Mitsubishi world rally champion Hiroshi Masuoka enthralled Puneites for three days with daredevil driving of his favourite Pajero Sport. For those who had the opportunity to be in the powerful SUV with Masuoka behind its steering, it was the experience of a lifetime.
The ride was part of the ‘Pajero Heart-in-Mouth with Masuoka’ event organised in Pune by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Limited (HMFCL) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Japan, from February 13 to 15.
Over 120 Pajero customers, 50 dealers and their staff, Pajero fans and the local media participated in the event. (HMFCL has been manufacturing, marketing and selling Mitsubishi’s premium brands like Pajero, Lancer, Cedia, Outlander, Montero etc in India under a technical agreement signed by the two companies in 1998).
The treacherous route around a hillock at Pethkar Motoring Grounds in Pune is a formidable terrain to traverse even on foot. But driving an all new Pajero Sport, 54-year-old Masuoka drove almost effortlessly, leaving many in awe of the driver’s calibre. “I am not doing anything special. I am just driving the car as per the conditions,” said Masuoka when one took the ride in the back-seat with seat belts on and a helmet to boot.
For the entire ride through sharp downhill slopes as inclined as 70 degrees with potholes, boulders and watery patches on the path, Masuoka had Pajero Sport on third gear and used no brakes. “The machine is designed to take all kinds of terrain,” he explained.
HMFCL utilized Masuoka’s visit to India to also promote safe driving. The company launched a booklet on safe driving on the occasion.
HMFCL also announced the formal launch of Pajero Sport for the Maharashtra region at a meeting of its dealers at Pune on February 14. The company has sold 211 Pajero Sports in Maharashtra. Pune sales account for 79 units.
Luxury automotive manufacturer JLR has reengineered one of the most structurally important but carbon intensive components within its future vehicles -the instrument panel crosscar beam.
Marelli, a global mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, unveiled its new solution for Intelligent Energy Management for hybrid and electric vehicles at CTI Europe 2025, in Berlin (Ger...
With the rapid adoption of electric vehicles in India, the need for dependable and user-friendly home charging solutions is stronger than ever. Addressing these evolving requirements, Uno Minda, a lea...