1997 at a glance
Mid-cycle second generation. Boxy, capable, and still turning heads on trail and tarmac.
- Generation
- II (V20 / V40)
- Body
- 3-door SWB · 5-door LWB
- Drivetrain
- Super Select 4WD
- Petrol
- 3.5 L V6 (6G74)
- Diesel
- 2.8 L turbo (4M40)
- Also known as
- Montero · Shogun
Why 1997 still matters
By 1997 the second-generation Pajero had settled into its stride: a ladder-frame SUV with a selectable full-time four-wheel-drive system that could cruise on sealed roads and then dig in when the surface disappeared. Rally wins in the Dakar kept the name sharp; owners kept the trucks working far longer than the brochure ever promised.
This page is a short tribute to that year — olive paint, fog-lamp amber, and the silhouette that defined late-90s overlanding.
Trail notes
- Super Select — 2H, 4H, 4HLc, 4LLc without stopping for most modes.
- Ladder frame — proper truck bones under the passenger cabin.
- Global names — Pajero in many markets; Montero and Shogun elsewhere.