Cruiser alternative. In Australia, for example, the vehicle’s new design is a big deal. And clearly, Mitsubishi is serious about making this thing outback-worthy. Get a load of the optional steel bumper from the factory accessory catalog. It’s kind of funny seeing a big, battering-ram bumper on a modern SUV design, isn’t it? Looks like something you’d slap on at Los Santos Customs in GTA V. Mitsubishi hasn’t released the full options list yet, but in that one teaser picture we can clearly see a real kangaroo-killing bumper, snorkel, and skid plate. The description is just: “Make the All-New Pajero uniquely yours with a wide range of Mitsubishi Genuine Accessories. Designed for Australian conditions and developed specifically for Pajero, each accessory delivers seamless integration, exceptional quality and confidence on every journey.” This would be consistent with what Mitsu Australia offers on the Pajero Sport. Toyota sells something similar for the 300 Series Land Cruiser in the Land Down Under, too. (And of course, the mighty 70 Series is still sold there). Toyota, Mitsubishi So, yeah, while those look like aftermarket bumpers (and may indeed be made by ARB or another bumper brand that also sells direct to consumers) they’re OEM parts you can get from the factory. And even though they’re slightly odd-looking on modern vehicles, I do think they’re pretty darn cool. The advent of front vehicle sensors and higher standards for pedestrian safety has largely removed such options from American vehicles, but in kangaroo country, they’re still a necessity. And it’s not because Australia is a lawless land. Quite the opposite, in fact—speed enforcement is much stricter there than it is here. The legal driving-intoxication limit is lower. Firearms are much more tightly regulated. A driver’s license is harder to get and puts much greater restrictions on beginner drivers than US ones do. No, the proliferation of seriously heavy-duty truck bumpers is not an “Aussies can do whatever they want” thing. It simply makes more sense there. Australia is about the same size as the contiguous United States, but with about 10% of the population. Meanwhile, the density of animals on the road is much higher. I lived in Australia circa 2011 as an off-road tour guide, and crisscrossed the entire nation east/west, north/south, and a few diagonals, about a dozen times. We’d run 17-day trips where we’d see our last traffic light on the first day and not see another until the last. Once you get away from the coast, it’s animal country. Kangaroos ranging in size from “small dog” to “could beat up Jason Momoa,” plus emus, are an absolute menace to vehicles. As an animal lover, I share this with no pride, but I lost count of how many ‘roos I killed—in some areas of the outback, they simply bounce off your bumper like bugs while you blaze down a dark highway. It can become impractical to pull over and inspect your vehicle after every kangaroo strike—there’s probably a Slim Dusty song about that (look him up if you want to experience a little piece of Australia for yourself now). All this to say, Australia’s one place where prioritizing animal defense over pedestrian safety actually makes sense objectively. As for me, the kangaroos got their revenge. I collided with a particularly dumb one while riding a Yamaha TTR250 motorcycle, and the main souvenir I took home from the trip was a slightly bent skeleton—left arm has ridden about an inch lower than my right ever since. I also had to drive across the Simpson Desert (three days) with a cracked collarbone and a misaligned acromioclavicular joint. But that’s a story for another time. Got any Australian outback driving stories? Hit me up at andrew.collins@thedrive.com
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