The Mitsubishi Pajero has been a vehicle which SUV enthusiasts swear by. Road, no road, the Pajero can best it with a resounding boom. Thanks to this legendary status, the Indian Army in the financial year 2010-11 decided to buy them for use in the Chinese border, especially in Sikkim. However, a report in Economic Times states that the Army is not happy with the SUV.
The Army claims that the Pajero did not meet their expectations, especially in the higher altitudes. In fact, they say that the Pajero developed engine related problems. Therefore, they decided to bring them down to the plains to make the best use. At least three of these vehicles have been given to Fort William, the army’s base in Calcutta.
The Indian Army has been known to favour the Gypsy by Maruti and other four wheel drives by Mahindra. Mitsubishi was quick to respond and said that low maintenance and poor quality of fuel used has caused damage to the injectors and other parts. To protect the diesel from freezing in the extreme weather conditions of the Himalayas, the army used to mix it with Aviation Turbine Fuel, which has a huge amount of kerosene in it.
The manufacturer says that they had warned the Indian Army against this and had asked them to use imported additives to prevent diesel oil from freezing.
Vehicles of similar grade are also used by the members of the People’s Liberation Army. The media on other side of the border is always restricted, so we are unlikely to know whether they are facing the same trouble or not.