India-bound 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport - IAB Rendering

Would get the new 2.4-liter MIVEC diesel engine.

Based on leaked patent drawings which emerged yesterday, Indian Autos Blog's in-house artist, Shoeb, has created a digital mockup of the 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, which will be revealed in Thailand in the second half of this calendar year.

Based on the same ladder-frame chassis of the new Mitsubishi L200 Triton, which was revealed in November last year, the new generation Pajero Sport will up the safety aspect with its RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) safety body, while delivering better interior space and improved handling.

While the overall proportions and design of the third generation Pajero Sport (also called Challenger, Pajero Dakar and Montero Sport in international markets) is identical to the second generation model, designers have modernized the front and rear ends of the SUV, bringing it inline with other Mitsubishi products and concepts.

The GR-HEV-inspired front fascia gets the 'Dynamic Shield' X-shaped grille with the slender headlight clusters, which could receive LED lighting elements. At the rear, designers have opted for vertically-stacked light clusters giving the new Pajero Sport a sense of width.

The new Pajero Sport is expected to get the all-new 2.4-liter MIVEC diesel engine, which develops 181 PS and 430 Nm of torque on the 2015 L200. Paired to 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions, the 2016 Pajero Sport will continue to be offered with a standard 2WD layout and optional 4WD.

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The new Pajero Sport is expected to launch in India next year. As with the current model, local assembly of the SUV would take place in Tamil Nadu at Hindustan Motor Finance Corp’s (HMFCL) plant.