From the plant, which till date manufactured the contemporary Lancer that set a mark for itself in its category by winning several JD Power awards for customer satisfaction and quality, today rolled out the rugged and reliable Pajero Q Car built on proven body-on-chassis design.

The Pajero Q’s assembly at HM’s Chennai car plant once again establishes the automobile manufacturer’s ability to produce technologically superior, top-end products that meet international standards.

Says HM managing director A Sankaranarayanan: “The launch of the Pajero Q is a testimony of our competency as an automobile manufacturer - the fact that the world’s best-known sports utility vehicle (SUV) will be rolled out of our Chennai car plant is a moment of immense pride for us.

“When we launched the completely-built version of the Pajero earlier this year, we set the ball rolling for the premium SUV category in India. Now, with the launch of the Pajero Q, we are infusing fresh excitement to the already-exciting SUV and super luxury category. We are hopeful that the Pajero Q will be able to add a new dimension with its unparalleled combination of styling, pricing, performance and comfort.”

Available in two models - GL & GLX - the Pajero Q comes equipped with a 2.8-litre diesel engine and delivers peak power of 118.6 bhp at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 29.8 kg-m at just 2,000 rpm. All these enable the SUV to effortlessly handle the challenges of all terrains with equal ease and grace, a feature truly befitting Pajero’s status as the ‘undisputed king’ of any terrain.

Adding to the driving comfort is a choice of part-time four-wheel system or the Super Select 4 Wheel Drive (4WD) transmission and hydraulic power steering with ball-and-nut type steering gear. Pajero Q also boasts of a front- and rear-side door-impact bars, collapsible steering column, electronic EGR system, load-sensing proportioning valve and a lot more.

The Pajero Q, priced at Rs 19.7 lakh, for the GL version and Rs 23.7 lakh for the GLX version (ex-showroom Delhi), will be available in five single tone colours: Scotia White, Symphonic Silver, Black Magic, Blue, Green and three double tone colours - Green teamed up with Symphonic Silver, Blue teamed up with Symphonic Silver and Black with Symphonic Silver.

HM is the pioneer automobile manufacturing company in India. Over the years it has established itself as a manufacturer of cars that are comfortable to travel in and relevant to Indian road conditions. From being a single-product company four decades back, it has grown into an over-Rs 1,600-crore company, manufacturing passenger cars and utility vehicles. Its product stable includes the Ambassador, Lancer, RTV, Trekker, Pushpak and the Pajero.